Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1866-01-10
Negro Instruction.

cation of the militia. How far their apprehensions
may be well founded, and how far they may be a
mere political device for the justification of oppres-
sive legislation, We do not pretend to determine.
Those who are on the spot, and brought into con-
tact with the freedmen know better than We do the
state of their feelings but there certain general
principles to which all REFER which should guide
the action of the Southern white people in their
treatment of the negroes. The first of these general
principles is that "every effect has cause, and is
proportionate to it, Instructions fostered and
fomented by means known to all political agitators.
The same sort of defamation which fred the South
ern heart TO rebel against the Union and impaired
to The slave knowledge of q power that was his
triiAld and thereby made him an eager opponent of
The rebellion, WILL if INDUCED in now produce SIM
liar manifestations. The very assumption that in
sIrrection is probable tends to make it possible To
te1r 1t to i1avite it, When Anthony over the dead
body OF Cesar exclaimed GOOD friends, sweet
friends, let me not stir you up to such a sudden
flood OF mutlny, he first suggested to them the
word upon which he wanted them to act He pre-
cipitated that which he was ostensbly declaiming
against. He aroused the passions of his audience
and stimulated them into action by deprecating a
very natural consequence. In South Carolina the
Legislature which we are happy to see has antci-
pated New jersey In adopting the Constitutional
Amendment abolishing Slavery, is nevertheless so
far under the influence of old ideas as to propose to
close al: shops kept by freedmen, to seize all fire.
arms in the hands of negroes and to deny them the
privilege of employment except upon the written
consent Of their former masters In addition to
ths-expressing fears of insurrectiOn-theY wish the
State militia to be Immediately organized and called
into active service. We can only say that if they
attempt to carry out the first named proposition 1t
is more than probable that the last will be
sity.
The right to carry arms is constitutionally guar
anteed to every citizen Of the United States and as
the very Constitutional Amendment adopted by
South Carolina, and requiring but the votes of two
more Satisfactorily secured to make it law, au-
horzes Congress to pass laws for the protection of
freedmen it not probable that Congress will per-
nit this right to be abrogated or annulled by any
State Legislature. The attempt to practically en-
force it would excite passions of the worst descrip
ton Men who had worn the Government blue and
risked their lives in the defence of the Union, who
had scaled the murderOus sides of Fort Wagner or
stood in the terrible mine of Petersburg, would not
feel that they were receiving the proper treatment
to be stripped of their arms by the foe whom they
had helped to conquer. We would call this an I'M
wise measure, which the South Carolina Legislature
should not adopt because it would tend to create the
disturbance of which she processes to be apprehen
siye.
Upon what grounds of expediency or right, we
would ask, do they propose to close al shops kept
by freedmen2 And what is it but a continuation of
Slavery in another form to denya man the right to
work except upon the written recommendation OF
his former master If he is 70 be limited to such
sphere LABOR as Dls chooses 10
ignate is he not practically enslaVed, even worse
than when his body could be sold? Then he had the
chances of the market for anew purchaser, whereas
if the will of man Is to decide for whom he shall
labor, he may be compelled to work for that one
man all the days of his life. 1t is evident that
these South CaroiDians do not appreciate the radi-
cal change of relationship existing between them
selves and their former slaves. If they could only
make up their minds that these people are free and
endeavor generally TO do what we have occasional
sensible examples of individuals doing, they might
: resolve impending evils into mutual benefits, and
quiet all apprehensiOns regarding instruction. We
have seen it stated by Southern planter that he
tried the experiment of employing free negroes in
cotton planting the cash principle. He paid down
the wages as soon as earned, and had no difficulty
whatever in conducting his plantation. Old John
Randolph said that he had discovered the philoso-
piers stone, and it was Pay as you 60" Our eI-
permenting planter has discovered it in his turn
There and must continue to be mutual distrUst be-
tween old masters who never paid wages and a
working class which never received wages. Let
this disrust be done away with by fair dealing and
we do not doubt that harmony will be established.
1t very true there are pecuniary difficulties IN the
way of the accomplishment of this desirable system
arising out of the impOverishment of the Southern
people by the war; but we hope that even they may
be provided for and sure they will be- if the
spirit is manifested in the South to act wisely. There
is great deal of floating capital in the North seek
ing investment. We know of no useful OF
profitable employment that could be madeOfit than
by the establishment of loan agencies agricultu-
raj banks through the Southern States, to make ad
vances of money to agriculturalists and planter:
upon the security Of their lands. Land is plenti-
full in the South and money is scarce. Let those
who really wish to benefit the South endeavOr TO re-
lieve her in this respect
We are extremely anxious that the Southern peo
pie shall their industrial occupations, ana by
harmonizing the interests of employers and en-
r1o IaUolpD heir yvpD6arful an6
rich and prosperous. We have never under estima
ted the difficulties which must arise from the sud
den collapse of the Confederacy and the consequent
sundering Of the relation Of master and slave. We
are conscious of the fact that the necessity of
tempating this subject from an unanticipated stand
point in direct conflict with all their previous no
tons education and habits, renders it not only diff
cult but perhaps impossible for the South Carolina
ans to view this matter in the same light that we
do They are anticipating evils which do not flow
as a natural sequence, from the disturbance of old
relations and which can only come to pass by mas
tiers still acting though the slaves belonged tC
them.
It has been the fashion in the South to point TO
the horrors of st. Domingo illustration of the
evils of emancipation. As the instruction in that
Island conveys an instructive lesson, we would call
the attention Of our Southern friends to It's causes
The first laws in Europe which assaied Slavery
came from France; they were the work of the rev.
OlutiOn and of course, were precpitated like many
other ameorations which had been to long deferred.
The Constituent Assembly dared do nothing. Be
fore Slavery, which was represented the essential
condition of the negro race, this body, which was
filled with noble souls burning for justice recOiled
with dismay. Freedom to the colonial slave was
painted to them by Malonet Maury and Barnave as
civil war Divided between q sense of justice and
fear it was decreed by the Assembly, Marcus, $780,
that the colonies should continue to live 1adcr the
regime Of speciaL lars Article i, ofthe instructions
hereunder, reads " AU persons, who have attained
the full age of twenty-five owners of real estate or
in default of such property, domciliated for two
years in the parish, and subject to taxation, vii
unite to form the Parish Assembly" This was
styled the Colonial Assembly. The question arose
to whether " all persons included persons OF col
or? On the 10Th May l79l, the Assembly decreed
by way of explaining its position, that persons
Of color born of free parents both sides shall be
admitted into all future Parishes and Colonial As
sembes if they possess the requisite conditions be
side At St. Domingo the whites resisted and a
Paris the colonial representatives, absented them
selves from the Assembly By decree of Septem-
Der "a, 1871, the Constitution being then finished
the French Constituent Assembly reserved to IL
successor the Legislative Assembly the right Of de
Gliding erclSrsy on the crtsT1aL regime Of the col
onies abrogating the decree of May TO- and leaving
the inbJnaJ regime to the Colonial Assemblies, sub
ect to the Kings sanction. This was compro
mise which ELECTED such good feeling in the cOOnie
that most of them resolved of their own accord OF
the Goth of January, 1892 by Congress of Com
missioners. to admit men of color into the Coonia
Assemblies The Legislative Assembly of France
following the example of the colonies on the 24tf