Litchfield enquirer., 1865-12-21
Are They Free !?

Are They Free !? oatsgs tsa5a; j
 Before Slavery was abolshedp the statusiofs the Southern negro was about as foliows:l Hel was obliged to work at the, will of his master 9 without remuneration except his bare subsist-d ance he was liable to be sold away from his. family; he was subject to eorporeal punishment at the caprice ofshis master ; he was nos per mitted to absent, himself from his masters premises without permission; and he wasnot allowed to keep any kind of 6re-armso or weapsi ons. With the abolition of slavery, of course, master to be entirely changed ain these sre- spects, but the slave States are enacting laws that virtually continue these relations. | Loy al (?) South Carolina has established, Govern or Perry says, a wise, just and humaneeystem of laws for the government and protection of the freedmen.' of which the following are some of the provisions CT tzeT Iaase5g o3 ;asi3hl All persoasfof color who make contracts | for service orlabor, shall De known as serDastsa and those with whom they contract ahail be known as masters' This Establishes, by law, the same degrading epithet for the freedman that was formerly used for the slave, and is probably intended to remind the negro that, in his freedom, under thes humane laws of South Carolina, he is still kept in absolute bondage: | Negroes who do not make contracts for ser vice or labor are to be treated as eagrants, those who do, as slaves. The relation of these
 servants is still further degraded by the au-- thorty which this new law gives to the mas ters' to infict upon them, at will, moderate chastisement.' How moderate this chastise- ment is likely to be, no one knows better than the servant who, in his slavery in former years has been protected by the same ha- mane regulation. g'o.A'fal SHl S9so' '.a Y,
 The duties of these freedmen are plainly set forth The code says: Servants shall rise at the dawn in the morning, feed, water and care for tue animals on the farm, do the usual and geedful work about the premises, prepare their meals for the day, if required by the master and begin the farm work by snnrise.' It is plain that South Carolinians are opposed to the eight hour system. From the dawn of the morning till dark. without the usual time for dinner, if required by the master, '-only about eighteen hours of incessant work in the long days,-shall be the service of these freedmen, says this just aLd humane code.
 The old system requiring passes is revived by regulation which says that servants shall not be absent from the premises without the written consent of the master. Not only by this regulation is the servant prevented from any attempt to better his condition by change of employers, but by another which punishes with a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars, and to imprisonment or hard labor at the dis. cretion of the court any person who shall de prive master of the service Of his servant by enticing him away or harboripg him. .t.
 To make their servitude complete, the law says that During the term of service, the house occupied by any servants the masters l; and on the expiration Of the term of service the servant shall be immediately removed, They are not allowed to accumulate property; they are to be immediately turned into the street upon the expiration of any term of service, without having previously been permitted to procure another situation, and are to be treat ed as vagrants,' and punished therefor, in an hour afterward. sf't2 ss4 'ao -1.is'.'g
 Ifthis is a sample of the loyalty of the south. EJ A ern States, and of the just and humane system of laws that they propose to enact we hope it will be some time before they are admitted to all their former rights under the govern ment
 BA- The government has received official notice that the Constitutional l.Amendment abolishing slavery has been adopted by the l Legislatures of Illinois, Rhode Island, Michi- gan, Massachusetts, Ohio, Missouri, Maine, PennsYlvania,r Wisconsin, NeFada5 Minnesota, Kansas, New York, Counec,icut, West Yir- ginia, New Hampshire, Maryland, Vermont, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Caroli- na, and Virginia. Photographic information has beeu received of it's adoption by North Caroli- na. Georgia and Alabama This makes twen- ty-six, one less than the required number. It has been rejected by Kentucky, Delaware and
 New Jersey. The other States have taken no action regarding it.. but it's passage is now a certainty. '..z Aa9s sseA s9 Sossa7s 7s3s-' I The above was prenafed for Iastt swsasab ss ,s Eg,