Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-28

out coming to the notice Of the au'noi
ties.
1t is true these are mere isolated cases,
for which II would be wrong to hold any
body responsible who was not connected
with them; but it IS also true that the ap-
prehensions SO widely spread among the
UDionists and Northern men were based
upon the spirit exhibited by the people
among whom they lived I found a good
MANY thinking of removing themselves
and their families to the Northern Stases,
andif our troops should be soon withdrawn,
the exodus will probably become quite ex-
tensi7e, unless things meanwhile change
for the better.
THE POLITICAL N EDUCATIONAL sITuA-
TON AND PROSPECTS.
The report then proceeds to show how
the Congressman elected in Mississippi
were persons who, if Unionists before the
rebellion broke out. afterward aequiesced
in the secession movement. In Louisiana
matters we're equally bad. Gov. Wells
turned out no Tnionists at all, andthe I'm
ion School Board in New Orleans was dis
posed of.
The greater part of the report is devo-
ted to a consideration of
lsI a,a THE NEGRO QUESTION.
The solution of the social problem in
the South, if left to the free action of the
Southern people, will depend upon two
things. First, Uponthe ideas entertained
by the whites, the "ruling class" of the
problem, and the name in which they
act upon their ideas; and, secondly, upon
the capacity and conduct of the colored
people.
ment, made under circumstances so x
tromely unfavorable, should at once be o
perfect success, no acknowledgement would
expect; ~neveetheless, a large majority Of
the Southern men with whom came IN
contact announce their opinions with so
positive an assurance as to produce the
impression that their minds were freely
made up. In at least nineteen cases Out
Of twenty, the reply l received to my In
quiry about their views on the new sys-
| TEN was uniformly this "You cannot
make the negroes work without physical
compulsion." l heard this hundeeds Of
times, heard It wherever l went, heard II
nearly in the same words from SO many
different persons that at last Icame to the
| conclusion that this is the prevailing SEN
timeut among the Southern people. There
are exceptions to this rule, but as far as
my information extends, far from enough
documents YOU will find h an accompanying
proof in support of this statement. Their
is hardly a paper relative to the negro
question annexed to this report which
| does not in some direct or indirect way
| corroborate it.
ILL TREATMENT OF H BLACKS.
The number of murders and assault
perpetrated upon negroes is very great
we can form only an approximate estimate
of what is going on in those parts of thu
South which are not closely garrisoned
and from which no regular reports are re
ceived, by what occurs under the very eye
of our military authorities. AS to my per
sonal experience, l will only mention tina
during my two days s%ojourn at Atlanta
one negro was stabbed with fasal effect OF
the street, and three were poisoned, one o
whom died. While / was at Montgomery
one negro was cut across the throat, evi
IDENTIFY with intent to- kill, and anothel
was shot, but both escaped with their lives
| Several papers attached to this report giv'
an account of the number of capital case
that occurred at certain places during
certain period of time. 1t is O sad fac
that the preparation of those acts is no
confined to that class, of people that nigh
be called the rabble. Several gentlemen
of standing have been tried before mill
tary commissions orssuch offenses.
50 far, the spirit of per
secution has shown itself SO strong as t.
make the protection of the freedmen BY
the military arm of the government il
many localities necessary, in almost al
desirable. 1t must not be forgotten tina
in a community,a majority of whose mem
bers are peaceably disposed but not will
ing or able to enforce peace and order,
4 comparatively small number of bold anC
| lawless men can determine the characte-
of the, character o. the whole. The rebel
lion ITSELF in some of the Southern States
furnished q, striking illustration of thi
truth. -surot -4..aw
Gases in which negroes were kept OF
the plantations either by ruse or violence
were frequent enough in South Carolini
and Georgia to call forth from Genera
Saxton q circular, threatening planter
who persisted IN this practice with tn
loss of their property, and from Majo
General Steadman, commanding the DE
partment of Georgia, an order bearin!
upon the same subject. At Atlanta, Ga
/ had the opportunity of examining SOM
| cases of the nature abovedescribed myself
| While I was there 10Th and 10th of Au
gustl several negroes came into town wit
| bullet and buckshot wounds intheir bodies
- - IL .koAapoonfe which hnWauar
were only c~orroborating information pre-
! viously received, it appears that the reck
| less and restless characters of that regiol
had combined to keep the negroes "wher
they belonged = several freedmen wer
shot in their attempt to escape, others sue
ceeded in eluding the vigilance of thei
prosecutors, and large numbers, terrific
BY what they saw and heard, quietly re
MANNED under the restraint imposed upo
them, waiting for better opportunities
The commander of the sub-district an
post informed me that squads of guerrilla
were proving about within a few mile
of the city, making it dangerous for so
diers and freedmen t6~fshOw themselye
outside the immediate reach of the CARR
son, and that but a few days previous t
nv arrival a small squad Of men he ha
sent to serve an order on a planter cor
corning the treatment of freedmen, ha
been driven back by an armed band {
over twenty men, headed by an individut
in the uniform. of a rebel officer. m
In Mississippi I received information
a similar character.
7aAslate as September 20, Captain j. {
Weber, Agent of the Freedman's Bureau
reported % Colonel Thomas, Assistan
Commissioner of the Bureau in the Stat
Of Mississippi. as follows: 1n man
eases, negroes who left their homes dul
ing the war, and have been within on
military lines, and having provided home
here for their families, going back to g
their wives and children, have been tol
that they could not have them. In seI
eral cases, guards have been sent to al
people in getting their families. In man
others it has been impractieable, as th
distance was too great. In portions
the Northern part of this district the co
ored people are kept in slavery still. I'll
{ white people tell them that they were fire
during the war, but the war is now owe
and they must go to work again as befor
Tho renorts from observation-disclosures pea,