The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1865-12-23
Especial Correspondence of Pittsburg Commercial.
The Negro Observation-Disclosures
closures feOm an Abolition
Source
WAsnlNaroN. Oct. 2. 1865.

A great deal has been said and written
about the freedmen of this district. There
are a great many here, probably not less
than $4,000. How they all manage to
live We do not know, but we do know that
they are not doing much good They have
been living in snug quarters and draw
ing ratious for so long a time from the
Government, and so little work to perform,
that they have become indolent-almost
good for nothing. No matter what in-
ducements are held out TO them, if there
is work to perform, they decline the of
fer, preferring to remain and rely on still
continuing to receive r%ations, for they say
the Government will not let them 60
hungry. Thus far the %rations have been
given out to them more or less, but the
sooner they are stopped by the Bureau
the better. 1t is almost q matter of i'm
possibility to get from among these freed
men a girl to do homework, who will re-
main in one place over a week at a time.
To get a man or woman out OF a hundred
TO leave the district and go North or
East is impossible. Many of these freed
men have large families. some of them as
many as eight or ten children They will
not part with any of these children, for
the reason that this class of freedmen are
sure, under the present rules of the Freed
mems Bureau, to draw enough ~rations for
them all to live on, and put of the rations
to squeeze enough for many of their
young male and female friends to live on.
The writer of this, during the last two
weeks, has spent considerable time among
them, trying to get a young man and
woman to come to Pennsylvania aud live
in the family Of a gentleman, who would
not ouly give them good wages, but would
teach them to read and write as soon as
possible. Out of the whole not one could
be persuaded. One mother offered to sell
her child, a girl Of ten years Of age, for
Fifty dollars. Another told me she had
sold hers the day before to a gentleman
from the Eastern Shore for thirty dollars.
Another said she would sell hers for thir.
ty. / declined the offer of purchasing
the children, but held out strong induce
ments, especially as regards the future
welfare of the children. 1t was no &c
without the cash, and l gave up the job
of procuring the servants. We see state
ment after statement going the rounds
of the press that the Freedmen's Bureau
is unable to supply the demand for labor.
ers and servants. This is very true, for
the very reason that none can be per.
suaded to 60 away and it will be SO as
long as they are permitted to occupy their
present Government quarters and draw
~rations. While the women and children
draw rations a great many of the men
among them are carrying on a regular sys
tenn of differing. The arrests Of colored
people for theft every night in and around
the city are now numbered by hundreds
The sooner General Howard tears down
the barracks they occupy and throw then
on their own as to shelter anC
food, the better for them. We are SURE
that by breaking up entirely Freedmen
village and the present mode of living, +,
vast amount of good will be accomplished
and the terrible RIGHTEOUSNESS now exist
ing, resulting from idleness, will be bro
ken up.