The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-01-10

p1!HChi tonpuMtb uetTu tno nun
dseds of times, heard it wherever went,
heard it in nearly the same words from,
Sc many different persors, that at last l
came to the conclusion that this is the
prevailing sentiment among the southern
people. Thee are exceptions TO this rule
hut as far as my information extends, far
from enough to affect the rulo.
II negroes walked away from the plan
taliuns it was conclusive proof OF the in
corrgible instability Of the negro and the
impracticabili,y OF free negro labor. It
some individual negroes violated the terms
of their contracts, it proved unanswerably
that no negro had Or ever would have n
just conception Of the binding force Of "a
contract, and that thus system OF free ne
gro labor WAS bound to be n failure. If
some negroes shirked or did not perform
their task with sutficicn: alacrity, it was
prod dlced as irrefutablo evidence to show
that physical oompusion was actually in-
dspensablc to make the negro work. If
negroes, dlers or refugees crowding about
the towns applied to the authorities for
subsistence. it was quoted as iucontestalhy
establish n the point that the n gro vas
too iinprOvidcnt to take care OF himself,
and must necessarily bc consigned to the
care Of muster ] heard a Georgia
planter argue most seriously that one of
his negroes had shown himself certainly
unfit tor freedom, because he impudently
refused 10 submit to "a whipping.
LL-rREArMESr or THE BLACKS.
Cases in which negroes were kept on
the plantations eithers by ruse of violence
were fi'equent enough in South Carolina
and Georgia to call forth from General
Saxton IL circular, threatening planters
who persisted in this practice with loss of
their property, and from Major General
Steedman, commander Of the department
OF Georgia, an order bearing npon the
same subject. At Atlanta, Georgia,
had AN opportunity to examine some cases
of the nature above described myself -
While / was therc-9th and 10Th of
August-several negroes came into town
with bullet and bucksliot wounds in their
bodies; from their statements, which.
however, were only corroborating in!or-
nation previously received, it appeared
that the reckless and restless characters of
that regiou had combined to keep the ne
groes "wherc they belonged !" several
negroes were shot in the ATTEMPT to escape
others succeeded in eluding the vigilance
OF their prosecutors, and large numbers,
terrified by what they SAW and heard,
quietly remained under the restraint i'm
posed upon them, waiting for better op.
portunities. The commander of the sub
'i-tric: and post informed me that squad.
uf guerllla- were prowling about within
few miles Of the city. making it dangerous
for soldiers and freedmen To show them.
selves outside of the Immediate reach Of
the garrison, and that but u few days
previous To my arrival small squad of
men he had sent out 10 serve an order
upon planter concerning tho treatm mt
o; freedmen, had been driven back BY an
armed band OF over twenty men, headed
by an individual in tine uniform Of 4 rebel
officer.
In Mississippi received information of
a similar character.
The imber CT murders and assaults
perpetrated upon negroes is very gr, at
We can form only an approximate cslim .tc
OF what is going on in IhoSo parts OF the
South which are not closely garrisoned
and from which no regular reports are
received, by what occurs un Ter the very
eyes Of our military authorities As to
my personal experience, will only men
tion that during my two days sjourn at
Atlanta one negro was stabbed with fatal
effect on the street, AMI three were po;s-
oned, one Of whom died While wa. at
Mon somcry. one ncgro WIS cut across
the throat evidently with intent to kill
AMI another was shot, but both escaped,
with their lives
EDUCATION OF FREEDMEN.
On this point Gen. Schurz says:
II would seem that all those who sim
cerely desire to make the freedman a
freeman in the true sense of the word,
must also he in favor Of SO Educating him
as TO make him clearly understand and
appreciate tho position he is TO OCCUPY in
life, with all its rights apd corresponding
duties, and to impart to him 81 II the
knowledge necessary for enabling him 10
become an intelligent co-operstor in the
general movements of society. As pop
ular education is the true ground upon
which tho efficiency and the succe ses of
free labor society grow, no man who re.
jects the former can be accounted a con-
-istent friend Of the latter. 1t is also ev-
ident that the education of the negro, to
become general and effective after the full
restoration Of local government in the
South, must he protected and promoted
as an integral part Of the educational
systems OF the states
made it special point in most of tho
conversations had with southern msn,
to inquire into their vis~s With regard to
thn subject. ! found, In Iced, some ger-
tlemen OF thought AMI liberal ideas who
readily acknowledged the necessity of
providing for tho education of the colored
people, and who declared themselves will
ling to 60 operate to that end to the ex-
tent Of their influence. Some planters
thought Of establishing schools on their
estates, and others would have been glad
TO see measures taken to that effect by The
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