The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-10-10
An Alabama Judge Oh the Eagro---Charge

JHe OonIeuefate army, ana nov )GGgG OF Lhe elghth
judicial circuit OF Alabama, made very excellent
charge to the grand jury Of Pike county the 9th
inst. 1t has been published by request Of the grand
jury. We copy from the Troy Advertiser
There is class Of population clothed with civil
rights and privileges which they did not possess until
recently; and in dealing with which you may expert
ence some embarrassment of course, allude to the
negroes.
Among the terms upon which the Confederate
States terminated their heroic struggle for separate
and independent nationality, was one which guaran-
teed freedom to this race. Although deplore that
result, as alike Injurious to the country and fatal to
the negroes, the law has been placed upon statute
books IN solemn form by US, through our delegates.
The laws Tor their government as slaves, have been
repealed, and others substituted adapted to their
condition. W. are III honor bound to observe these
laws. For myself do not hesitate to say, in public
and private, officially and unolciaIly that after having
done all could to avert it, when took of my sword
in surrender, determined to observe the terms Of
that surrender with the earnesnesS and fidelity
with which first shouldered my musket. True man
hood requires no deception, but that we say with
our lips shall feel in our hearts, and do with our
hands.
There is nothing in the history of the past Of which
need to be ashamed. Whilst we cherish its glorious
memories, ard that Of our martyred dead, we pause
here and there to drop tear their consecrated
ashes, but remember there is still work for the living,
and set ourselves about the task of reGstabshng So
ciety and rebuilding our ruined homes Others, I'M
willing to submit to this condition Of things, may seek
their homes abroad; you and | are bound to this soil
for better or for worse and it must at last cover our
remains What them is our duty? To repine at our
lot? To sit down ght and day. cursing and gnawing
our chains That is not the part Of manness; but
orise up and go forward performing high mission
as men. He who does the best his circumstances
allow, does well, acts noby-angels could do more"
Is il not enough that the blood of the best and the
bravest has been shed in every valley throughout the
Isi tlatt ltn Dfp faith
and brothers and SOUS lie whitening on every hilltop?
Is itnot enough that the voice Of amentatou has been
heard at every Preside? Is it not enough that the
wailings Of the widow and the orphan still sound in
our ears? Have not suffered enough? Have we
not done all that in the power Of human nature
In our own bosoms let wear this consciousness as
Jewel above price
Now let US deal with the facts before US as they are
The negro has BEEN male free 1t no work of his.
He did not seek freedom, and nominaly free he is
he is helpless beyond eXpression-helpess by his
want of habits of Observation-Disclosures by his want of
experience and doubly helpless by his want Of COM
prehenson to understand and appreciate bis condition
From the very nature OF the surroundings, so far as
promoting his welfare and adapting him to his new re-
laton to society are concerned, all agencies from
abroad must prove inadequate. They may restrain in
individual instances but the only people in the
world who understand his character, and hence the
only people in the world capable of managing him.
To remedy the evils growing out of the abolition Of
slavery it seems two things are necessary. First re-
cognon of the freedom of the race, as a fact; the
enactment Of just and humane laws, and the willing
enforcement of them. Secondly, by treating them
with perfect fairness and justice in our contracts and
in every way in which we may be brought in contact
with them. By the first, we convince the world of
our good faith, and get rid of this system of esp
onage, by removing the pretcXJ of its necessity; and
by the second the services of the negroes
learn them their places and how to keep them and
n re mr. bci
we do this let us hope that society will revive from its
present Shock and land be crowned with abundant
harvests
We need the labor of the negroes all over the coun
try and it is worth the effort to it, II it would
not be extending this charge yond what conceive
to be proper limit of time for its delivery | might
enlarge upon this subject by showing the depressing
effect upon the country which would be produced by
tue sudden removal of much of its productive labor
Its first effect would be the decreased value OF the
lands-decreased agricultural products-decreased rev.
to the State and country, arising from these
sources, with their thousand attendant results.
Besides all this, which appeals to interests
gentlemen, do We owe the negro any grudge? What
has he himself done to provoke our hostility? Shall
we be angry with him because freedom has been forced
upon him? Shall it excite anmosity that he has
been suddenly, and without any effort on his part
torn la0se from the protection of his master? You
may have been that master He is proud to call you
master yet. In the Of humanity let him do So
He may be older than you and perhaps carried you in
his arms when you an infant. He may have been
the companion Of your boyhood. You may be bound
to him by thousand ties which only southern man
knows and which he alone can feel in all their force
It may be that when only few years ago you grded
on your cartidgebox and seized your trusty rifle to
go forth to meet the invaders of your country, you
committed to his your home and your loved ones
and when you were far away upon the weary march,
upon the dreadful battlefield in the trenches and on
the picket line, many and many time you thought of
that faithful old negro, and your heart warmed toward
him. Did he not raise the corn and meat that fed
ynur wife and children? And when you returned
home, did he not welcome you with tears of 10y?
Was he not faithful to the last? believe there was
scarcely such picture of fidelity in the world as
exhibited by the negroes toward us during the
war. Then let us not cherish any luminosity toward
them, for that which We and they unable to pre-
vent, and which is deplorabe catastrophe to them
more than to us.
And now, gentlemen, let us lift up our heads, and
press forward in the discharge of our duties IfI
there is that buried in the past for which it would Fave
been glorious to have died. there is still enough left
for which may dare to live. When the ghost off
ruined fortunes rises up before u.s. let us Law our
hands upon our hearts and say
Thou canst not say did it never shake
Thy CORY locks at me-"
and we lave no selfTeproaches. But our duty to