The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-06-29
@isttIIautuns.
MIR. NAsBY ON THE FREEDMEN's
BUREAU.

oonoAos
CosIxpKRIr X RoAps, .(wich is)
In the Stait NV Kentucky.)
May "a, 1866.
To Hi EreeQeney The Dspcnso uu Post Or
fees, ANDREW JOHNSON, Pfcsden 40 Gs
United Sates:
In akoriance with your esteemed request,
dated the 25th and received this morning,
TO wunst proceeded 10 make doc inquiry ez
to the workin of the Freedmen's Burow and
the condishum Nv tho Afiikin citizens NV
Amerikin descent in this vicinity. The fact
that Ablishnst still holds the Post Orifice at
the Corners (which place, by the way, have
been solicited to accept) interferrcs materi-
ally with the biznis had In hand. Ito wunst
footed the horn, ez is the custom when VIC
lcv religious scrvis, and called my congrcga-
shun together. They kum rinnin from the
different groceries and here another difficulty
ensood. The grocery-kcepers wanted TO
know what we wliz goin to hey meetin on
week days for? They wuz wilin to shut up
door in meetin time OH Sundays, ez they re-
spccted the Church, and il gave en- time to
sweep out the terbacker, ct-settery, but they d
be d---tli IL they was ugoin to hev tire peo-
pie pulled away from their nourishment on
week days. succeeded in passifying ein,
and went in ut wunst examinin the leadin cit
izcns. Their testimony is ez follows:
re-. cAPTiN sxELPER
wuz nigger owner afore the war, and dur
ing the late iruiriside struggle wllz captain
in the Contedrit servis. Wliz with General
Forest at Fort Pillow. Hez had much expe-
riencc with niggers Bleeves en- to be adapt
cd to the clinit Nv Kentucky, and much more
nhle to stand the hot sun than the whites
When they wuz slaves never knowed EN- TO-
reiooze to work-kn they alluz did work
becoz he generally stood over en- with mig.
ger whip. Since they hev bin free hev notist
a change not much Nv n change, ontil the
Niger Burow wuz establist. Before that
they'd take stitch wages ez you chose to give
then the id heathcn will stand
ont bout ez The white men do, and won {
work at all onlest 700 meet their views, which
made heap of trouble and materially retnrd-
cd the development nv the country. The
Burow he'd corrupted the female niggers, ez
they he'd all bin legally married by the chap.
lains to the men they'd lived with, and wuz
so sot on livin with en- that there's no yoose
NV trying to get house wcnch unless 700
took her husband also. His wife 'wuz now
doin degradn work ut home for want Nv help.
Strongly urged the ubrogasllen NV the Brow
and the removal NV the Ablslum Postmaster
at the Corners.
DEACON M'GRArH
waz epgsamined. Wuz convinst in his own
mind that the affrikin wliz now out Nv his
normal speer and that the internal Burow
wuz Mt the bottom Nv it. The niger, until
the Burow conc around, wuz docile and easi.
ly controlled. His boy Joy wuz wunst mod
el ngger. He'd got up every mornin ut a.
m. (which means IN the moning,) and work
eyery ,lay till after dark. Ez soon ez he wuz
cmancipatcd cz they called It, and the Burow
come. told him to get up ono inornin, an,i
he told me impudently that he'd woodent i
undertook to chastisc him with fence stake,
wherenpon he sailed in md whuled me. and
the Burow to which applied for redress larit
in INV faco. lie left, and is now draggin out
a miserable existence in Ohio, OF the bcggarly
pittunco Nv 50 day, and my farm is r,lnnin
to weeds. He conclooicd by givin 1t cz his
solemn opinion that llc never Good be recon-
cicd to the Government so long ez tho bur
ow wuz tolerated, and that Ablishnist held the
Post Orfis ut the Corners.
GEN. DIS0Es
considered tho Burow inkubus upon the
State. 1t interfercd between master and SER
want. Good git along better ef tho nigger
wuz LEFT to the naternl laws which regulates
capital and labor. Tried to keep his niggers,
and did keep 'cm the past Summer till after
the crop was in. and then tried to settle with
'em for four dollars month, with sich de-
dudkions for food, sickness aud brakin tools
ct settry, ez WIZ just. Brought the niggerss
all NV 'em in debt, and generously proposed
to let em work il out chopin cor'l wood
doorin the Winter. Hauled me up afore the
Burow, and wuz forst to pay en- each Sl5per
month. Consider the Burow eZ all that stans
in the way NV Reconstruction, thow the re-
inoval NV the Ablishin Postmaster ut the Cor.
ners and the appointment NV sound consti-
tooshuel Dimekrat wood greatly assist in con-
ciliatin the Kentucky mind.
tried to get some niger testimony, hut
Good elicit nOthin worth while. One nigger
who spends the heft NV his time ut the Corn.
ers wuz opposed to tho Burow becoz 1t stop.
ped rashlims on him, and Lucy, a octoroon,
who formerly belonged to and still resides
with Elder Gravitt (whO ia now absent as a
delegate 10 Southern religious Convention ut
Louisyie,) testified that the BirOw "was no
crate shakes" becOz bein eZ tho Elder wiiz n
widower and the father Nv all her children,
and bein slIe'z free woman, she asked the
agent to make the Elder marry her, and he
wood'nt do It, But sich evidence is irrelevant
and did not consider 1t worth while botherin
your Eggslcncy with 1t. Both, however,
strongly Insisted on the removal Nv the Ablisll-
in Postmaster at the Corners.
.,... ABsuLuM PErrus
wuz convinst the Burow was agin the pros
,erity Nv the Stnte, an,l wuZ underminin the
moral and plysikle welfare ov the niger. 1t
made him impudcnt. He'd som oy um work.
in for him, and nOtist at Moons and mites he u
find EN- with spein book and a reader
Didn't bleeve in readn. COodent. read him.
self but he'd kiizin Onst who learned, but ez
soon ez he ccod read lic moved orf to in)ean-
nv, qui, the DcnlOcrisy, .and beclni iotile.
somt Ablisiiinisi. Hecred he WIZ killed IN the
war and served him rite. Wanted to kno
what he would do when the niggers Good all
rcad.-Sposed weed bev to lect en- 10 orphis,
ez the people all,iz selected sicl when they
Good find en-. Didn't bleev in nigger e.quail'
~, aud wuz in favor Nv immediate change
in the post orphisa the korners.
Gaping McSlathcr thnught things he'd cum
to sweet old pass when b man coodnt Iather
a niger without bcin hauled up aiorc Bur-
row.
Kunul Peter thot if your Eggsolency Good
witness the corupshun that eggisted IN the
Burow yood make short work NV II. Why' ne
whipped nigger hand moro than ne orer
perhaps, and he died ov the injuries. 1t w'lz
a agrnvatin case. The nigvcr w,z sassy ana
I, co., s9I(, IN nnoyide for his family. Tint