Journal of freedom. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1865-186?, 1865-10-21
THE FREEDMEN.
ADDRESS OF GEN. HOWARD.
speeche. byGen. Dockery and Judge Road.


delegates to the State Convention and large-num-
Der of ourcitEens including many ladies. on the sub
iect Of the Freedmen and the Bureau over which he
presides. He introduced to the audience sy the
Governor, and commenced by assuring his hearers
that he entertained the kindest intentions towards
the State, and was merely agent in the hands of
the President for the execution Of his policy il
pect to the Freedmen aud their changed relations with
their late owners 81 stated that he was en- rosie
for South Caroina but thiukins that Aae g-H.d to
tbs country might result froA Intercourse with the
members of the State convention, mad halted in
Raleigh, and ,resse himself greatly pleased at
the opportunity eff rded him If addressing them.
The report OF the committee To which the address
of the Freedmen's convention had been referred
handed to him, and he read it. FL endorsed it
ly coincidng with mis- visws and approved the policy
recommended in the report. He spoke of the action
the conventon as important and expressed his conf
deuce in the honesty and wisdom of its members,
and their legislation in the matter. Hs thought that
effective Jaws could be passed at present becaus
time is ssary to perfect such important matters.
Ho referred to the of Alabama and Mississippi
where arrangements had teen made by which some
of the justices in each county authorized to
force law and order, and earnestly advocated the
adoption Of similar method 10 North Carolina. He
referred to the result Of the work accomplished by
his Bureau, and said thas one, white black is
s staiued in vagrancy or ideness Ooa of the great
ohi.cts had been to hre * up vagraucy aud it had
hcen yearly ace mpli7haA. r. MS present position
he oud nj aiv5 ata Equa r ghts and did not in
teod DO 50, bus IL his address he hoped 10 adv
few practical suggestions IN aid Ia the s,ution Of
the ff1 lis which envelope the labors of the
cJuvyutl,e. The Bureau was Intended to last for
year, a4d i, ly al ag5pey arranged to break the
shock o tire transitie which is now ing on IL
the social condition CT th s nth The change of the
system OF labor, aud lii cai On tters is great, and
the BHreau intend ID to assist in the change
It has 10 pecuuiarv resources, and consequently
army officers detailed its agents, when it
originally intended that intelligent citzsns sho uld be
employed. As the States ableto take care
OF their own poor the Bureau will cease to act, and
the Freedmen will be turned to their care He
recommend schools for all classes, and particularly
for the Freedmen.
For the rest of the report we are indebted to the
Standard Of yesterday:
After short pause the audience called on Genera I.
bakery. The call repeated, when the delegate
from Richmond arose and addressed them.
GEN. DocKERY's sPEEoH. !.
He said that he was 10th to address the assembly
when SO many more sble- than himself were present.
but as General Howard had called for and infor
nation, he woud give him such as he had.
He came from the South Carolina line-from a
county the Pedee. He always had kind feeling
for tbe negroes They had nursed him and mad
nursed his children This kind attachment still
I n kk1a
justice Ho believed that theState of North Carolina
had been aboitionz4d by the war, and that the peo
pie would DO them justice.
But the negro did not rightfully comprehend his
situation He had many crude ideas of liberty: He
thought liberty consisted 10 the privilege of roaming
wherever he wished and cessation from labor. Vagran
cy was great misfortune. The negroes wandered off
to the cities searching for a crowd. Some back
with marvellous tales. and rendered whele neighoor-
hoods dissatisfied. Besides, the men did not seem
disposed to support their families. They would not
work and the women and children could not support
themselves.
In CONJUNCTION with mean, demorazed white men.
they had committed many depredations on stock and
property, stealing cotton, killing hogs and sheep. In
support of what he said, the G+nera cited many
instances of his own personal knowledge.
He said that now the prevailing question 10. the
country was what to do with the negl In old times
it quired all the energy of the master to make
living on the wornout lands of his try, and DOW
that the negroes would not WORK. no living at al!
could be made. We're they to te driven away like
the red men, or should they be allOwe1 to die In our
Yards from starvation He did not believe that our
people woad allow them to sfarve, but they would
not work and what was to be done? In his county
there were scarcely enough provisions to last through
next srripg, and he feared that these freedmen
who had now become consumers and non-producers
would suffer.
He said that in coming through Wilmington ne nad
waited on Gen. Crook, aud asked for the organization
.of local police In his county. Since that time ne
HAD learned that de achment of negro troops had
been sent there. He deplored this DE tnousnt Tue
negroes would look upon them as protectors, anu
would soon commit some act to test Whetner tneV
would be upheld in depredatioBs on the whites. he
had much rather preferred home organiz4tfon OF
write guard
After some other remarks hy Mr. DocKery,
GENERAL HOWARD
Arcse and said thai what Gen. Dockery had said
Strengthened him in the belief OF the necessity OF
local courts such as he had referred to- That ne nad
hlso received a new idea IL upon the old "ornou.
lands of Gen D,ckerys county the negro cou'o
#ecaraely make a hviog when slave, and nooe now "
that he was left to himself what would be bis tate II
#left to himself in uew country -.,.,
He W u d ask gentlemen it 1t We're NOT a suiciusl
pn.icy t. remove ~ whole workng popu'ati"n nou
county IF labor could be regulated. would lt hot
be better that it should kept at home be reier
red some of the French Islands of the West lnaes
as an example where tree negro labor was properly
fegulated
Gen D6ckery wished to know if negro children couio
o apprenticed aad to what extant. -
GENERAL HOWARD se So
ad that they could, TO the same extent tnat "nise
hldren were.