, 1865-12-28
CARL SCRURZS REPORT
ON THE
CONDITION OF AFFAIRS
IN TIE STATES OF
South Carolina, Georgia. Ala
i: /. bama, Mississippi aud -
louisiana,
fConrfu0eZ.I
TIE NEGROQUE5TION.

fCohrfudeEt
TIE ENEGROQURsT1ON.
FIRST AsPEcrs.
The principal cause OF that want Of national
spirit which has existed In The South 50 long, and
Ct last gave birth 10 the rebellion, was that thc
theirpecultar Interests md insitntons IN pssfar.
cnee to those which they had In common With ihe
ret Of The American people. Hence the impoy-
the question Of Union IN general, ana tie aaesIon
Of reconstruction In particnIar. - 1''c
When the war cams to close the labor aystem OF
the South sas @ already much disturbed. During The
Si1,ea had 1e!t theff masters and followed Tho col
nmns Of our armies; others had taken Trfuse In
snT P man, tao1ssna had enlisted Il be
ecttlements ol negroes had been formed along fhn
Heaboard and the banks Of the 3lfsaisnppI under te
snpe5Hvitton m r. Of amy onee5s and Treasury
gees, who conid not be adyantaseons1y employed,
IN the so-ealied contnband camps, Msny slaves
had also been removed BY their masters, rs cur
to the Interior Of Gcorgia md Alaba1na. thus
considerable portion o. thc atonng fonco had been
Hx,iihdra"n x,,i from its former employments.
dc pansssaa isss' hsses ,sfs fsad ssIaoa Sn
especially tn tho.e parts Of The country w6ieb
Dvse9 1ot be ny sne ~ md
enforced hy Tie miltiary power. Although not IT,
noraut Of The stake they Ind in the result OF lie
CONTEXT tho patient hondmen waited quietly. for
the Development Of things. But II coon as the
struggle was finally decided and our forces wero
scattered about in detachmentsto occupy the eoun-
~ he 50 ~ Hnnaovsa masses began to stil The
no longer mere contingency, but n1ed fact
Large numbers at colored people left The planta-
ttons; many aoeked TO our military posts and
dom, md others walked away merely for lie
purpose Of leaving the PLACES, on which they had
been held in slayery. and beesnss they could
ihcir 1umber was 5y no meaas mean s In:onsldels. ene
Bile. remained with their former masters
and continued thcIr work pn the Aeld, but
der ihe a::ita,pe influence Of feeling Of restless
nesr In SOME lone localities however, where onr
troops had not yst penetrated, and where no mill
partially succeeded In malptaf1inE between them
selves and the negroes the relation Of master and
save, partly ny cuneealiue from them ihe great
izms them into s,,bmitefon 10 their behests. But
aside from these exceptions, The country found H.
eeI thrown into tnat confusion, which "a naturally
The White people were affaid 81 the nesnses, and he
negroes did not trust the white peoples tho military
po.f1 q tie Nstion,l uovesnmsns tooa there, md
Upon sbss poweT dt1elvea ne task Of bringing
order Into that chaos. But the orI1es to be intro
dnced was new nrder, Of which neither the Late
ceptIon. All the elements Of society seiag atloat
The ulftcnlues were tmmensc. The military otlcrrs
ned agents Of the Freedmen's Bureau, 10 whom the
nesIocs applied for atytee, and guidance, either
or persuaded them 10 return TO their plantations
and 10 contnne In the cultivation Of the ops, pro
lsing them that ihetE liberty. rsht4 and interests
should be protected. Upon the planters they urged
the necctety OF making ar and equitable conrac,s
with The freedmen, adHonithing Them to treat their
taofers AZ fsec men ought to bs treated. These Ct
fart ftry3hft
rpundiIg The poblem permitted to sIpcct. Large
numbers Of negroes went hack 10 the fields, Accord
Ing 10 The advice they had received but consdera-
towns and along the Eeaboafd, where there YVES no
adequate amount Of prontnble employment fos them.
TIE making and approving OF contracts progressed
cggaqed in that i,ne o. duty n,ade il pos
sible, bnt not raplaly in proportion 10 tie vast
amonnt Of work to b accomplished. The business
hcfc and there experiments were tried, which lad
10 PC given up- In numerous csses contracts were
made and thsn hsoken, either b5 the employers OF
whelmed with complaints from both e1dcs, While
many planters anfed 10 have the laborers who had
fef them. batx on thcir plantauons; uthcrs drove
tho number Of The unemployed. sioreo7er, the
mtdsl OF the agricultural Iabor-seaeon, when tho
e1 ,nsm hs s Ses
interruption o labor. which coutd not be hut very ex.
tens1yc, causet considerable damage. In one word
s seeus aEc N 70
connected With pcHod OF DrecpfIons transition,
and which, although natural, arc exceedingly EN-.
soon e ne sos 1oss% 70
II left 10 the free action of tho Southern pepple viii
depend upGa ino things. FlHt: Upon the ideas
y hs snes, Tne ne hss s,s s
iheir ideas and eecendls, upon the capacity and
conduct OF fhe colored people.
= OPINIONS or THE WHITES.
Tint the fea1it of the free labor experiment. msde
under circumstances 20 extremely unfiyorabIe
should al once be perfect suceees, no reasonable
person would expect; ueyerthcless large majority
OF INC sonthe5n men with whom lcame in coutacE,
ance as TO produce tho lmpses sion that their minds
were freely made up. In at least nineteen casss out
q twenty, The Ieply received to my inquiry about
their views on the new system. vas uniformly this:
icsl co1npuIsIon.'' heard this hundreds OF lines,
benz! 4 uhercseri ugnt heard 1t IN nearly ,he eame
she sSst S = e3s s a5
sentiment among the Southern people. There are
exceptions TO this ruc but as Tar my information
extends, faf rom enough to aiect The rule. In thc
accompanying documents you VII find an ahund.
anec Of proof In support of this statement. There
T. psds hsr 5sn1ye T. she negro question
or AEuireet Wny eprfeborate It.
Unfortunately, the disorders necessarily growing
out Of the trsuslt!on state continually furnished
1ood for argument. ! found but few pecpIe who
were willing 10 nskc due allowance for The adverse
iDnuencc d exceptional circumstance. Dy a
md ine1 mostly heIonccd 10 tba j. me1e ] intcs,teeo,
charged against the-4yste1n Of fsce l1bor.
conclusive proof Of the ineorIc1hle INSTABILITY
Of the negro and the lnpEactfcabity Of free negro
labor. 4 soEae individual negroes violated Tho
that no negro had OF ever would have a Iust con.
cepilon OF the binding force Of contract and Tint
THE system Of TREE negro labor was bound to be a
form their ,ask With sufficient alac1ity It was bro
duccd ~ Hefuiable evidence 10 show that ply yscal
conpulsfon wa. actnally Indispensable to make The
tof subsistence. II vas quoted as ipcon.
tesiihly establishing The point: that the negro
and must necessarily. Be- consigned 10 ths
care Of q MASTER. heard . Georgia PLANTER nrvue
most .sEioueir that one Of bis negroes had shown
pndcnily refused to submit 10 = whipping. IT..
gncntsy went Into an argument with those putting
io.1h such general Insertions 99otlng Instances
to the entire patt< faction Of their snpoyeSs ~ tht
employers themselves had Informed me. In q nj,
j9tity Of casss ths reply was that We Northern p-o
The souberne1s, did; that as to Tie particular ia.
stances quoted, I Was probably mistaken: that 1
lad not closely Investigated he csses, Or hid been
NEGRO would noi work Without comp alson. and ,hst I
nobody could make them believe he would Argu-
ments like these naturally finished such discussions.
asScsns:y ssSHss , me- shat psrons Who conyersea
would lose their temper ~ soon a the negro quea
ton vas touched
KEERcrs OF sucu oriyloSa, .ASp eEsZRAL TREAT,
XlsT OF TIE yEGuo.
p BELIEF, conviction. Or prejudice, Whatever you
mny call II, uidcly spread. and apparently so deep.
ly foOted ss Ibis that the necro win not work with
ont physical compulston, is certainly calculated 10
the people entertaining it, 1t naturally produced
desire 10 preecrse slavery In ls original form, as
much md as long as po*sible-and you nay per
hfps Ismemher the admission made By one Of ihe
PROVISIONAL Go1esnofr, over two months amer the
close Of The 1ar that The people Of bis sIale still
tndulccd ina linccing hope that slavery might Jet
be rreseEyed-oz 10 Introduce into the new system
would make The ne.To work. Efforts were
indeed made 10 hold the negro In his old state 'oi
tahjecion, especially In such localities, where our
county was not raI1isoaed ia detail. Here and
there planters tpccecded for limited period in
keeping their former slaEe. IN ignorance OF, At
agency employed for that purpose was force mud In
uufdntfon. In many instances negroes who walked
away from the plantations Or werc fomsd upon the
among those 7enaniDg with their masters that an
attempt 70 Escape from slavery would result In Ger
q oenss HES s s
tntle 10 lhs motive. The documents attached 10
thIs report abound in testimony 10 this effect. For
Brig Gen. Fcsfcnden rrpoted 10 Major Gen Gill-
more from Wfneboro, s. c. July 10, Is follows :
The spirit Of the people, especially In those dis
Shelman's army, Is that Of concealed md, IN eono
instances, Of open hostility, though there are come
who strive wtlh honorable good falth 10 promote a
and The people. spirit Of bitterness and pcrsecu-
ton maniietts itse1 toward The negroes; and they
are shot aud abused outside the Immediate protec
Termination TO take the law into their own hands in
defiance OF our authority. 10 protect the negro and
punifh lhese eiilt rebelious Individuals, 1t VIII be
with soidess.r lreceiyed similar verbal reports
from Other parts Of South Casolus. To show tho
hopes snil induGed In by some, may men ton that
informed me, knew planters within the limits of bis
command, who bad made contracts with their form
er esyes Gtolced!y for the object OF keeping Them
MD ArfH{ fhnpT, hSvn