Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-03-14

year by their employer, they will seel
other places for the next year. Thi
will furnish a motive for fair treatmen
and honest dealing, aud in the futur,
will be one of the powerful influence
that will secure to the freedmen thei
civil rights.
The freedmen, by their Eight to make thei
own contracts, and to spend the money the!
earn, will exercise wide spread inhuenc,
in all the avenues of trade and business anC
they will soon be regarded as having right
which white people are bound to respect
The negro is now the patron of the steam
boat, the rail road, the lawyer, the mer
chant, the printer, the mechanic, the arti
zan and the cabman, for they travel on steam
| boats, employ lawyers, and occasionally ridt
in cabs and carriages. 1 saw the other day
two white cabmen after one negro soldier
each trying to the best of his ability to in
duce the soldier to ride with him. The sol
der had recently been mustered out, and he
was supposed to have money that the cab
men wanted notwithstanding he was ''na
CUR" The coast packets on the Mississippi
river answer the hail of negro on shore
with his eggs, chickens and pigs, for
market, as promptly as though he were
white. 1t is for the interest of steamboa;
men to do so and to provide for the comfort
of the negro while travelling.
There are in the State of Louisiana,
probably two hundred thousand freedmen,
who will receive each on an average, one
hundred and twenty dollars, for labor the
coming year. This estimate is made on the
basis that hands on plantations will receive
SO per month. Thousands are laboring as
deck hands on steamboats, and as steve
dores, and are receiving from $40 to $50
per month. The above estimate will give
the freedmen in Louisiana, a money power
annually, of twenty four million dollars with
which to purchase consideration and fair
treatment. As slaves hitherto, they have
earned annually more than this amount, but
their masters had the disbursement of it, and
this gave consideration and importance to
the master instead of the slave. Give the
freedmen just protection and they will work
out the problem of their own destiny. How
shall this protection be secured to them p
John G. Calhoun, who ought to be regarded
as good authority with southern men and
northern democrats, maintains in the lst
chapter of his work on Government, that
the right of suffrage is essential to protect
the governed against the encroachment of
those who govern, and he expresses himself
as he always did IN strong and explicit Ian
guage. Had 1 his work at hand, I would
quote page of it on this subject. 1t is as
strong an argument in favor of impartial
suffrage as 1 have found in nay reading. If
the negroes enjoyed this right in qualified
manner, III other words, if it was extended
to those who could read and write, or who
had rendered meritorious services in the ar
my or navy, the question of their protection
rrot1ld ha HaHpsfolyr 1ol Il
ter, the qualification would be liable TO be
NJ. DeToqueville, in his work be-
fore referred to, (page 59) saysi
"When a nation mOdifies the elective
qualification, it may easily be foreseen, that
sooner or later that qualification will be en-
tirely abolised. There is no more invaria-
bic rule in the history of society; the furth-
er electoral rights are extended, the more
is felt the need of extending them; for af-
ter each concession tie strength of domocra-
cy increases, and its demands increase with
its strength. The ambition of those who are
below the appointed rate, is irritated in ex-
act proportion 10 the great number of those
who are above it. The exception at last be-
comes the rule, concession follows concession,
md no stop can be made short of universal
suffrage"
The time has, perhaps, gone by for insist
ng that the States lately in rebellion, shall |
yrant the right of suffrage in a qualified !
manner, to the freedmen as a condition pre-
,edent to their resuming their constitutional |
citations to the Federal Government. l be- |
ieve if the President had required it, that !
majority of the late rebel States would have |
IS readily adopted this, as they did the con- /
amendment, abolishing slavery
t was no more distasteful to them. For |
roof 1 refer to the letters of John Bell, of i
Tennessee, Mr.. Reagan, late Post Master
General, and Mr.. Mallory, secretary of the
Navy of the late confederaoy. The Freed
mans Bureau, as a temporary measure may
e Of great service in giving guidance and
to the freedmen. They .ook up
n its officers and agents as their friends,
nd will be controlled by their advice more
eadily than by the same advice from others.
instead of the Freedman's Bureau being det-
mental to the interest of the planters, in
~ judgment, properly administered, it is
great benefit to them. If the negro could
ave proper protection without it, of course
should be dispensed with. In the transit
on of fsociety from the state of slavery to the
0ndition of freedom, the Freedman's Bu-
EAU seems necessary, as well to protect the
'eedman as to benefit the late masters.
The public sentiment of the south, is that
luthern men who have been raised with the
egro, know all about his temper and hab-
5, and of consequence can frame laws for
is government better than men not possess
lg their experience. The falacy Of this is,
IAN southern men are only acquainted with
le temper and disposition of the negro as a
ave, and not as freedman, and laws suit
1 to his government, as a slave, are not (
'ell adapted to his condition as freeman
he laws in the slave States, as q general
hing were intended to drive free negroes
'om the State instead of protecting them in
leir rights of person and property. The
hites of the south will not relInquish their ;
ing accustomed right to control the negroes >
Mess compelled to, by the force of public ,
pinion outside or inside of the late slave
lates
As 3 general rule, men are not inclined to
ield up willingly, privileges and adyan-
Iges which they have over their fellow men
ther white or black. Give the negro such
rejection as will enable him to influence
le sources ofpublico opinion, and therecogni-
on of his rights as citizen, is only ques-
on of time.
1 occasionally hear of interesting cases
rowing out of the separation of families {
adeF the inexorable law of slavery. A case i
that sort heard Of yesterday: s
A mulatto connected with the 6Sth U. S. !
old Infty., while stationed at New Orleans, &
und young daughter of his, about Is I
Ears of age, who, twelve years before had I
zen sold in the State of Mississippi, to some :
lie in the State Louisiana, and he was taking /
sr home with him. She was about half :
hite and appeared smart and Intelligent :
n acquaintance, when, with her father, she !
as stepping on to the boat to leturn to her :
rmer home sand; f'Good bye, Lizzie, you !
on need to call on Missus for pass to go :
ltside de gate. Dat time is done gone by
on is free now"
The weather for the last few days, has Civ
unmistakeable evidence that there is
3rth, for it has been extremely cold for this Q
innate, but it must be of short duration. @
H. Q
A WoHAN MARRIEs MAN AND DON'T j
NOW WHO He WAs.-A chap, giving his G
lme as Charles Miller, and representing o
mself to be railroad conductor, called e