The Placer herald., 1866-03-03
THE CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.

it seems that freedom has not inspired him
with any zeal for manual labor. We have
an authority on this point which cannot be
questioned. 1t is brevet Major Henry c..
Lawrence, now in charge Of the Bureau Of
Franklin counties, North Carolina. This
gentleman is brother in.aw OF Chief Justice
Pierpont, Of Vermont, and brother Of Judge
Lawrence, of the Supreme Court of Illinois.
lie is an Abolitionst but has written letter
to private friend, under date of December
14th, 1865, concerning the state Of affairs
in North Carolina, which proves him to be a
candid and honest man, ready to tell the
truth, no matter how unwholesome it may be
to his political friends This letter has found
its way into print, and for the copy of it be-
fore us we are indebted to the Baltimore
Gazette.
Major Lawrence states that the district to
which he was assigned by the Freedmen's
Bureau, at the time he was sent there, "had
rather bad reputation as regards the dis
position Of The people and their treatment o
the blacks" But after residence of three
months and visit to almost every planta.
ton in the district his mind was entirely
disabused Of this unjust and false impression
lie says:
II talked to them, (the negroes) in body
on each plantation visited, and listened to
what they had to say. The people, almost
Invariably, are kind and generous to the ne
groes to degree that the North acill, / fear,
be slow to credit. They do not ye, ask to he
placed upon the footing Of employers, and to
do only what is just to the freedmen as la'
borers. They are forbearing and indulgenl
to their inerperience and ignorance"
Mr.. Lawrence's account of the negroes
themselves is by no means so cheering, as
this notice Of their late masters. His sketch
of them, if not pleasing, has the merit Of be
ing graphic and powerful.
Il think they possess the characteristics of
tropical races; that they are ndolent, sensual,
false, and, when aroused, cruel. They are
excitabIe, imaginative, and by nature brave.
In few years they will be fttest material
for religious fanatic the world possesses;
and another Mahomet may perhaps arise,
who will endeavor at least to marshal and
lead them to conquest. But this is all spec
ulation. sat down to try to give you facts
will remark, however, that if Brigham
Young wants more converts, here is bis field
with this people, to whom polygamy is ma
tive. wish he would lead them beyond
the caribbean sea. They have expected that
the government would give them land here,
taking it away from the rebel owners.
The officers of the bureau have labored
diligently to disabuse their minds of this
error, but with little success. All have told
them in speeches, plainly, what their posi-
tion is, and all they have said, when the
speaker had finished-General Howard as
we'll as others-"Dat no Yank dat just some
Reb dey dressed up in blue clothes and
brought um here to lie to u.s.
But the most important part Of the Majors
letter is that in which he discusses the aver
sion Of the liberated black to work and bis
propensity 10 steal. 1t has been the theory
of the Aboltionists, ever since they began
the anti-slavery agitation, that freedom was
all that the negro needed 10 transmute him
into an Industrious, sefdependent, conscien-
tous laborer. If the black is slow, indolent
and dishonest in slavery, it is slavery that
makes him so, said they, Strike off his
shackles aud his vices will drop along with
them. He is now free, and this theory
which is held by tens Of thousands Of we'll
meaning people in perfect good faith, is in
the process of being tested-Major Law.
renee tells US with what success:
There is universal demand for labor at
fair prices-large prices, indeed, considering
what this poor soil produces, and what the
labor is likely to be, and made every effort
knew how to induce the negroes to hire fol
next year. Being a farmer myself think
know what is fair bargain. | do moi
think fifty bad hired in my former district
when left it, two weeks ago. They are of
fered cash avoges and shares IN the crops. i
they make a bargain, as some wiN for short
time, the chances are .fve to one that they a0ill
not adhere to 1t. They are offered better
shares of The crops than as farmers ever givc
in Illinois. Meanwhile they are stealing
enormously.
know many plantations in Warren and
Franklin where three-quarters of the hogs
and sheep have been stolen since last June,
and the depletion is still going on. doubt
If year hence there will be haIfhogs enough
to make meat for the people. 1t is very diff.
icult to procure testimony from one negro
dydiISI oUOtuct IOl LuclAs AUcy ocVu w
consider that proper spelling Of the Egypt
ians. don't knoo how they can be prevemt-
ed from stealing to such degree as to make 1t
serious matter to the planters. Drunken
ness is of course increasing among them and
they are more addicted to it than had sup
posed. You know what their domestic rela-
tions usually are"
The Major, so far from proposing the ex'
tension o! suffrage TO these people as slim
ulus of industry and an instrument of moral
redemption, expresses himself in the follow
ing curt and severe style on that sickenng
and ever,present subject:
"Nineteen in ta0enty are no more fit for tht
political responsibilities and duties of'a citi
zen than my horses. l wish Charles Sumner
would come down here and occupy position
like mine for while. He would say moth
ing more against slavery, if he thinks it s
fit echOOl in ~ hich IN aducaia eovaOoa r.,