New-York daily tribune., 1865-12-23

10 oe -, s.' and then broken, either by the en-
lovers or the aborers and ths officers IN charge Wce
nrerwhelmed with complaints from both SIDES " 'D9
narv nIorto-s wanted 10 have the labOrers VINO Lao
left Them bach on their Ianatons Others drove .noo
that mad remained away and tlls ne easeu Tue nuu.
Der of the unemployed Noreosoi SI, & tbs aaric1
tnral labor.season when the crops that weM IA "a"
ground required steady work to nshe lsel prouugpo
satisfactory yield. and the interruption nonsderabe
could not be but very extensive causeo @
DAMAGE In one word, the efforts made cou'u ho'
prevent or remedy in 50 short tne tne oJ q,
orders which are always conDeotei WIN a.proS ars
precipitous transition ond whlen although na's "a. al
Exceedingly embarrassing TO those WHO lave 70 uca'
with them. u, g., A.. cor,h !, left
70 the free action OF the Southern people, VIII uepe
uron two tnings First: Upon the ideas entertainer
by the whes the ruling class, of the problem enc
tie manner in which they act upon their IDEAS ~
secondly upon tie capacity and eopiucI o' te e''N
OPINIONS or TIE WHITES.
That the result OF the free labor experiment ,rat
under circumstances extremely uniavoraDe, Shoils
NJ once be perfect success no reasonable person ~oln
expect: nevertheless large majority OF tne oo.9s %
men with whom came IN contact announceu .h .n.n
opinions with positive assurance as 10 produce so
impression that their minds were freely made up IN at
least nineteen cases of twenty the reply received
uniformly this " You cannot make the negroes woIh
without physical compulsOn.' leard TINS nundre9s
of times heard II wherever went heard IL IN neary
the same words from many different persons thae al
last came to the conclusion that this is the prevailing
sentiment among the Southern people. TDere arc
exceptions 70 this rule but far as my information es
tends. far from enough TO affect the rue an sne
compsuying documents You will find an abundance Oh
proof in support OF this statement Ihere Is
paper relative TO the negro question annexed 70 .n
reIor which does not in some direct or 'nureot way
c0rrObOrate il. ,.
Unfortunatey, tho disorders necessarily growing out
OF the transition state continually furnished iood ior
argument found bct few people who were Wiling 70
make due allowance FOR the adverse influence OF excep
tonal circumstances. BY large majority OF tnose
came In contact withand they mostly belonged 10 'he
more Intelligent classeyery rreguarty that occurred
was directly charged against the system Of free LABOR
| Unegroes walked away from the plantations IT was
conclusive proof Of the ncorrSi9e be insasDIy Oh me
some individual negroes violated the terms OF their
contracts il proved nDansweraby that no negro had or
ever wond have just conception OF the binding iores
of contract and that this system Of free negro labor
was bound to be failure II some negroes shirKed OF
did not perform their task with sufficient alacry IL
was prodgced as irretnaole evidence 70 snow tnas
pbysica compnlsion actually indispensable to make
the negro work. negroes idlers or reiugees erow9-
in about The towns applied 10 the authorties or ssD
ssence it quoted as ncontostiDy establishing the
point that the negro was roo impoydent 10 taKe care
Of himself and must necessarily be consigned TO the
care of master. heard Georgia planter argue most
seriously that OF bis negroes nad shown nsen cer
tanly unfit for freedom because he mpudenty reuseo
TO submit to a whipping. frequently went into an
argument with those putting i9rth such general asser
tiOus quoting Instances IN which negro laDOrers were
working faithfully and 10 the entire satisfaction OF the
employers the employers themselves had informed
me. In - majority OF cases the reply was' tnst we
Northern people did not understand the negro Du tnas
tbcy the SOutherners. did, that as 70 the particular
instances quoted, was probably mistaken; that
had not closely investigated the cases or had been de-
ceiyed by my iniormants; that they knep the negrs
would not work without compuson, and that NOBODY
could make them believe be would. Arguments hHs
these naturally finished sucb discussions HuequenLy
struck me that persons. who convefsed about every
other sui eo calmly and sensiby, would lose their em
per "a soon as tho negro question was touched.
EFFECTs OF SUCH OPINIONS, AND GENERAL TREAT
A belle, conviction prejudice whatever you may
call IT, widely spread and apparently so deeply rooted
as this, that the negro will not work without ph!ses
compulslon. is certainly calculated TO have very
ser6us influence upon tie conduct of the people enter
tainngit it. 1t naturally produced desire to preserve
Slavery in its original FORM as much ana as long a.
nos ,be-and you may perhaps remember the admission
made BIZ one of the Provisional Governors over t"e
months after the Of the war, that the people 0,
his state still INDUCED in lingering hope that slavery
might vet be preserved - TO Introduce ints
the new system that element OF physical eompulsion.
! which would "make tie negro work. Efforts were
indeed made hold the negro 10 his old state of sIec-
tion especially ir such localities. where our military
forces had not yet penetrated or wbefe the eoun'y
was not garrsoned In detail Here and there planters
succeeded for limited period in keeping their formel
slaves ignorance or at least doubt about their new
rights but the main agency employed for that purpose
was for ~ and intimidation. In many Instances negroes
whe walked sway from the plantations or were found
upon tie roads, were shot or Otherwise severely pun
ished which calculated 70 produce tie impression
among those remaining with their masters that an at
tempt 10 escape from slavery would result in certain
y
violence committed is undoubtedly attributable TO this
motive The documents attached to this report abound
in testimony 90 this effect For the SAKE VI llusuatlos
will give some instances
Brig Gen Fessendcn reported to Msjor. Gen. Gill
more from Winsboro :. c., July ~, follows: 4" Tha
spnt of the people especially n those districts not suo
is that of concealed and. in instances, OF opes
hostility though there are some who strive with honor
able good faith promote thorough reconciliation be-
tween the government and the people A spirit %
bitterness and persecution manilests Itself toward the
negroes they are shot and abused outside the inme-
datc protection of forces by rRO announce eU
Examination take tas lao into their OuR hands in de-
nance OF authority. To protect the negro and punish
these stil rebeous individuals, II VIII be necessary to-
have the country pretty hicky settled with soldiers.
received similar verbal reports from other parts Oh
South Carolina To show the hopes still indulged in by
some may mention that one Of the subdistrct COM
msnders. rs lie himself informed me- knew planters
within the limits of bis command, who had made con-
with their former slaves dronedy Tor the oDect
OF keeping them together ON their piauauon so thal
they might have them 40 hand and thus more easily
reduce them their former condition when after the
restoration Of the civil power the unconstitutional
Emancipation Proclamation would be set aside.
Cases in which negroes were kept on the plantations
either by ruse Violence were frequent enough in
South Carolina and Georgia to call forth from Gen:
Saxton circular threatening planters, who persisted
in this practice, with loss Of their pToperty and from
MajorGen. StecdmGn, Commander Of the Depart.
ment at Georgia, an order bearing upon tne
same subject AT Atlanta, Ga | had an op-
portuny to examine some eases OF the nature
above described Dy SELF While was there-9th aud
10th of fAugustseveral negroes came into town with
bullet and buekshOt wounds III their bodies; from her
statements, which. however were Only corroboratng
information previously received IL appeared that the
reckless and restless characters of that region had oo-
hined 10 keep lLe negroes where they belonged;
several freedmen shot in the attempt 10 escape,
others succeeded IN GLIDING the vigilance of their perse
euOrs and large numbers terrified by what they saw ana
heard quietly remained under the restraint imposed
upon them waiting for better opportunities Inc CON-
mandet Of the subdstrict and post informed me tnas
squads OF gierilas were pTowling ABOUT WITHIN iew
mleh OF The city making it daLgerols for soldiers aud