The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1865-11-25

been appointed and each Assistant
Commissioner seht 10 70 Stale. most
alway' ~ The Capitol, and tlet hrte
igenis " 'ch county Mmoy WIS
appropriated for the purposes of TIE
Bureau, BY different lnws. bnl not
enough, and ! had officers Of The ar.
my detailed because there wns not
enough money 10 employ ciliacn
agents
J was called upon to draw up q
system of labor by which the nborcf
could get his due, and the planlc,
could get labor and make it proGtn.
BILE to both.
! believed firmly and believe
yet, that ] had no more right to GX
rates ofwagcs in Mississippi, than !
have TO fix the rates of wages in
Massachusetts. wish to loayc IL to
tho people to work il out themselves.
One object Of the l'rccdman's Bu-
reau, and very dear to the men that
put It forth, was to secure to you
your freedom.
Mr.. Lincoln in a proclamation, n
short time before his death. proclaim.
ed your freedom. The last law he
ever signed and Congress, by this law
endorsed that proclamation.
] want all Of you who listen to me
to day, to understand that you are
free. The Government has said that
slavery shall never exist again, and
what it has said, it will maintain.
| feel that am an agent Of one Of
the strongest Governments under
Heaven, and when the Government
gives n pledge it means to keep it.
Somc have said that the Govern
nlent was weak because its agents
were acting from improper motives,
but there is very large body Of men,
comprising two-thirds of the people
Of the United States, who have been
sincere from the first, aud If our
Government is weak. it is the cause
Of corruption. It's strength is in its
truth and its right.
! am reminded of a remark Of Gen.
Sherman, in which he sai |, "xar is
cruelty The evils il the country
have grown out Of war and for God's
sake let us have no more Of il.
don't see poor manned soldier upol
the street, whether ho wear the biu,
or the grey, but feel my heart swell
with pity for him. (Circat applause.
The wer is now over and let US man
iCest no more Of the war spirit. Ev
cry act of injustice by tine black mar
or the white man manifcsts disposi
ton to kcepit alive, which canno
too strongly depreciatc.
II is plain to me that the colore,
people have lost much confidence il
their former masters and in owner
Of property, and suffering, destitu
tion aad death will follow unless il j
recIilied.
Ii the owners Of the soil loose con
fidence in the black man, then societ,
viii be convulsed, there will be desc
lation and death and we will have
state Of things, infinitely worse thar
the war itself.
] want the colorcd people, VIII
hear me to-day, to believe this an
to tell it to their friends. The col
ored people must rely upon them
selves, the Government has no land
for them.
If wrong comes don't lei it b
your fault. If oppression and wa
comes don't let it be your fault. ]
, man don't do his duty it is his owi
fault aud his oEn loss.
i When the time was tha; you hh
n master who took care Of you an
made provision FOR all, took care Q
. the helpless, the aged and the littl
, ones, very little want existed
, Many, conscientiously say, tha. yo
/! are not now as well on as before
1 Many say you are worse oa. lf yo
I are better Of, il depends on how 20
use your freedom.
Many Of you think freedom mean
' idleness and running about. This
r license, il is not freedom. ] tell yC
+ that freedom meaos work. II
= through freedom and work alone 90
!. can rise and freedom wall be grel
u boon if you make good use Of
# hut n bad use will lead 10 want. dc
t;futinn anil ,lrath.