The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-05-22
From the Brooklyn Eagle. J
The Negro Problem.

| nandeuts, To one of unrestricted Geeuom
and supreme self control -, "i course, AT
tended with much difficulty aud contus-
ion. The friends of the dark no"
crowned with that American citizenship
which is attributed with such ShS'o 10
all of African descent, Suddenly nna
themselves confronted with tins trlte oiu
axiom. The Antl-..Nery Society thihk
they see an autidote Ia all the negroes
suffering nnder the new system Ia an ele-
vation 10 "A still higher grade ut rights
and respectabihty The more sensiDieot
the AbOlitionists, however, recognize the
necessity of administering some advice 10
the darkey nimself and of inducing h''h
with his own hands to look after hls own
welfare. Hence Mr.. Greeley issued the
very pertinent and expressive order OF
instruction Ia freedmen contained III the
vulgar saying, Root hog or die. Let
us take glance at the social conuitioh
of the former slave. The Louisville Jom
nal contains the following upon TINS suo'
ject
The negroes are leaving their homes
by the hundred, aud are crowdlng INTO
the towns, crowding by the Thousand Ill,
to Louisville, crowding the Federal
camps, demoralizing and being demoral-
lied; and the military authorities can no
more control the legs Of the negroes than
their IN masters can. The plantations
are thus left without labor, and crops can
not be grown. Uncertainty and conius-
ion take the place of order, and poverty
and disease. if not some fearful pestl-
lence, must follow hard upon idleness
aud dissipation. Our farmers are thus
in process of being impoverished ana ru,
ined, and their hitherto well-ied anu
well-cared.for slaves are perisillhg oy
piece meal through the same CAUSES
What's to be done! is the inquiry that Is
forcing itself into eyerybody's mouth;
Nor is this state of things confined TO
Kentucky alone 1t is picture but
family drawn, too-of African society
throughout the whole of that large por-
ton of the South now redeemed TO the
Federal government. 1t such be the SIT
uation of affairs in Kentucky SO near the
border and where the negroes are among
the best bred and most intelligent OF
their class. what must he the position OF
the inferior class in the Gulf States the
field hands, the cotton growers ana the
tire-proof deeper dyed and more lghorani
sons of the agricultural districts. III
Birmingham and Manchester are pinch
ell and hungry for the want OF cotton
how are those abject aud helpless labor
ers who subssted exclusively upon the
prosperity of its immediate planter :
1t may please an indiscriminate au.
dience TO reflect that there is not one OF
the four millions of blacks who were SO
recently slaves, but is now rs free as the
sunlight that warns him or the breeze
that rufiles the palm trees of his taVofite
land. But il is quite another thing 10
contemplate ifths freedom has lett him
his hovel without the poor comforts oi
former times, broad acres without piows
and his children without bread. IL Is
quite another thing if tho masters con
troll is supplanted only by unbrldled IL
centiousness; if the five hundred thou
sand slave communicates of the churches
of Goo arc turned into dissolute and
rowing vagabonds; if the African In his
blindne IS, emancipated from the laws
that have hitherto governed him, can
see no way to a comfortable and chris
tian future.
We have suddenly great problem
given us to solve. The Abolition,sts re-
garded slavery with perfect horror, and
freedom with such ecstacy that they
supposed the instant the negro became
free the destiny of his race was made
clear and perfect Emancipation being
accomplished we find that the great
problem is forced upon us-almost I'M
iathomable and perplexing beyond OK
pression-what is the negro to do, or
what is to be his social condition IN the
futurel
President johnson. with his usual sa-
gacity, foresees this difficulty In his
speech on Thursday, 10 delegation oi
negroes. he says:
Il know it is easy to talk and proclaim
sentiments upon paper, but ~ IS one
thing to have theories aud another 10 re-
duce them TO practice; and must say
here, what have no doubt is permanent
" fixed in your minds, and the impress
sion deep. that there is one thing you
ouUht 10 teach. and they should under
stand. that in a transition state, passing
from bond to free, when the tyrants rod
has been bent and the yoke broken, we
find too many-it is best 10 talk pialn-
there are. say. too many IN this transi'
tion state, passing from bondage To Tree
dom, who feel as if they sLonld nave
nothing 10 do, and fall back on the Gov
ernment for support; too many lnciihed
to become loaferS and depend upon the
Government To take care of them. They
seemed to think that with treeaom ey-
erything they need is to come like mama
from Heaven.
Now, ! want to impres, upon your Inlhhs'
that freedom simply means liberty to
work aud enjoy the product of yonr OVID
hands. This is the correct definition oi
freedom in the most extensive sense OF
the term There is another thing ana
have been surprised that people be-
yond the lines have not impressed npon
yon this important idea IL is easy IN
Congress and from the pulpits North aud
South to talk about polygamy, and Brig
ham Young and debauchery OF various
kinds, but there is also one great fac,
that four millions Of people lived IN
open and notorious concnbinage. The
time has come when you must correct
this thing You know what say Is
true, and you must do something to cor
rect it by examples as well as by words
and professions. can give you no as
| surance worth more than my course
heretofore / shall continHe to do all
that can tor the elevation and amello-
| ration Of Your condition; and i trust IN
God the time may soon come when you
n 4 N a an