, 1865-04-12

One Hundred Thousand Freedmen
In the Department Of the Gulf.
THEIR PROSPEROUS AND PRO-
Missing CONDITION,
Correspondence OF the Chicago TrIbune.1

NSH ORL1ANS. April I, ls6h
T. Lave 1alcd to find in any paper an aceu
!s'e account Of the 100, 900 freedmen now II
1ae department Of the Gulf. Tho happy re
srlts Of efforts ie 1hetr behalf for two years
kaorH, ahould encourage zeal and ltber
aatJ 1or the race now going free elsewhere.
! VIXEN In April, 1862, the guns of Farragnt
Transferred the city Of New Orleans from
feoel to national authority, and when The
nna1nchtng General Butler commenced his
"1se rule, slaVorJ, with al its horrors, herr
ceased. The rebel flag WAS BOON exchanged
toe our now glorious hag-the emblem Of free.
dom. Hfgh and proudly 1t waved over the
city hall, the mint, and other public places,
when rsbel slaTeocrat tore 1t down from
tho mint building, xnd dragged 1t in the mud,
Butler ordered him selzcd and hug 1t the
mint gable window, under the floating flag he
had 60 madly diseraeed.
When ve walk down into old French town
Qowar part Of the city, there in the middle
| Of = beautiful park, callad jackson Park.
| wo see tho old hero Of New Orleans In fall
size On horseback, With hat In hand, and
horse in full gallop. It isvery military and
nfe like for . hronze statuary. On the pedes-
chieftain, Gen. Butler had printed IN plain
letters, ''The Federal Union, it must and
| shall be preserved"
Aue pass oyer to Canal atreet, upon n
marble pedestal stands another favorite in
statua5y, tns statesman H,s Henry Clay: Il Is
headed and in the attitude ofspeakine. Itls
I = high, noble figure. On thu white m.rhla
beneath his feet, Butler had printed thcas in
mortal words Of Horny Clay, If 1 could b.
instrumental In eradicating the deep stain
slavery from tha character Of our country, /
HT3rf VII 4hA II
which should enjoy, for tic honor Of all the
triumphs ever decreed to the most successful
conqus1ors."
Hero, these two old honorcd statesmen
stand In tho public places Of New Orlaans,
preaching to al the people day and night to
preserve the Union and abolish tlsyetJ-our
shame and curse. Gen. Butler and our Union
1oiees have. given living power to the wishes
Of Clay, and the 'sdeep stain or slavery II
wholly erAdicated" from these parts. bna
hundred thousand chattels h&ve been con
verted into men. No more auction blocks,
manacied slaves, and SLAVE pens, are visible.
Yes, one Of the latter find, now converted
into = rebel prison. and guarded by colored
soldjers-the black ruler without, and old
massa and slaye.driycr within. All admit
that these guards will faithfully do THAR
duty. Eew Orleans is changed into more
quiet, peaceable. and sundaJ-keeplns place.
Formerly it VAS known as the worst aid mont
dangerous city Of the South. Now II /. the
most quiet aud really the safest city In the
South, west Of the Allegheny mountains. Lei
due praise be given to Gems. Banks, Candy
and Hur1hut.
established = Bureau Of Free labor. ne
placed at It's head true friend of the sla9o.
. large hearted, efficient executive officer.
Chaplain 7. ". Conway, Of New York. Al
ter tTo years trial in leasing plantations,
protecting prort1ty and stimulating ths
nIacks, and giving them school privileges,
from Gen. Banks' aud NJ. Meflen's former
orders. need then but give the 1ate order,
NO. -, Of Gen. Hurlbnt to show tho present |
plan Of action, and al may judge Of its wis., |
dom: It is II substance II follows, vlz:
Al The E5o0 plantations worked are to be |
registered. The labore1s can make volun-
tary contracts With their employers, which !
vii be valid If .tfound fair and honest "by |
the Superintendent, Conway, and by him |
"condrmed and approved" But nj such |
contracts must secure support, maintenance,
clothing and medical attendance to the Ia
boreT." There must be just treatment,
wholesome rations, comfortable clothing,
quarter, fuel and medical attendance, aud
the opportunity for instruction Of children" |
In addition to these the planters must pay
the lanorers, male, from % to SO. according
girls under fourteen, IS and s.. al ablc to
earn more and can make better bargains can |
DO 70 It the hrst Of tic year. The aboyc il
ti the mlnimsm ,l m price, hany arc this year got
One half payments must be made every
quarter, the whole by Tho 31st Of January,
The laboler has a lien - the crop and prop
ertJ Of the plantation TIL he il paid. And |
that lies WILL follow such ctops or properly, |
In any and Ill hands until suah labor il fully |
paid and satisfied. Hence certificate duly |
algnea must be shown ere it is safs to buy
cotton and other produce. Il tho laborer
feigns sickness 1hen able, il idle or refuses
to work, he Is reported to the Parish Provost |
Narthal, and BY him to the Superintendent, |
and BY the latter put upon forced Labor, on
made to see and to fed that it is for their In.
teFest to labor, and that the government will |
protect and secure to them their rights If |
they act faithfully. The TINA Of Ia
@., or ,nd si'9 nno n9ea ten hour in ,1m
noon Of. Saturday znd the whole of |
Sunday is ut the disposal of the labore1. About |
one acre Of land is also given the 13borer to |
cultivate for himself. Now this IL tho plan. |
bow does 1t work. Well. About 100, 900
strange asit may seem only 900 draw "a
tibna or are dcrcDdaat-many OF these are
put on to home farms and viii be made 10 i
do much towards their support. 0tkers arc
widows Of soldiers and cripple.s-sixty-two
are orphans In the asylum, sustained By
100000 marched up Into state Of self aup.
RpIt R when they had protection, aud achance.
doV great the reward for the lfttle labor and
ccst IN helping them to 4t2rt-aud sending
them clothing, teachers and go,d cheer.
There is now the work on hand here Of daily
done with these In the ner Freedmen's
Bureau these are included. and hope they
will be also stimulated to labor
Gen. Banks has the htnor Of introducing
The free school system among the blacks To
this department. An abls Board of Educa-
district is taxed to sustain It. 1o 3oo chIl.
d1en arc u ,hese schools, 1t 4 cost of s18
year per child. 162 teachers are c1nlcved
1hesr heroic, zeal, courage and endurance
a1n.o ~ pleojnaices and dangers are worthy OF
thsss fre.a,n aaGa na!s Ssa %o1 gSner,
schools are but about one year old, vet they
report ,623 that can read Il B23 are stndI.
Ing arithmetic; 1883 geography. and 2A3
grammar. 1t ia The testimony Of our teach.
ers," says the Board In their able report,
Tho have taught In both white and cofored |
schools, that these children do not suffer in I
comparison with the white in tho actiyit5
OF most ef their faculties, and in the acouhi-
ZION OF kno"ledge. They are qulck- -wlt.cd,
e1eeilng In those branches that exercise the
perceptlve and Initiative powers, ard the !
while they are slower in ARITHMETIC !
and IN studies that tax the reasoning powers, :
probably from lie: cditary dormarcyof these !.
lacatt.es uIder the long night sod cruel =
weight Of slavery.
:. In conclusion let me say, h<es wc have :
living, standing proof Of the wisdom Of aid :
ing to start the Freedmen If this country. !
It wholly confutes all the objections that op. 6
posets have ever made. They arc to ABIDE In
Ibis country With proper protection and
they VII soon be se1Esup- ! 7
porting. They seek fn: an education and do !.
make good piogress. Their religious incli- !
1atons, properly tirec:ed, must elevate =
them morally. 1T combined make them q !
ncet promising pople for which to labor. II
The FIcedmeps Aid Commissions eau now
mostly leave tie Department Of the Gulf In E
hose able Government Lands, Let this en-. 9
courage us I'll to double our diligence else :
where to c4re for the hundreds of Thousands s
1os SO favo1ably situated. now just emerging :
iom thf lcng night Of slavery. They come .
orfh With ali the dtpyiyattons and troubles '
# these before them. with 1ike;necds and ca ).
,atinties. Let us labor on and nbcrally give !
u our substance with hope and prayer per :
eVcre till every Freedman stands up as !!
ian enjoying his rights and privileges. !
a. ". CoBB.: !
ITEMS. 7
Mixture Of rye and indiana drunken +
hoctaW. a