The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-09

~ Reading Matter on all -Four Pa~e.
------@z[1EE-
Maine Freedmen's Relief Society.
To the Citizens of Maine. ~ ..J5s
The Freedmen. the poorest poor Of our
country, for two hundred years despoiled by
State enactment and national consent, have
been tossed for the last four years, upon the
widest waves of the fiery sea of war, until
their very rags are torn away, and now In
weary millions, they creep along the
shore of Peace, and see far inland, waiting
cottages and fields.
BuG the winter is upon us, and viii bury
tens OF thousands, unless good Samaritan
hands shall come to their relief After the
winter, they will find the fields and till them,
and the cottages and dwell in them. The Off
GERS OF the Freedme,ts Bureau estimate that
seoenty thousand, at least, aciH pc, ish In the
states Of Georgia and Alabama. The Su-
perlntendent of Schools in Virginia writes
"that large portion of the Freedmen who,
during the war, were taken as military meas
ure from the possession of their masters and
placed upon the abandoned rebel farms. have
been and are about being elected from
their homes by the amnestied proprietors.-
Even with the best disposition on the part of
the landh0lders, they have been incapaciated
by the results of the war from furnishing en-
ployment to even one-third Of their former
slaves. But instead OF kindness, there is, as a
rule, an evident feeling of hostility toward the
Freedmen. With the renewed possession of
their farms by the grace of pardon, they give
no indication Of having pardoned the black
man for loyalty to his country. There is no
time for discussing either the policy or the
Providence that has placed this people in their
present peril. Action and not argument is
what their condition demands; otherwise
there will be such a record of suffering and
mortality as the world has rarely witnessed"
In every Southern State there are many In
extreme need. a4 =
1t is not true that the bodied have not
labored industriously and lived prudently
hitherso, as they have had opportunity. It is
susceptible of proof that no class of people in
the United States have struggled with adversi-
ty more manfuily or successfully, the circum-
stances being considered. ,f a.- rE,
q But the desolations Of war, the utter confu-
sion OF all social and Industrial conditions, the
abject poverty in which the return. of peace
found white and black alike, the extraordina-
ry blight upon the very imperfect crop OF this
year, have together, not strangely, proven too
much for the best endeavors Of many. Thous-
ands have Observation-Disclosures of thousands
despite all these difficulties, in providing for
the winter, and ask no charity.
Other hundreds of thousands win, by steady
industry, although unable to provide In ad-
D
drives him back; and these ask no charity.
But there remain the equally Industrious
but less fortunate, who can find neither work
nor wages, Until the planting season returns;
besides the infirm and the thousands of Or
phans, whose mothers cannot be found, and
whose fathers gave up their lives that we
might celebrate our peace.
The officers Of the American Freedman's
Aid Commission estimate that one million of
do lars Is needed Immediately for the purchase
OF blankets and personal clothing, for the
| erection OF temporary shelters, and for the
| opening and maintenance Of additional Or
| phan asylums. p re g.f....-e ...t
| The facts and estimates, which we here pre-
| sent, are founded upon the most reliable au-
| thority. They have no reference to the sup
| port Ut missionaries who are sustained by de-
nominational effort, or of school teachers sus-
| tanned by the several Freedmen's Associations.
| The support Of teachers, however, should be
| generously considered in this connection. A
goodly number from this State are already in
the tield, proving themselves eminently sue
cesstul and useful.
In view Of this terrible condition of the
Freedmen, 1t seems an imperious duty that all
humane people, casting aside all sectarian and
! political considerations, should make an imme-
diate and systematic effort for their relief Let
the offering be worthy OF people grateful for
| abundant harvests and for the restoration Of
peace to our beloved sountry. L
| We would recommend that town or city So
cieties, auxiliary to the State Society, or COM
mittees, be formed without delay; that the Of
ficers OF the late Sanitary and Christian Com
mission devote their energies to work for the
Freedmen that towns and parishes be thor
oughly canvassed tor money andclothing; that
1 public speakers, especially those who have been
South, volunteer their services for public meet
ings; and yet that no people wait tor the call
or aid OF an agent. Delays may result in
| death. asEla iI1T-rg of &. liz az
Clothing should be packed in strong boxes
| OF barrels. On each case or barrel put the
| name OF the person sending it and the place
from whence it is sent. Send list OF con-
tents IN each package and duplicate OF the
same by mail to 4. G. Estes, Business Agent,
| 70, John Street, New York. Mark each pack
age thus: N. Y. N. +. r. A, 70 John St.,
New York. From fr5
1 D All goods should be forwarded to the care OF
George r. DAVIS, Portland, whence they will
be taken to New York free of cost. BY lit
tie effort, expressmen and, transportation
agents may be induced to carry goods to Port
land at a small expense, if any.
All monies may be sent directly. to Hon. N
g. Hichborn, Treasurer of the State organiza-
tion, Augusta; or, il more convenient, may be
sent to the Treasurer of the State Society
through the hands of James L. McCobb, Esq,
oil Portland. H sr Is url stls.rg.4
Applications for situations as teachers may
4 be addressed to the subscriber, at Augusta, OF
1 to our General Agent, Rev. ID. s. King, whose
p0st-ofice address is Office of lions Herald
Boston, Mass" The wages of o teacher Il
twenty dollars a month, in addition to trans
portafion and board, which the Society will
pay. -1.A' ..fs 9ll Gl.f
4 Any teacher for the Freedmen, going from
Maine, and duly appointed by this or any 9th
er Society, can have free passage by steam
boat to Boston or New York and return, Oh
application to Captain Cyrus Sturdevant, o
Portland. h-
At meeting of the Maine Freedmen's Re
lief Society, held at the State House Feb. 8
the foregoing address was adopted and the fol
lowing list OF officers was elected for the pres
ent year. The official reports were not pre-
sented; but am happy to say that com
mendaele interest is manifested in different
parts OF the State, and that the citizens Of
Portland and Bangor, especially, are doing 1
great work for the Freedmen. A superinten-
dent Of schools in Virginia, and another In
North Carolina, with twenty-five female teach
ers have been engaged from this State, 70 rep
resent the State society and its auxiharies,
with the expectation that they will be sus-
tanned by funds raised In the State at an ex-
4 pense of about $4,000. This Is exclusive OF
teachers sent out under denominational con-
tract and support.
1t is respectfully requested that the news
papers in Maine viii publish the organization
and appeal Of the Society.
,i... e.., EPHRAM FLINT, Secretary.
officers of the Maine Fresdmeps Relief So
ciety:: t+ ''-'i'.'' 20
I President-His Excellency SAMurL CoNy.
1 wa. III III q