The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-06-28
The NegrO--Interesting Facts A
bout the Liberated Slaves.

BALTIMORE, June 8.
sUFFERINGs OF THE SLAVES DEPRIVED OF
THEIR MASTERS.
Those persons who have never been in
the South, and who have formed their
ideas of the Southern slaves from the in
dustrious and comparatively intelligent
negroes and mulattoes whom we see
in the Northern cities, have no adequate
conception of the real character of the
negroes Of the South. Accustomed all
their lives to implicit obedience; accus-
toned to regular and unvarying routine
of labor, accustomed to rely upon their
masters for instruction and direction, for
food, for clothing for medicine when sick,
and for the support of their aged and in
firm parents, they are literally bewildered
at the new positions in which they find
themselves. In a few exceptional cases,
the negroes on some plantations have been
sensible enough to remain, and to make
engagements with their former owners to
continue their labors on the old places;
and in all such cases the former masters
have employed their ne groes in preference
to seeking other help, and are paying
them fair wages.
| ExTRAyAGANT IDEAS OF THE SLAVES.
But these are very rare exceptions. AS
a general fact, it may be stated that the
whole system of labor, in all the South
ern States, has been broken up. The re-
lations between capital and labor, between
employers and employees, has been vio-
ln 4
groes, in every State east of the Missis-
sippi, and in Louisiana also, to great
extent, Intoxicated with their newly ac-
quired freedom (of the nature, extent, and
consequences of which they have not the
most remote idea, have left their homes
and the scenes of their former labors, ,and
with their women and children have
trudged off scores, and in some instances.
hundreds of miles, to the nearest city OF
large town. The orders that have been
issued, forbidding the cohgregating OF
negroes in the large towns. have not aba.
ted the evil in the least. The orders new
er reached the most of those for whom il
was intended, and even if they had, they
would not have been comprehended. The
negro's idea of freedom is twofold: FIRST
freedom from work; second, freedom te
come and go where he will, and added tc
this they have vague idea that those
who freed them will also feed and cloths
| them.
THEIR GENERAL UNwiLLfNGN TO WORK
It is found in vain to convinco them O
the necessity that they must continue t.
labor in order to live. When the idea il
| finally beat into their heads, they receiv,
it grumblingly, and exclaim, in their nn
couth form of speech, that they have beer
cheated and deceived, and that if they
must work they are as much slaves as be.
fore; or, as they express it, "as much q
nigga as before. J" 'nigga" with them being
Synonymous with Slave. They have
come to the large cities and towns,as they
would come to the promised land, expect
ing all their. wants to be supplied, and t.
be supported in luxurious idleness. These
expectations, of course, were entirely
groundless and tnwarranted. Ne pro
vision has been made for their support
and the consequence is, that every weel
thousands of those poor creatures are lit
orally dying Of starvation.
FIELDS AND PLANTATIONS LYING IDLE.
The operations of the Freedman's Blu
reau, though carried on with the most in
defatigable zeal, and with untiring indus
try, are utterly inadequate to reach ant
avert this evil, which, instead of decreas
ing, is growing every day. Nor is it les
painful to contemplate the sad effect o
this state of things upon the former mas
ters themselves, and upon the plantations
The planters, left destitute of help, ar
compelled to see their fields lying idl
and uncultivated, and to witness thei
crops rotting in the ground, for want Q
proper cultivation. They have done wha
they could with their own hands, and b.
the most praiseworthy industry will sue
ceea in raising a scanty subsistence fe
their own families. But the heart of th
true philanthropist would ache, in travel
ing through the South, to see the tens o
thousands Of acres of fertile land lyin
idle and uncultivated, while those poo
people, who ought to be there at work, ar
starving to death. Tie means Of CON
Portable subsistence for them are ther,
but they have been enticed away frol
them.
THE PLANTERS ENGAGING WHITE LABOR
ERS.
| Failing to make engagements with thei
negroes, and despairing even of their u
innate return, many of the planters hay
!, engaged white men to work for them, an
to take the place of their negroes. N
one can blame them for this, and yet,
storm of execration will be raised abor
their heads for doing SO. My informant
have related to me numerous instance
where poor white men, living near lare
plantations, have been engaged by tn
! planters by the year, to work for then
! and are now actively engaged. Thes
poor men were not soldiers in the reb,
army; but as the Confederate soldiers rt
turn to their former homes, they, too wi
: no doubt be engaged IN like manner. Fiy
: or SIX white men, on plantation, can d
, the work formerly done by twenty or thil
: ty negroes, and, as there are comparative
7 ly few plantations in the South on whic
more than twenty able bodied slaves wei
employed, it may be that the planters,
, the end, will find this kind of labor. tt
:. most profitable to them; for, besides SUI
:, portino the negro. the master was con