Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-02-16
CONDITION OF THE FREEDMEN.
LECTURE BY MI. ON. 0. 0. HOWARD

I
Johnston's, then Kirby smith's--the war is
over /; then suddenly the chains Of slavery are
broken. and between three or four millions OF
slaves are emancipsted, in the midst Of peo
pie who heartily disbelievo In liberty, who are
entirely 6lled with pref ejudiee and resentment,
and who are often apt to glory in the apPsr-
ent chaos that follows, naturally, the death
Of slavery, Hostile to liberty, they raised
large armies; they fought with desperation I;
they were conquered; but they will not be
brought in day to love The thing they hated.
No, the contrary is true. The southern man
lets go OF slavery inch by inch, piece by piece.
He says, " we give it up" but he really does
not do so; and do not think, as a general
rule. that he will, until constrained to II by the
power Of freedom itself .fou should read
the systems proposed from so many different
quarters. Every plan has in it the very gst
Of slavery compulsory labor is stamped upon
il. The whole thought seems to be, show
can the white men maintain their authority
over these black men? How can we keep
them from renting and owning land, from
bringing suits and giving testimony in the
courts against US, from rising in the social
scale; how prevent their individuality from
cropping out; how prevent their holding
meetings and bearing arms, how hinder them
from having q voice in making and executing
the lawsi :" | do not say that there is unan-
unity on all these points; but the great body
of the southern white people are to-day avow-
edly as have described. do not say that
to hurt them do not say it to ALLEVIATE you
from them; bot because believe it to be the
truth that must underlie every measure Rdop-
ted to secure to VI the fruits Of our great
revolution.
On the other hand, let me say that there is a
large class OF our fellow citizens at the North
brought up under influences dismetricslly op-
posite to those under which the southern
mind has been moulded, who reason in this
way Slavery is great crime, therefore sll
shareholders Nre conscious criminals" Nc
kindness is shown them. They are denomi-
mated " "oppressors p" " heathens," and stigma
tized by other opprohTious epthets. The
young "swelr who uses his dirk or pistol
against the negro who chances to cross his
path is represented as the exponent Of all
southern feeling and principles Now, my
friends, those people who reason in this way
a.e themselves either partially informed or
are encrusted with a prejudice quite as real
as that exhibited by the southern people
[ Applause. The truth is that large body
of the southern people are sincere. Strange
as it may seem to US, they heartily disbeieve,
notD, in freedom for the negro they even now
look upon emancipation curse Of God
sent upon them. There is class OF people
at the South quite different from the main
body--a class who have been accustomed to
read aud think more hke The reading and
thinking men elsewhere. While travelling
in Mississippi, had for . companion gem
tleman who is prominent man and quite in
tellectual. / urged upon him the necessity
OF educating the common people, black and
white. He answered me, while his eyes filed
with tears, General, am so overwhelmed
with my losses that cant think. My slaves,
my money, my animals, my buildings, all
left but the bare land. My
mind dwells on these things, and l seldom
can reason sensbly; but when do reflect l
see aud admit that you are right" Applause.
There is another class Of men, of high culture,
whose minds are now changing. One from
Alabama said 20 me a few days since, 81 Am
surprised myself at the wonderful change Of
feeling and belief that has been wrought in
me in the past six months" He is now a
ssnguine advocate of free labor. This class
Is not large; but in almost every State l
could point out to you by name. men who
were on the opposite side, who now warmly,
earnestly advocate free labor, and all that
goes with it. | desire TO speak plainly to-
night, in the interests Of freedom. The great
body OF the emancipated will be purified and
strengthened by the experience through which
they are passing, as the children Of Israel
were purified and strengthened by the expert
eace they passed through, iu going from Egypt
to tho promised land. Those beyond middle
age have been dependent so long that freedom
will give them a hard row TO hoe Work
they can, and must, aud will but what they
lack is the ability to provide for themselves
in such way, to use their own expression,
as to "enjoy the fruits of their own labor"
A gain. thousands and thousands are poor
women, with families Of children, without
husbands or brothers or fathers to care for
them. You can hardly realize how much
they need aid not simply food aud clothing,
but instruction and every description OF kind
ness, sympathy and guidance l might bring
to you scenes that would please you and
scenes that would pain you deeply; but if
you have caught my meaning, that there are
disAbilitie which are not occssioned by the
bad disposition OF the negroes, or by present
or even past cruelties on the part OF the mas
ters, 1t is sufficient. There are disabilities
incident to the circumstances of
our case. Now what do we. as nation,
proposei We have destroyed secession and
rebellion we have broken the pitcher OF
State supremacy at the fountain, applause,
and slavery, in name, at least, is dead. What
do we propose; 1t is TO so regulate our
public affairs as to secure certain blessings to
all our people; certain insliensble rights
named in the old Declaration Of Independence
VERY familiar sounds here)--the rights TO
"a life, liberty, and the pursuit OF happiness"
Applause. In the past, these rights were
scarcely obtained seldom by the negro
poorly by the Indian; and only partially even
by US white men. Can we now solve this
old probeml Can we do it in the midst Of
a society made up of heterogeneous elements
so various and seemingly so repellsnti
As soon as the war closed was placed at
the head of what great General called "a
Bureau Of ImpossibiIities laughter and
by law given the control Of all subjects rela-
ting to refugees and freedmen. Those ia
miliar with the circumstances know that no
was made. aud the power Of the
Bureau was not military power actually in po-
session, but dependence upon military pow
or. went to work to do what could to