The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-01-20

The Freedmen of Virginia. l39
We have received from Lieut.. W. A. Nc
Nulty Of the Veteran Reserves, an Assistant
Superintendent of Freedmen, now stationed
at Warrenton, Va, very interesting commu-
nication In relation to the condition and pros
poets of this class of persons In that section Of
the country. The report given by this gentle
man is 10 high degree encouraging. He be-
lieves that the obstacles in the way of har-
monious adjustment of relations between the
freedmen and their former masters are mere
ly temporary and incidental; that in the nat
ural progress of events these will be smooth
ed away, and that both classes will adapt
themselves to the new order Of things much
more readily than has been feared. p. td ID
Lieut.. McNulty has charge of the affairs OF
the freedmen for the entire county Of Far
quier, Va, which contains about ten thousand
colored persons. Out of this large number he
reports only thirty as having been obliged to
receive government aid; and those were in
nearly every case persons disabled by age and
infrmitv. The result of ou- correspondence
observations thus far is a conviction which he
deems well-founded, that the freedmen are
thoroughly peaceable and already selfsup-
porting class of laborers. He is quite sure,
also, notwithstanding some cases of disagree
ment and ill-feeling, that no class of laborers
can get along so well with the people Of the
South as the negroes. In this connection he
says: -
''The interests of the negro are already be-
coming identified with those of the white.
Almost daily they are visiting me for the
purpose Of making arrangements with each
other for the coming year, either at wages,
or for the cultivation of farms and planta-
tons by the year on shares; and these arrange
ments are generally as liberal as our New
England farmers make. have court, estab-
Hshed by order of General Howard, the hu-
name and patriotic Chief of the Bureau, which
consists of one white man chosen by
the blacks to represent their interests, another
chosen by the whites as their representative,
and myself to act as President and Recorder
of the Court. All difficulties arising between
the two races are by us adjudicated, the pro-
ceedings and findings of the court signed by
all its members and forwarded to the Assist
ant Commissioner for the State, at Richmond,
for his approval. / have thus far had to re-
port no cases of brutality on the part of the
whites towards the freedmen. In this vicin-
ty the people, as a general thing, seem will
ing to accept the condition of affairs and the
results Of the war in spirit which is indeed
commendable in a proud and conquered peo-
pie, and their demeanor towards me has been
of the most becoming character. There was
talk here, just before the holidays, among
the returned Confederate soldiers, of plot
among the freedmen to "rise" on Christmas
day for the indiscriminate butcheiy Of the
whites. These asons of chivalry" did their
best at Alexandria and in other places to
make the thing a success by practising all
sorts of brutality on the unoffending freed
men; but the plan would not work. 1t was
miserable failure, resulting in far more in
jury to its authors than to the class it was
meant to harm. l'ii hlo e sd gaiU
One of the muderers of returned colored
soldier was captured in my county by U. S.
detective. His name is Oscar Wankin. He
deliberately shot the soldier referred to, with
out any provocation whatever, for which act
he Is now with several others of the C. S. A.
confined in the slaue pen in Alexandria
awaiting his trial, and will probably 'pul
hemp" for such cases of brutality toward a
peaceable and well-disposed class, perpetrat-
ed too, within sight of the capital of free
people, will not, I trust, escape condign pun.
ishment." F
1t will be perceived that in spite of some
unfayorably points the general aspect Of affairs
as presented by our correspondent, is hopeful
and encouraging. We think it possible that
his field of observation may be in some re
spects one more favorable than the average
| but we believe that what is true of one In
stance is more or less true of the whole South
| and that the disturbed elements of societ,
there are tending to a peaceful readjustment
President johnson never said truer thing
than is contained in that remark in his recent
message that "time is an important element
in all reforms" With time, patience, and .
mild and judicious but firm and steadfast rule
we shall yet see the South emerging from ths
barbarism of the past, and setting forth in ,
career of prosperity and happiness greater thar
she has as yet even conceived. ".bio