Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1865-10-12

and place in this great and free govern.
ment. Ia -
The Government has guaranteed To you
eessain rights and privileges. In these
rights You win be protected. Your rights
consists in your freedom, which is freedom
tomske your own contracts, to receive the
beueft of your own labor, to choose your
OWN employer, to keep and govern your own
families, TO educate yonr children, to wor.
ship God after your own manner. The
same powers that gave you these rights and
privileges have imposed upon you certain
and new duties, compelling you to labor to
support your families, to obey the laws of
your country, to show respect and cheerful
obedience to your employers, to fulfill and
respect all contracts, to hold the marriage
ties as.saered, and to so conduct and deport
yourselves as to win the respect and conf.
dence of all men. Fulfill, then, these re.
quirsments, and all will be we'll. Reject
them, and your condition will be q far
worse one than you ever experienced when
In slavery. It is tree that there are some
bad men who viii take advantage of your
ignorance and impose upon you. Some
may try 20 defraud you of your wages, and
"a few are wicked and coWardly enough to
revenge their losses upon yon by violence;
have patience and ere long these matters
will .reguite themselves. But good beha.
.riour on your part will ever gain for you the
respect and protsetion Of al: good -..a- --jjsss-
men. =.
Since have been among you l have
discovered that a majority of you look upon
Your former masters as your enemies, and
upon the Yankees" as your only friends.
In this you are mistaken. / am from the
North, and know we'll the feeling that ex-
lists there towards the negro. know that
majority of the Northern people will not
willingly consent to yonr becoming citizens
amongst them. The Government, through
. military necessity, has given you your
freedom, and in that freedom the people Of
the North will ever protect you, unless you
become unworthy of their protection.
= The South is your natural homes, and
Southern men will be your friends. The
majority of you were raised, have grown up
on. the same plantations with your former
masters and / knoW.it to be fact there
is . feeling, . sympathy, existing between
yon that does not nor never can exist be-
tween yen and the people of the North.
5 If Soutnern men are you enemies it is your.
bad behaviour that has made them so.---.
The fact is that You know not how to appre.
) ciats. your freedom, and have grossly abused
lt. Es q afflssas:s s.I..is ND So a.a II
J, Become respectful, obedient and honest
: to your employers, and you will find them
J frat in paving the way for your future well
fare. To becomes prosperous and intelli-
: gent people, many of you will have to pur.
sue q fan different course from that of the
last four months of your freedom. 1t is
true that soma have realisedSthe RESPONSE
bilitissthat freedom has brought upon them;
!, and have been faithful and obedient to their
employers. But many of you have become
impudenty lazy and disrespectful to those to
whom you must look for your support -.
; ManysApa.i dlinganGs Iaafpaa8aY ehairtima
around towns and. .oampss while their fami- |
!. lies are suffering for food and clothing, and
many without sheltes. You alone are ac-
{ countab.e for the sad fate which awaits you.
Since ! came among you I have learned
tho sfacs that as a people you have very lit
tie regard for the truth. In fact. have
lost all con6dencein your veraeity, and know
3 not when or whom to believe. find that
5 ,you are disposed to utter falsehoods when
the truth would answer your purpose far
better. 2 8 80 &, -. 50 %.
Hereafter those coming to me for the pur-
pose of getting justice in cases between
themselyos and employer must come with
The truth; if not they must not expect me
ito assist them in their difficulties. Such
lies as You tell are not only impositions up
on me, but upon the public, and must be
stopped.
I have sseertained that many of you OBJ.
.ject to the system of written contracts
This is another evidence of your ignorance
-of freedom. Written contracts are the only
safeguards to free labor. H.is simply the
binding of twosor move parties to fulfil a
voluntary agreement or agreements between
themselves and employers. These contracts
are in no way connected with slavery, but
system adopted by free labor. everywhere.
By making contracts in writing you bind
yourselves to do certain labor; the same
contract obligates your employer to pay you
for that labor. A contract is the proof of
your agreement, and advise that you make !
all agreements in writing, fulfill them to the
letter aud the laws will ever see that you
have your rights. For another year adopt
this system, aud by complying with your
agreement you will have no trouble in col.
lecting your just dues. s., !.
It has; been reported to me that in some
portions of. this district, Freedmen are
holding secsst meetings. This is against
the laws, and must be prevented, anu any
persons holding or participating in such
meeting will be arrested and punished most
ztssyerely. Whatsths objects Of these Ueet.
ings are know NOT, but no good can. arise
from them, but much harm. j
I also wish to caution you against one
other matter-that is as regards your right