Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-12-21

su0h ihatters. lncy tnlnk 1t would bc
prejudicial to negro discipline to bring
such offenders to justice just now.
Some planters, however, are driving
the negroes off from their plantations
Though the contracts do not expire
till January, the cork on the planta.
tions is done for this year. Some of
these negroes, male and female, are
driven away in very destitute condi.
tion, and go roaming about the coun.
try until they are either overtaken and
disposed of by the nigger killers" OF
by some official, and put to work un.
der vagNnt act, said to be in force
in this State. Many of these Freed
men are crushed and heartbroken, des-
titute and forsaken, their children scat
tered in every direction the strong
and healthy retained by their former
masters who positively refuse to give
them up. Very few of these poor out
casts, if permitted to live, will ever be
able to get all the members of their
families together again" a. ~ss
This Subj Commissioner of Freedmen
tells me that he regards "the condi-
tion of the Freedmen Of Mississippi
to-day as little better than the most
abject slavery!" This is the testimo-
ny and mature judgment of Sub-Com-
missioner of Freedmen who has had
time and the very best opportunities
to observe the proceedings of the re-
stored traitors in this region. a
"Some Of the Freedmen" he says,
|" came to me in the greatest conster-
nation, saying that their masters now
tell them that their being free is after
all great mistakc-that they are still
slaves!' and these masters" he says,
care adopting the old system of forced
labor, which requires the most severe
punishment, as the negroes hate to
give up the idea of freedom
Now what have the people of the
North to say to this? What course
will be taken by Northern Senators,
think you, Mr.. Editor? Have you
seen anything in the papers about ne
gro instructions in Louisiana or else
where? Have you heard anything
about the negroes taking possession
OF their masters lands about Christ
mas? Well, do the people of the
North believe that there is any truth
in such nursery tales 2" We don't.
Have you heard of the necessity of dis
arming the negroes !? . ...
Bless your simple hearts; the ne
groes in this region-and we believe
it is the same in other places---arc
without arms of any kind they are
utterly dcienceless with very few ex-
ceptions. Why, then, talk about dis
arming them, you say? Have you
not heard that the colored soldiers, as
well as others, when discharged from
the service, are to retain their arms
by paying for them {? Well, these
Southern traitors are taking " time by
the forelock." If these soldiers retire
from the service with those arms they
used so effectually in the battlc-fields
of the South, they may be tempted to
use them in defending theselves and
families against the militia and "nig-
ger killers" prowling around their
homes. The fact is, this "hue and
cry" about negro Instructions, and
what not, seems to be an artful dodge
on the part of their oppressors, to get
a law passed prohibiting all colored
men from possessing arms. Pass this
law and the arms of the discharged
colored soldier will be taken from him
by the State authorities, or else an or
der will he issued from the authorities
Of the United States requiring these
soldiers to return their arms to the Uni
ted States on being discharged. In q
word, the object seems to be to rem
der the Freedmen as utterly defence
less and unprotected as they were be-
fore the rebellion. As one illustration
out of great number of the estimate
placed upon the life Of a negro by the
civil authorities and the protection Of
fered him, take this:
Some three weeks since l was in the
Office of Col. Preston when a young
colored boy came in and asked if the
Colonel wanted boy to take care Of
his horse. asked him where he came
from. He said about ten miles from
here. Ithen asked him if he had re-
latiohs there. Not now, sir" he re-
piled, II had a father, but they shot
him down last week /" What for"
I asked. Nothing as l knows Of,
sir" "Who shot him!" "Don't
know. sir.' "Are they trying to find
out!" "Not as l knows Of, sir" So
it goes. l have not heard that the
murderer Of this poor boys father has
been found or sought after. But sup
pose the murderer taken. What then ?
Why, if he is tchite man, to save ap-
pearances, they may fine him three or
four hundred dollars. That's, all. But
he'll not be found. If you want any
more illustrations, say SO. and | will
give you more than enough. Let the
one given suffice for the present.
As ever yours,
JAMES g. WfrTEp,
Chaplain 58th q. S. Cold Inft'y.