Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-08-24
RUTLAND HERALD
SATURDAY, AUGUST -, 1866,


Morn "CHvALRY. There seem to be
many of the Southerners who are In
capable Of realizing the fact that slavery
is abolished. The right to buy, sell,
cheat and thrash every man whose cuticle
is eolored and hair kinky, has become
firmly established In their minds as one
OF the Inalienable rights of (white)
mankind, II is part Of their declara-
ton Of independence, and is evidently,
in their minds, no "hgure of speech or
"glittering generality" And though the
war IS over, they are bound to tight 1t
out on that line" just so long as possible,
The following from the Nashville Press
is an Illustration Of the spirit Of some
OF the "chivalry," and discloses a
miserable swindle which we hope but
few OF the worst heather in the world
would be guilty of
The following case, recently trie-
before the Freedman's Court in this de
partment, discloses a punic faith on the
part o. STAKEHOLDER toward his former
bondmen, which would be scorned by a
Carthagenian himself. Itappears, from
the testimony given, that the master
made and broke three distinct contracts
for labor with his colored laborers, with
intent 10 defraud them of their wages
after they had done their work. One of
the colored men deposed as follows
On the LIST of April my old master
proposed that If would take the ne
groes that formerly belonged TO him and
make him good crop, he would give us
half of all that we raised We were to
put in forty acres of cotton, fifty acres
OF corn, six acres of sorghum and two
OF vegetables, all OF which we did.
Some weeks afterwards he told US that
he could not give us half the produce,
but told US 4 will make new contract
with you, and give you one-Uird of all
you raise on my farm We agreed to
this n good faith, and one week after
that time he said he would not give one
third that he did not have sufficient
crop TO justify him in giving any por-
ton Of it and then said he wanted ten
acres o. corn more put in, which we
agreed to do, provided he would give us
oIe-third as he agreed to do in his
second contract. To this he replied
that he would not give US any portion of
ploy a new man to attend to his bus
mess The overseer came, and we asked
him what he was going to give us. He
answered that our master said he would
give Us fifteen dollars a month, and
would take our provisions and clothing
out OF our wages. If we did not hire
ont on these terms we must leave the
place We studied the matter over, and
concluded that on account Of our wives
and children we would stay, and make
third contract with our old master.
One week after this he came to us and
said; / will not give you fifteen dollars
a month We asked him what he would
give, and he answered i will not tell
you what will give you | will give
you just what please, and no more
This took place during the present year
1865.
In 1864 our master told us to raise
him five acres of corn and we might
raise as much cotton as we wanted
that ( he raised any the Yankees would
take It from him. Afterwards he told
us that he wanted four acres of cotton
for himself. We raised it, ginned and
bailed it for him, separate from our own
cotton. He then marked our cotton in
his own name, and told us that he was
obliged TO do this, because we were not
allowed to sell any cotton. We had five
bales Of cotton, averaging five hundred
pounds each, which he took to Nashville,
sold, and kept all the money, except one
hundred and fifty dollars, which he got
in goods. We also raised eight hun
dred bushels of corn, which he used and
sold for his own benefit, and would not
let us use any Of it unless we paid him
for it. We gathered and gave him five
acres OF corn, which we had raised for
him.
The Court has not few like cases be-
fore Il .Or settlement"