The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1865-01-21


! pcrable. They cxclaim, "Oh, the terribl,
| change You will take these poor negroes
| from their comfortable homes, provided by
| the watchful care of their masters witt
abundant supplies of all the necessaries o
f'te, and cast them forth upon the worlC
utterly destitute ard naked. They will per
ish. ! accept as genuine the protestatiCn
that this objection is prompted by an honest
feeling of sympathy, and will endeavor tc
answer it as it deserves.
We must bear In mind that the negro race
does not stand at as low point in the esti
nation of the ethnologiSt as it did five years
ago. At that time it was claimed that all
experience in this country established the
assertion that the negro could not exist
without the wntchful supervision of his mas.
ter, and that the black race was necessary
complement Of the white race in the south
ern States. the one furnishing the physical
and the other the intellectual power But
war is as subversivc of theories as it is oil
nero physical obstacles, and under its stern
mandates lifelong convictions may be
stormed as easily as military positions which
before We're deemed impregnahie. Who now
will assert. in the face of the facts trans.
piring everywhere, that the negro cannot be
made a soldier? That nonsense has been
exploded by the rebels themselves, many of
whom, and it is said General Lee among
them, now camor tor general arming OF
the slaves. Ii they so order it, well men
who have handled muSkets do not willingly
become slaves least of all will they become
again the slaves of masters whose cause,
when lost. they were armed to win nor will
they win a cause which, if won. will reward
their proves with letters. Who now will
assert that the negro will at the first oppor.
tunity rash into instruction and every
excess of barbarsm? Answer me fairly
who, since the negro has been permitted to
bear arms, has been most distinguished for
the display Of the Christian virtues in the
field, the former slave or the former mas,
ter? When you can prove against the negro
soldier the horrible atrocities of Fort Pillow,
Libby prison, Belle Isle, or Andersonville.
will grant you he is savage, and should
be banishcd irom civilized life.
do not deny but that in this great tenn.
pest of the social elements there may be in
some localities much suffering among the
freedmen. So there has been perhaps to an
equal amount among the white refugees
The war has imposed many and appalling
hardships. They are already upon us. We
must provide for them whether we adopt
this amendment Of the Constitution or not
Bat let peace be restored. revive the indus
trial pursuits, say to the negro. hereafter
You shall work for hire, and shall receive
and appropriate You own wages and as
sure as it is the law of God for the white
man that truth is better than error and free
dom better than slavery, so will experience
vlndicate the SAME great principles for the
black man.
This point reeds no elaboration. Iou
must either permit the blacks to be free or
return them to bondage. Suppose you re.
enslavc chem after having enjoyed a taste Of
liberty. would they not suffer tcnfold more
than if they remained free? Undoubtedly
they would.
III NJ own State the freedmen properly
appreciate their position. In fact, tie
slaves. for The most part knew beforehand
from actua! intercourse with those of their
race prcvi ,usly manumittcd what would be
expected OF them after their emancipation.
have heard no complaints OF their idleness
or dissipation. All of them with whom |
have convcrscd seem to understand that
they must work for an honest livelihood
They were never better behaved. Obcdient
cheerful, and happy, they appear anxious,
by their good conduct 10 reward the Efforts
Of those who laborcd to make them free.
regret nothing that have done for them
On tie contrary, rejoice that | have been
able to contribute to the restoration Of the
rights OF humanity to a down.trodden race
When passing along through life encounter
these poor freedmen, and hear one of them
say, " Master. God bless you." feel none
the worse that the prayer OF fellow mortal,
black though he be, upon whom have aid,
ed in comforting something more of harpi-
ness, has been offered up IN my behalf
The helplcssness Of the blacks used to be
f.yorite topic Of conversation among the
shareholders Of Mary Hand, but since emancl-
patton has been in course of development
very little has been heard from them on that
subject. When jeff. Davis craftsmanship
had begun to bear fruit, and a fearful suspi-
cion had gradually dawned upon the enlight-
encd understanding of his followers, that
instead of making slavery supreme, he had
simply knocked out its brains and gwen its
carcass to the dogs. fear made them tell the
truth. and we then discovered that helpless
ness was chargeabe more to the masters
than to the slaves. " Gracious Heaven"
they exclaimed, I" il we lose our slaves. how
shall we get along? Why, we never worked
Il day in our lives" And when in the course
of events the loyal white people of Maryland
for nearly three years had been marching
their fathers and sons and brothers to the
war, many Of them to return nc more. and
when at the board of almost every loyal
family the place OF some loved one could be
filled only by the cherished memory Of gal
liant soldier who had nobly died for his
country, those ,cho had SHGered MnS, seeing
the slave owners actually protiting by the
scarcity of white labor, began to ask, Why
are not the burdens of this war made equal?
Why are not the slaves put into the Army
and allowed to fight? At the mere asking
of such grossly unconstitutional questions Il
wall went up from the slave owners Except
n few, to whom all honor) that rent the
heavens. They cried out, sob, spare u.s.
spare u.s. our work is to be done, and our
slaves must it, Go on with the draft, and
let the white men who are unable to pay
communication 90 to the war But notwlth
standing these most affecting entreaties, the
able-bodicd male slaves near y all volun
teered. After they had gone the owners
were indscreet enough to complain. be-
cause, as they said all the strong men hav.
ing been taken they would be taxed with the
support of the women and children, the
epless and intrm, and they piteously asked
to be relieved from 50 much unrequited eX,
coming to the ears of one having the power
to remedy it, he at once made it kncwn that
he would relieve the owners from the charge
of all the negroes whom they were unwilling
to retain, and would provide for their trans
portation by sending steamer to any acces,
Sible point that might be designated. Strange
to relate, not one application was made for
transportation. There was an instantaneous
conversion If all WIN Lefnra com oiped