The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-06-22
The Condition Of the Southern ~.
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The NOHditl0n OF the Southern Me-
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The condition Of the four millions of
human beings suddenly emancipated
from tbraldom, presents the largestand
most affecting social problem which
ever challenged the attention of states
men and philanthropists. Whatever
differences Of opinion may have hereto
fore prevailed as 10 the expediency or
the legality Of this wholesale liberation
Of the southern slaves, there is a gen
eral acquieseence in it as an irreversi-
bic fact. Every just and humane mind
must admit that new obligations and
responsibilities are created by the new
condition Of things If the negroes had
taken the initiative in this business: II
they had emancipated themselves; If
they had voluntarily brought them
selves into their present condition Of
helplessness and beggary instead of
having been turned loose to utter des
titution by US, We might perhaps leave
them TO reap the fruits of their OWL do
ings. But, under the actual circum
stances, we owe them protection, and
are bound to render them aid in mif-
eating the terrible evils inseparable
from a revolution thrust upon them in
q manne so sudden, violent, and un-
prepared for.
All minds of any moral elevation
must regret that the freedmen are ike
ly o fall under the tutelage Of schem, |
ing and ambitious politicians more in
tent on serving their own ends than on
promoting the welfare of the hunger
bitten blacks The question with the
~brawling patrons of the freedmen is
merely how they can be turned to po-
litical account in the next presidential
election These ragged, shoeless, home
less creatures are asking for bread, lit
orally dying of destitutiOn, and politi-
clans insist on giving them the ballot
Can they eat ballots2 VIII ballots put
milk in the breasts Of their wives
wherewith 10 nurse their little ones?
Will ballots do instead of beds. and
blankets, and cabins TO shelter them
from the weather, and utensils TO cook
with, and food to cook2 Il is a mock
cry, il is shame, to be bawling ali over
the country about ballots for these
wretched, naked, starving, houseless
millions, suddenly delivered over to the
cold charities of their impoverished and
ruined ex- lasters, without preparation.
without outfit without employment S
without a single days supply of food
for themselves and their hungry chill
dren Their condition is truly pitiable;
and it is d~isgraceful that, in this hour 7
Of their sorest need, their pretended
friends are attempting to force a meas .
ore calculated 10 stir up unkind feel 3
toward the negroes on the part of ,
the white communities in which they :
i've. 8
Emancipation viii, doubtless. in the
next generation, be a good to the negro
ace, if they are meanwhile trained 10
lshits Of thrift and virtue; but its
audiences renders il an unmixed EVIL G
o the immediate recipients Of tue q
1oon. President Lincoln was fully o
ware that this would be the case. and. ID
n his heart he deprecated the sudden q
Emancipation to which he thought him.
forced Even after be had pub ll
lshed the September emanclp1tiou
'roclamauon, he strongly urged, in his
ieSt message 10 Congress. a constitu-
ional amendment looking to gradual
Emancipation 70 be completed by The
ear 1910 He urged this plan on the y
round that the time spsnes botb
from the evils Of sudden de-.
lngement To the objection that
Is plan gives too htle to the now
wing slaves Mr.. Lincoln replied
Bat il really gives them much. Il
ives them from the vSgrant destitu- -
on which must largely attend imme-
emancipation IN Localities where
numbers are very great, and i
them the inspiring assurance that COZ
posterity shall be free forever" -
The evils Which Mr.. Lincoln, ana all L
of sober sense. ioresas and deore-
ted, IS the consequence of sudden =
nancipatiOu, have come like an over- str
wing deluge, 10 scourge both races ~
he Federal goyernmentand the north
n people owe duties to both. if We
lessen. We are at least bound =
& TO acgravate the universal dislOca- hss
n and confusion which attend this Ale
Eat experiment By melting the ne e..
oes TO claim, and provoking the ori
.ites 10 resist their admission 70 the tss
-irage, scheming aspirants to the W.
asidency are scging the seeds OF an is
aud evaporation between the -
o races at a ume when cvefy heal
! and conclhatoy inhaence should To
.1ughtto bear, 70 produce that kind ~
s. on . side ana confidence on the i 9
ner' 50 essential 10 the reconstruction mon
southern industry. hi