The colored American., 1866-01-06
FREEDMEN.


sta Of involuntary servitude. Or.
they had been considered rs prCno,,,
naw they were persons, though not il
titled 20 the full rights Of citizens /.
liberty to come and 90 at pleasure i
buy and sell, to practice any trade :,
profession, they were esteemed iepaba
aud did not rank in the same status !.
cial and political as one who b. BIRTH H.
,.urchase, or by some special Service 4
the state, attained to the hieh diyDity i
leing called at Roman Clti=an' Tbe,.
freedmen of Rome were white peoDla
The slavery to which We have been !,
long accustomed very naturally causes !,
10 associate that condition with colore5
skin or belonging to persons of AfrcaD
descent. But with the exception Of Tia
American system the institution h,s
been confined to no particular race nor
color. Men of all nations and coI,r,
have preyed upon each Other like tho
beasts Of the field or Tie fish of tie Sc,
Tne strong has always ruled the wcaE
and might has disregarded the c'aias
| of right. The Romans, the SaAons, the
} Danes, and the Normans, have in turn
/ invaded and subjngated 'merrie England
/ Swarms o. marauders from Northen
t Europe have overrun the fair hills and
/ vali:es OF the South. The moors tlon
the South long held dominion il SPAN.
The Saraccn has laid waste the land Z.
| Palestine and his mosques still desecrt
,he city Of David, and his flag still hoao
from its walls. Pollard has long felt tts
IRON heel of the Muscoylte. The triteI
of Asia plumber aud ~enslave each 0tAs
and Africa = continent of masters and
slaves. Even Gods peculiar people eE.
dured severe bondage in the land 4
I the Pharaoh's and suffered hard crueltg
! at the hands Of the Babylonians and
. Romans. .-
!. Man cannot estimate the woes whle.
. men haye infected on each other; but
!. better day is coming. The world feels
! the swell Of mighty moral earthquake
| which is destined to unsettle the lounda>
tions of every form of slavery, when
| every one eau sit under his own vine and
fietree, and cat his own bread in peace,
| with no fear Of proud and cxacting
master to disturb his happiness.
But this great end mast be reached
by the employment OF extraordinary
means, and the Freedmen OF Amorca
have doubtless great work to do in
helping to drive the car of progress
Let US then be energetic, patient, sub
lnissiye to the authorities, industrious,
| sauuiuu,, c0D0Ul y.toto vi uIdur anu fusO
nal peace and we will be exalted in due
time.
! NEGRO MORTALITY The New York
| Tribune reports $4,000 blacks IN the
| District of Columbia aud great personal
distress. Here is picture Of the suffer
ings Of these people: "The most fright
| ful mortality exists, as many as so eofhns
per week being furnished by the Quarter
masters department, most of which are
for children. 1t is the opinion Of ply
sicians practicing among them, and d
other close observers, that three>fourth
! of these children die from neglect AM
want. In the family of soldier VIII
lost his life in battle, five out Of the tel
children have died since March, 1876
from the above causes La another, thre
out of seven children of a soldier draf
ted in December last have starved /
death in the last three weeks
In the meeting of the American Mi3
sionary Association, last week, the d:
tressed state of the Freedmen was dr
cussed. in the course Of which il VI
stated that In the section Of the Ogech
river, Georgia, from one~fourth to on
sixth OF the entire negro population b;
died during the past summer
This is truly lamentable state OF a
fairs, and ught to arouse all our energi
, in behalf of our suffering brethren. i
us do all that lies in our power to amell'
ate their condition, and the blessings
; the helpless and suffering will float h
holy incense around cur heads. II
icey fagers of winter are being alreat
felt around our fresides and the cuId b'
!, ing winds reminds US of houses aud war
clothing. But what is to become Of tho
, who are blessed with neither the one r
f the other, with nothing but the pitle'
charities of heart frozen world TO d
the hungry appetite, and tie star-sP'Dg
led curtains of ice bound nature to co'e
, them. When we feel the cheerful Wafnla
! Of the cracking fire, and sit around
Il rart ID