Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-10-24
Startling Demands Of the Negro.

groes are inclined to make, and the great expec-
tation which they have of what is to come to
them as the results Of their freedom. --
He commenced with the startling announcement,
that ''the trouble that may arise from the sudden
emancipation OF four millions OF slaves, has not
yet begun Having alarmed his readers by
this declaration, freighted as it is with all
the s%hadowy yet APPALLING pictures, which its
vague hint calls up before tho afcightened I'M
aginaliou, be adds, that "the negroes are wait
ing patiently to see what provision the govern
ment proposes to make for them, and as soon as
they find out that none is to be made, then
tho trouble will begin in good earnest" We
were quoted by the thought that these negroes
were " waiting patiently, as that seemed to usa
favorable symptom but our fears we're intense
y excited at tho suggestive " then, y empha-
sized as it was with portentous italics, and
pregnant with the negro wrath to come. We
read on with trembling solicitude, anxious, yet
afraid to see the revelation OF the diabolically
black and premeditated %villsiny, Swallowed in
that startling "Men." As We advance, we find
that our correspondent has had a conyersa-
ton with "a freedman of extraor binary intelli-
gence, from whom he has CLEANED most inn
portant information as to what these free ne
groos demand and expect, and also as 10 the
dread alternative to which they will resort in
case their unreasonable exactions are not At once
recognized and answered.
In the first place, this " freedman Of extra.
ordinary intelligence" contends, that " four mil
lions OF negroes thrown suddenly upon their re-
sources into the broad stream OF life, cannot DO
expected to swim of with case and vigor, but
require the assistance OF life preservers in the
shape Of 'some provision made for them by
Uncle oam.' This is complaint number one,
and naturally enough shocks this Charlotte
MAN, who has all his lifetime seen the negroes
not only taking care Of themselves, but sup
porting their masters, and who is therefore
amused that a freedman OF extraordinary in
telligence' should contend, " that these four
millions OF negroes cou ldn't take care Of them.
selves without ONE provision from Uncle
Sam. "Chicora"-that is this correspondents
signature-sees in this demand a purpose to
drive "Uncle Sam to extremitie,, and has
therefore given the country warning Of this I'M
reasonable complaint of the negro.
Bnt this ia not all. These free negroes-,o
says this freedman Of extraordinary intelli-
gence"--preler eating to voting; and as though
this were not q crime Of sufficiently black hue,
this "lreedman' has actually declared, in the
hearing Of "Chicora Z" and in the conversation
aforesaid which he bad with him, that the
freedmen believe, "tblt The white folks are with
out Just cause, prtjldiced against them, . and
therefore will not employ them. More than
this, and what 10 an aggravstion Of the black
ingrattude and the unreasonable unreasonable
ness Of thess freedmen, they have actually and
with malice prepense, complained that " their
pay has been TOO small, and that they are gem
orally iefnucel Of it entirely" We trust our
readers will understand what ungrateful
wretches these freedmen are for holding such in
c%enjiary opinions, and will ssmpalhi1, pro-
foundly with " ChiCora" in his apprehenslons
for the future, which such a state of the negro
mind and stomach evidently portends.
But this is no! all tho freed ndgrO's crime.
We have only stepped on The threshold OF the
horrors which have cast their grim shadows
across "CtioOra's'' path. The negro's demand
Teaches inhaltely farther than merely p%reiering
eating to voting, or a far days wages for d
fair days work. Ha is guilty Of the sudacious
impudence OF desiring to real estate. Chi
cora" Gays, "to sun 1t up in a lew words, the
negro wants to own land, But this is not the
height OF their presumption they actually
"wish to buy i. on time, giving the crop az 80.
ourity for the interest OF the purchase money =
Free negroes own land in South Carolina
"Chicora" never heard OF such q thing And
how ~atrocious this crime becomes when these ne
groes, who were never permitted to caro- dol.
lar for themselves until a few months ago, and
who since that time have been compelled to
work Tor three or four dollars a month, and
have in the end been delrauded OF that, have
the brazen assumption, 10 ask to buy land on
credit "Chicom, y when his Gstonishment al
lowed him to speak, and he had recovered his
breath, suggested to this "lreedman of eItraor-
binary intelligence 'that il was rather a cool
and modes! expectation, and inquired what
right the freedman had to expect the gov
eminent to compel owners Of lands to sell them
on such terms, or sell them at ALL" 10 this
iuteIrogatory the freedman replied-and here
again appear those woelul italics" that these
lands Tere bought 10Th money made our Of IN
paid negro labor ~ The impudont scoundrel
Just as thot gh that VAS any reason why his race
should be allowed to buy on credit the Gun.
cleared land oil the South, which they % COW
elously desired.
ltn)ne Of these reyOluti onary schemes and
demands OF these free negroes succeed, 'then"-
this appalling and italicised '4hen" the negro
vaguely proposes 10 emigrAle somewhere, no
matter where, but somewhere, anywhere.
There, reader, We have given you this horrible
disclosure. "Cbicora" used moro words in
painting his dreadful picture, but We have not
thought it quite safe TO give you the touches of
high colorIug which bring out into frightIul re.
Lief the %insol,n and e~xacting demands OF these
free negroes. When you have read and pom
dered this sketch, compose y%ourself as well as