Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-01-03
Freedmen's Bureau i'm KentuckF-.-
Address Of General Fisk to the
FwaQd I'm m PcuiMP IL

A00feno VI uCucF11 EAaA 10 Suo
Freedmen Circular.
Bur'u Refug's, Frssdm'n d Aband'd Lands,
States Of Kentucky and Te nessee,
~ NashviIie, Dec. 2s, 1885,
FreeneB Of Kentucky: The Constitu-
ton of the United States has been so
amended that hereafter no one can be
held as slave anywhere in this country
except as a punishment for q crime
All the colored people, therefore, in the
State of Kentucky are free; and your
friend, the Assistant Commissioners of
dress you few plain words.
( 1. First all of you should be grateful
to your Heavenly Father, who has brok
en- your bonds and conferred upon you
the inestimable boon of freedom
ii. You should recognize your high
obligations to the Federal Government,
which, in its mighty struggle with the
great rebellion and in its triumph, has
been true to the interest Of freedom,
and he's fulfilled it's pledge to the OPP
pressed. ..--s -..-.-..,.-..-.....-
III. You should love Kentucky, for
it is noble old State-your native
State-your home and the home of your
children, and noqU A FREE STATE.
Nv. advise you to remain in your
old homes, and that you enter into good
contracts with your former owners and
masters. You have been associated
with them for many years You are
bound to the old home by many ties;
and most of you, trust, will be able to
get on as well with your late masters as
with any one else. But if your former
owners will not make fair contracts with
you, giving you good wages or share
of the crop, you will have perfect
right to go where you can do better.
| V. Let me warn you specially against
6ocking into the towns and cities
There are too many people in the towns
and cities already. Hundreds, unless
they speedily remove to the country,
will, fear, fall victims to pestilence.
The small pox is now prevalent, and in
q few weeks the cholera may be among
us. In the crowded cities you will wear
your lives away in constant struggle
to pay high rent for miserable dwellings
and scanty allowances of food. Many
of your children, / greatly fear, viii be
found wandering through the streets as
Migrants, plunging into the worst vices,
and filing the warehouses; and the jails.
By all means seek healthy homes in the
country. ............
| vi. Now that you are free, and will
enjoy the fruits of your own industry,
enter upon your new life with hearty
will You begin it with little besides
your hands, bnt by patient industry and
economy, you may soon earn and save
enough money to purchase a home Of
your own, and furnish it with many OF
the comforts of life, -. -
VII Let each man turn his heart and
his thoughts toward providing a good
home for his wife and children, and TO
| aid in the care of his aged parents.
Carefully guard and keep sacred the
marriage relation. Be lawfully welded.
IssTaking up with each other is an
abominable practice, and must perish
| with the institution that gave it birth.
VIII. Early attention should be given
to the education of your children. Pur-
chase books for them and employ good
teachers You have numerous friends
in the country who will aid you in the
establishment and support OF schools.
0O NCSOAEC0 th0t ySnA 0AAtuA Gu Shoth DC
taught reading, writing and arithmetic,
at least. lh.ag
| TX Let the past be forgotten. Treat
all with respect Avoid disputes. De-
monstrate to the people of Kentucky,
and to the world, by your faithful OBJ
servance of the laws, by your sobriety
and good morals, and by your thrift,
that you are not only qualified for the
precious blessing of freedoml but for
/ the high and responsible duties of eiti-
Gems of the Commonwealth. ,5l.,,g /
x. Until the enactment and enforce
iment of State laws, giving you full pro.
lection in person and property, impair
tial justice will be secured to you by
the strong arm of the National Govern
ment -...- CLINTON B. Fisk, eaW 4
Brew. Maj. Gen. and Asst Com'r.