The loyal Georgian. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1866-1867, 1866-03-17
> VERY STRANGE TALK.

a leader, in THE 1ranscrpt' of the
18th, inst. The editor says that the
military aceatpation Of The Sopth as d's>
troy'ng the freedmen And, that ut IS
susceptible Of proof, that the increase OF
mortality among the n grOcs began sam
uttdueously a0ath the garriSOnamg of o'ar
citaes, and the establishment Of the Ffeea-
mems Bureau amongst as.
We are, and have been for years, fully
aware that prejudice causes, even wise,
men to say many foolish things; but, of
all foolish silly assertions, the above are
the most glaringly absurd and fallacious,
1t is matter of surprise that the
astute editor has not long since discovered
that the fearful (?) mortality among the
negroes, of which he speaks, really re-
suited from the fall of Atlanta, and the
surrender of Lee and Johnson; for st is
susceptible of proof that negroes died
on the days of those occurrences; and
more, or less, have died every day since.
The learned writer gives US figures to
show that, in 1865, there were 1908
colored persons buried in the CITY GENE.
terry; and only 258 in the year 1864;
therefore, we must infer that Federal
garrsOns and the Freedmen's Bureau can
kill ~ four times as many negroes in a
year as rebel garris ons
AS these figures apply only to the city
of Augusta, it is matter of regret that
'z!e Transcript did not give the negro
population of 1864, and of 1865; mas
much as it has been frequently asserted,
within the past six months, that there
were seUeral thousands more negroes in
the city in 1865, thin there evsr aoere
before. The failure to give those very
important items was, we presume, merely |
an lnadVertence on the part of the edi-
tor. =,
In the same article he says, If We com
pute the prescn: colored population OF
Augusta at 5000, the same mortality will
sweep among the whole race in less than
six years!
Here the editor enthusiastically ~ |
two-onlits two or three very important
little items He appears to assume the
very strange position, that during those
six wears there will be no anc7e0Se-m"
colored children JOrn! Funny, isn't 1t!
Then he forgets to tell US that Small
Pox has been unusually, severe the past
winter; and, that it is not likely to rage
SO fearfully, carrying off, as it did, @""-
d,eds o rohate v,ctamas, as well as colored'
for six years in succession.
And he forgot, also, to tell one other
important fact ~, of which he 50 FREE
oneptlv speaks; that is, that the South
orr, ,,eozle are the Only true friends Of
the freedmen; and, being true friends,
will not of course, allow them to die
through neglect, as so many freed people
have within the past year If, as the
editor asserts, 'the Southern man under
stands the negro, and can do more for, and
with, him than anybody else, they mill OF
course do it, and not only save the freed
men from the fearful mortality which
Yankee garrisoDs, and the Freedmen's
Bureau are inhictipg upon them; but will
feed, and care for, the thousands of poor
s01sites which are now fed aud clothed,
iu the South, by the Government and
the benevolence of Abolitionists, and
other people of the NORTH. Is $50 !
If Federal garrisons aud the Freed
mems Bureau have induced Small Pox,
ana increased the mortality among the
freed people, why do not the Southern
people, at once, fly to the rescue :? Friends
are always ready to help those for whom
they cherish friendly feelings They do
not stand coolly by, and 0lLOa0 them to
perish By hundreds and curse those who,
at least, think they are doing them good.