The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-11

II AAO0A IL ..#..M
To TIE FRIENDS OF HUNAEITY-Being sent
mt as agent for the Freedmen's Relief As
lociaEion for the District of Columbia,
it my duty 10 make known some
faets. -5EA
The woful condition of the freed people
IN. and around Washington can be known
in reality only to those who have visited
and labored among them. s.-gf
The abolition of slavery in the District Of
Columbus in the year 1882, threw into the
labor market q surplus Of laborersp and had
It not been for the demand for work at
hospitals, navy yards and ct places in the
War Department during the past three
years, thousands of women, with their
families, could not have found labor
and subsistence. The concentration of the
at Washington brought many, many
thousands more helpless beings 70 that
city. Newly escaped from the clutches Of
slavery, they very naturally lied
from the scenes of their former suherings,
and followed the army as children would
follow 8 parent, TO the Capital of the na-
ton, as & harbor of refuge, believing Mr..
Lincoln's name the open sesame 10 receive
and enjoy all the rich blessings Of lib
The chances Of employment for
these new corners are small in
deed, as with the ~disbanding of the army
and closing of the hospitals the demand
for labor has greatly diminished. The
persons now thrown upon Washington are
in q great measure unable TO take
care of themselves. Very many in con-
sequence of exposure and the hardships at
tending their previous life and q state Of
transition, are weakened by disease, and
have but q limited knowledge of labor,
raised as it has been 10 a fine art in b Free
States. They find themselves transferred
to an entirely new and untried condition,
and they need and must gradually learn
the first lessons of domestic thrift. Could
my readers see, as l have seen, the slave in
his hut, without the cOmmOnest necessaries
o.. -3mfort, they would appreciate the con-
ditlo1 in mind and body, of the majority Of
the freed Africans. And let my readers
remember, too, that among the old resident
population in Washington, the freed slave
has few, very few friends. Many of the
women Of whom. we have spoken, have hus-
bands in the army or in government en-
ploy, but have no knowledge Of the place of
their locality, nor do they receive assistance
from them. The war has drawn largely on
the black males. The Government has ia
ken soldiers; quarterm asters, teamsters; and
officers, servants, so that only the inefficient
have been left. In eanvassing the city to
nlA NLO oDDgaN NV IN obAO DoAAoN AA1h
found without employment, but their
want of knowledge Of reading, writing and
arithmetic, as well as Of all forms Of bust
ness, exposes them to great fraud and i'm
position, and their labor is often almost en-
tirely lost.
In January last, a public meeting was
called, and the sutterings and wants of
these destitute people made known by per-
sons acquainted with the facts. / will give
a few out of many cases. On 18th street is
an old, gray headed man, who has, by the
of Christ for many years. He sleeps on a
board with a stick OF, wood for a pillow. He
has no means Of getting fuel or food, has
no shirt on his back. His collar bone and
right arm have been broken, and he conse-
quent.y cannot labor. (This man met me
in the street, and begged a cent to buy him
a piece Of bread. gave him the last dime
1 had. i
In the Southern part of the city are six
children, the eldest a delicate girl twelve
years old, the youngest q babe one year
old. Their mother died from exposure and
want of food. The poor creatures were
huddled together without fuel or Ere.
On Capitol Hill, in a stable, are two fam
lilies of twelve persons, occupying less room
than would accommodate two horses. The
old man is crippled with 6 fever sore one
girl has consumption q motherless boy Of
twelve has pneumonia; q babe is dying for
lack of n~Ourishment. An old man works
hard to pay the rent, $I2 per month /;
a widow Of fifty lie their only dependence
for bread. A narrow plank bed and a COM
mon bedstesd accommodate a part of this
company, the rest lie on the broken brick
floor, covered with a few rags. SO ~
An old woman ninety years of age has
taken shelter in an old back dark stable.
No ray of light comes in at noon day. She
has raised the children and grandchildren
of her master in all faithfulness TO him and
to God, and now she is turned out to die.
Their case might be multiplied by hun
dreds. Out of nine hundred families in
spected, twenty-five paid four, and ffty,
five dollars per month for rent. Those who
have succeeded in purchasing shanties
with the aid of husbands in the army, pay
$50 q year Cor the most worthless ground
around the city.
By IL Society, and with the aid of the
Government J, 200 cords Of wood and $500
blankets were distributed last winter, be-
sides other articles Three soup houses
were established. The daily average at
tendance was 1889. Most of those had no
beds. Bunks were constructed to the num-
Der of 257 and furnished with straw.
Two industrial schools have been estab-
Iished. During the first month 100 women
attended; 600 garments we're made 3Ol
giVOu in payment for work, 25 in charity,
10 to women going 70 PhiIAAAlphia, where
places had been p~rovidedfor them.
The donations made to these suffering
people will be faithfully and judiciously
used LIST. To relieve present physical suf.
fering. I'd. To instruct them in useful vo-
cations, that they may be able to take care
Of themselves. Sd. To educate and develop
their immortal minds, and prepare them
for stations of usefulness and trust among
their own people.
Ye friends Of freedom, give this long-suf-
fering people your free will offerings, and
see TO il that slavery is not exchanged for
serfdom, and the last condition of this race
become worse than the first. No longer let
their sweat and toll psmper the pride and
arrogance of the idle, lazy white man. Let
these people have lands and homes of their
own. Let them settle in communities
and have churches, schools and vocations
ali their own. But it matters not what
shape the future of this dependent GLASS
take, or what plans may be set on foot
by the Government for their ultimate good,
il 10 that thousands now need aid,
thousands who are sunkin the lowest depths
of poverty and ignorance. And we, as q
and as individuals, by virtue of the
set of liberation, are bound by every tie of
honor and humanity to aid them and help
them forward in industry, intelligence and
all else that should characterize aChristisn
For this purpose we must haye money,
clothing, globes, maps, hooks, anything and
everything that can be used for their COM
fort and advancement.
By giving you will help to atone for the
wrongs hesped upon a patient, humble and
long-suffering people, whose record in this
great conflict must stand out in bold relief
n of the brightest pages in the history
Of humanity.
To prevent misunderstanding, 1 will state
the idea that the Freedmen's Bureau
all the suffering refugees and freed
men is incorrect. General Howard laaors
constantly, but cannot reach the thousands
Of cases Of individual suffering. the object
IF the Freedmen's Bureau is the employ
nent and transfer TO their homes, Of refu-
gees from the South, and it does not attempt
% give temporary aid 10 the suffering coIot-
ID people Of The District.
Mrs. i. n. 3. KICKS,
No 40 BSthd Avenue, CleYelsr6. O.
n, COLLEGE COMMENCE
oxaPciaes ~ fhA.