The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-04-27
The BtUcE Man.

extreme. Northern people have been
wont 20 think that the abolition of slavery
would Greatly amciorate their condition ;
and - it would were the letter and spirit
of emancipation carried out But what
are the facts
In some OF the more southern states,
a, least. the state legislatures composed of
former Slave owners. of courSe) have en-
acted laws which virtually keep the black
race slaves, notwithstanding freedom is
proclaimed throughout all the land For
instance, III some states they have enacted
law against vagrAncy. furnishing it in
various way>-ny imprisonment, binding
out to service, etc. Again they have made
a law that the freedmen shall make their
contract, 10 labor for the year, previous
to the 10th Of january Then these for
mer slave owners put their heads to.eth-
CT and fix the prices they will pay for
coIorrd labor, and the freedmen have to
accept these terms and do it at once. or
be liable to the warrant laws 1t does
not lvqulrc 4 Great amount of intelligence
to SEE how much freedom there is in
this.
Again, while the abc-bodicd are en-
pl"ycd at price the Shareholders may
designate, the aged. ntirm. and the chill
dren, are not wanted. and consequently
moi paid anything. In case there is in
each i;iiniiy one or more able-boded per-
sons, and provided these are not robbed of
their pittanct by miserable white ScampS.
IL very common occurrcnce) there is a
FAINT prospect that the chivalrouS South
erncr will coudeecend to give his former
slave enough for his labor so that he can
keep soul and body together of himself
and family. But ;,> there are many who
are not able to work, starvation or slay-
cry await them,
The people who have not seen it with
their own eyes. can easily imagine how
much consideration Il ''nigger" receives at
the hands OF the southern whites, who
have been born and reared in barbarism.
and who have I'LL their lives been educated
TO believe that a black person was nobody
and had 10 ii ghts that brave and chiy-
alrouS white was bound to respect
When some of these facts are considered
one Is almost led to believe the statement
made by some OF the best men south.
that one million of the coIorel population
have been killed in battle. murdered in
wantonnesS. starved or died of disease.
during the past five years and that the
utter determination of the race is but =
matter OF time, and that comparatively
brief
This Is 4 sad picture: and many may
ask WI ny Il race that has never done any
thing 10 merit such treatment, but Oh the
contrary has done 50 much TO commend it
10 the humanitya at least Of this nation. is
permitted to be thu, treated Il is too
soon after the fiery ordeal, to forget how
the coIored people stood by the govern
ment during lis four years trial with the
traitors : how that two hundred thousand
OF them bore arms against their former
masters and thu, intensified the hate of
these nnplacablc beings against the de-
Spl>cd race To turn these friends of the
government and of liberty over to the ten
der mercles of the foe, always cruel and
barbaron>, but now with Il hate greatly
intensified by the stings of defeat and the
emancipation OF their human property. is a
Refinement OF cruelty, Il depth of perfdv.
at which VIC >hudder when we consider
that God i Just.
he case OF the freedman would have
been bad enough at the best. but if is
ten-.oll worse than it would horo hoo,