Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-23
TuE FREEDMEN AND THE COURTS.

Judge Shelley, in his charges to the grand Juries
of his circuit gave expression to what we beeVe 70
be the common feeling of our people, and indlca'eu
what will be the action of our courts HIS address
ia nubshed by request of the members Of the bar IN
Amherst and Rockbridge, who express their eoruiai
concurrence in its views. We make an extract;
CaDtIemen. cannot too earnestly invoke your ara
in tbrowinp the protecting power Of the Ia" Aounu
the freedmen in your midst IL Is not oniy you, pa
cred duty but your interest. ana that o al V .h
Iertv and the rights of the freedmen from violence
and wrong They are called elsewhere " the wards
of the nation" they are in my Judgment peculiarly
the wards Of the people Of the South to be cared
for watched over encouraged, elevated and protect
ed in all their rights with untiring humanity impair
tial integrity and fearless discharge of duty by ALL
and especially on the part of those charged with the
execution of the laws. Gentlemen, many OF them
appeal piteously to our kindly and humane feelings.
Although no longer our slaves, they are still our de-
pendents they ignorant, improviden thriftless,
and to great degree, incapable as yet OF caring
for themselves Theirs is a condition not sought for
by themselves but into which they have been drliCed
by the irresistible current Of events II Others have
been wronged or done wrong, they are not to blame.
During all this long, agonzing struggle, they have
Ching TO their masters with singular hdelty whistfa
tbers husbands and brothers have been in the ranks
of battle far away from their homes children, wives
and sisters have been safe in the midst OF faithful
slaves The history OF the world contains no parai
lei N the constant fidelity as whole, OF this servlle
class for whose freedom they were led to believe
their masters opponents were fighting; and for
whose oppression and continued ensavement they
were also taught to believe those masters were con-
tending Over this broad land no outcry OF lnsur
enthusiastically stir of nsubordnation was heard
until the conflict was substantially over and ere
they were aware the way was opened and, without
obstruction or hindrance, they glided into freedom
II is not to be wondered at that their weak heads
- HE dam hanm
from the ties that once bound them to their old
homes they drfted away into strange places; that
they gathered in crowds into those ITO them earthly
paradises the towns and cities of the South; and
that deprived of the watchful care OF intel
ligent guardians and protectors, many OF
them have persisted most miserabyi in the
highways of freedom The Omniscient Ruler OF
the world can alone foresee their doom IN the iuture
but of one thing, gentlemen, let us rest assured,
that lpe the whites of the South have interests and
duties connected with these freedmen OF which we
cannot divest ourselves. They are thrown upon our
hands as freedmen against our wills, just as their
forefathers were thrown las slaves upon the care oil
the early colonsts of the South, against their pro-
testations and circumstances Interests, however
grew and duties sprung up from the originally en-
forced relations of the whites and the blacks as mas
tiers and slaves and just such will be the case IN he
new relations we are about to enter upon Our best
interests are involved in this race of freedmen as the
ties of our soil and as our servants and DEPENDENTS
and as in the past so in the future the colored man
must in the main, be the agent, guided by the Wmte
man, in developing the vast agricultural wealth. OF
the South The time may come when in the peace
full order af Gods providence, the negro shall be re-
moved hence and the white laborer be put IN ms
place-the time may come-which God ioreiend =
when in the midst of violent CONFUSION OF society
-of a fearful conflict of races-he may suddenly
and violently be displaced from his position But
in the ordinary course of events, he Is OF u.s. must
remain with u.s. and must be curse or blessing 10
us; and on ourselves mainly, Will u depend
HI ~ na
then, keep aoof from the freedman, as if it matters
not to us what he is doing or what becomes OF MN
expressing in our acts the inhde enquiry Am !
this brothers keeperP On the contrary, let
lection and for his guidance and correc-
ton and punishment when necessary: let us
see that Justice is done him; let higher standard
of duty and obligation be held up to him; let his
own selfnterest be appealed to, and his habits ana
tastes be raised above the qualification oil mere
animal instincts-let him be wepaid for his labor
above all, let his conscience be enlightened; ana
the renewing power OF sanctiiylng religion gam
the mastry over him and he may yet prove com
fort and blessing to the South-a promoter OF us
wealth and participant in its prosperity and so
the world may see another grand problem OF the
Almighty worked out-proving again, as OF DID, that
" all that is, is full of blessings"
Again: Gentlemen, in this regard we oil the South
are as city set on hilr'-we are seen and scru-
tinzed by all men; although We have given pledges
of honor and fidelity which Virginlans and
Southerners have never yet disregarded yet we are
suspected of wrong purposes of being actuated TO-
wards the freedmen by sinister intents, and are
CALLED by the hourly consciousness that we cannotbe
trusted to deal Justly with our former slaves and de-
pendant freedmen and that between this sacred tri'
bunal of Justice and the freedmen, another power
unknown to our laws and unamenable to their sane
tons known as the Freedmen's Bureau has been
deemed necessary to their safety and protection. !
am pleased to know that yielding to the spirit and
principles of the recent acts of the General Assembly
on which have been commenting the chief officer
of this Bureau in Virginia, by General Orders, ap.
proyed March u, 1866, has removed every cause OF
conflict between that Bureau and the Civil Courts IN
criminal cases. the jurisdiction in such cases being
prohibited to the officers of the Bureau and left with
the civil tribunals. It is now for the courts and the
iures of the country to complete the good work thus
begun, so that all men may understand ana ac'
knowledge tphat tDe kHOip to be true, that the per-
sons property and rights of the freedmen are secure
in the tribunals of Virginia; and so, that at length
il NAV not be deemed necessary TO have agents OF
Government whose duty it is made to watch the
course of iudicia! procedure where freedmen are
concerned and, finally, that the Freedmens Blu
reau itself, NAV be dispensed WITH as an agency no
longer required in. Virginia These results, gentle
men, which we all so earnestly desire, will be re-
tarded or fastened in no triing degree by the ac-
ton of the Justices jurors officers and courts of the
State If the laws as they stand, be fairly and i'm
partially administered these happy results will soon
be achieved; and thereby the best interests of the
Commonwealth be secured. feel assured the Grand
jury of this county will discharge their duties as
to give no occasion for criticism to the most sensl-
tive or susDciOus.