Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-11-15
70 x .1io jhH'T 1indl s'spiba.y vi
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The Condition of fI,e Freedmen.

First Presbyterian Church of this city,
where the Old School Presbyterian Synod
was insession. to hear Rev. MIR. Martindale,
a missionary to the freedmen, lecture OH
the subject of his mission, s,.g0o, ,p, H,
. The Rev. gentleman commenced by say
ing there were three classes Of whites in
the South-AFlrst, the earistOerats, once slaVe7
holders, still proud, naughty, boastful, and
as really unsubdued to-day in spirit as they
were before the war. Second, tile middle
classgwho were now tryinglto adapt themr
selves to the civil state of things around
them. Third, the "Low Downs,"a miser-
able degraded class, who were In every re-
spect inferior to the negroes. AS for the
negroes, VIC met them everywhere--in the
cities, towns, villages, country, in the field,
on the farms, in the highways, swarning
like locustsl Physically they were all In a
most wretched condition / ragged, dirty,
filthy, loathsOme TO degree beyond de-
-scription.io W. bis ~. ro-el.r.. isaf r
! Before they could be admitted into the
freedmen schools, they had to be "washed
with soap and water and scrubbed with
broom or brush, to remove an incasement
of grease and dirt, ere truth and virtue
could either reach or impress their hearts,"
I [Laughter.] r-'-'T
Morally, he said. they were even in
worse condition than they were physically,
bad as this was. He had been in the South
over three years; had been among the
blacks all the time; had neUer seen one. male
or female, old or young. slave or freedman,
but what would lie, steal deceive, commit
adultery. and act the Cyprian in the most
open and revolving manner! These strong
and unexpected declarations produced quite
sensation in the large audience he address,
ed. -...... ...' .....-...... .......
After telling us the mode adopted by the
bureau" for the corporeal publication and
moral and intellectual elevation of these
"our brethren of African descent" he went
on to say that we in the North owed them
lasting debt of gratitude for what they had
achieved tor us during the late war, by
their prayers in the closet, and their won
derfuE powers in the field. lie assured us
that he had never seen a people OF more
ardent devotioH-that their prayers always
evinced JUNCTION, especially when they
prayed for Abraham Lincoln and the Union
tears then would gather in silver beads on
their sable cheeks, pure as drops of Her
mon or Pernassean dews. This was glOri-
ous to see. He had often seen it-God had
heard their prayers, and granted us the vic
tory through their asking and fighting. Had
they not prayed and fought our liberties
would have been lost forever. All the
white armies of the North would have been
swallowed up by the monster rebellion, had
it not been for the all-prevailing interces-
sion of the freedmen with Heaven, and their
invincible valor in the day of battle! We,
therefore, owed them our liberty, not they
us theirs Would we then refuse to send
teachers to instruct, and ministers to point
them to the way of salvation? Surely not!
He then turned to the dark side again, and
told us how they had stolen his coffee,
candles, soap, clothes, &C., from his tent,
and had no more sense OF conscience about
1t than pig has when it finds its way into
o garden of roots. But the freedmen, If
they were liars and thieves, were all loyal
truly loyal, lovers of the Union, all Union
men-that not one of them had ever been
known during the whole four years of the
war, to deceive Federal soldier, or aid
willingly Confederate one--that they had
an extensive secret society, branching
through the entire South, by means of
which they had rescued many Union man
from prisons and death. f 7. .- ....
Thus proceeded the speaker for over one
hour; and when he concluded he requested
any one present to propose such questions
to him on the subject as they might deem
proper. ff,t.,t i... ....-, -,...,...-.,
Rev. Mr.. Robinson, of Ashland, strong
friend Of the late Administration, as | am
informed, arose and asked how he recon-
ciled the statement of the bodily and moral
pollutions, and especially the lack of truth
fulness in all these freedmen, with their
marked and remarkable piety, and preva-
lence in prayer? 20. ."."a "gfH
Mr.. Martindale replied that the two might
seem to some Incompatible; but he assured
us that he had,stated the facts as they were,
and each one might solve the apparent dis
crepancy as he best could. I'd 1'.
Rev. Mr.. Ferguson, of Washington, who
has gained, of late, well-merited distinction
in the ranks of conservatism for his fearless
opposition to Radical destructionists in his
church, which has set a whole pack of ul-
traists yelping at:his heels, and even, L see,
alarmed double squad of church officials
in your city, for the moral status of their
pastor, arose and inquired Of Mr.. Martin
dale if he thought it was prudent in his
lectures to attribute all the success achieved
by our, noble, self-denying and valorous
white soldiers to the superiority of the ne
gro-that If he would say this some places
his life would not be worth snap of his fin
ger Mr.. f. suiting the action to the word.)
Mr.. Martindale said he had ever been the
soldiers friend, and was not afraid to tell
the truth any and everywhere, even to SOL
diers. ,' lt bed .lV; Vi b.ar ID
Mr.. Ferguson-How does it come that
negroes deceive you so universally, and yet
never were known to deceive or steal from
a Union soldier?
Mr.. Observation-Disclosures the negro new
er lies only when he thinks it to his interest
to do so. NJ, o,,,,..,.,r.,... t..,.,... ....
Mr.. Ferguson-Who does? IA laugh. ]
Are we then to understand that policy rath-
er than principle makes a good"Union man.
of a, negro? ?rlG,q aflf ~ II '{.r,v.l. ei. Sd
Mr.. Martindale-Yes, sir! [Sensation,l
Mr.. Ferguson-I am satisfied.
Another member of the Synod arose and
asked: OF what origin are those forming
the third, or low-down class of whites in
the South? Are they Scotch, Irish, French,
Indians, Or (Here Mr.. Ferguson, in his
seat, added-or Yankees [Laughter.l
Mr.. Martindale supposed them to form
about one-tenth ofthe white population ofi
the South, butot their origin he knew moth
ing. He said they were lO,cer dOlon in the
scale of morals than the blacks-that the
latter would neither marry nor mix with
them-that their children were too imbecile
to be taught, &c.
Thus closed this remarkable lecture.
Many were disgusted- doubted. Its
contradic lions were SO palpable they could,
We have thus long withheld this truth
ful report through charity to the speaker
and the case. But as the American Of this
city tries to bolster, II, up, by gronnaless as
sertions, and the most scandalous lies as to
bearing in debate, of Some OF the, members
IF the SYNOD esnacialiv Mr. Ferbuson who