St. Mary's gazette., 1866-01-11
Prospect Before the Freedmen.

Prospect Before the Freedmen
Freely crediting the Frcedman's Bureau
at Washington, as also its representatives
in this county, with the most amlablc and
benevolent intentions towards the negro
population in this section, nevertheless,
from personal observation, we are con-
strained to say that in our Judgment their
interference, thus far, with the labor and
government of this class of people in St,
Mary's has been productive, not only of no
good, but of positive harm, both to white
and black. We believe we are strictly
within the bounds of truth when we state,
that not more than Fourth of the able
bodied negroes of the county have any fixed
or permanent employment fos the p~"c1nt
year The vast majority of this population
in our county is bid away in log huts, in
out-of-the way places, like our free negro
people in the days of slavery, with neither
efficiency of food nor clothing to last them
through the Winter. What has produced
this state Of things? The unwillingncss Of
the negro to engage employment by the
YEAR. And this unwillingncss on the part
of the negro, what has produced that!
The counsel or interference, we are afraid
of the Frecdman's Bureau or its rcprescn-
tatives. These we'll meaning but mistaken
guardians of ne blacks have succeeded in
convincing thm thatit isto their interest to
withdraw as far as practicable from contact
with the wlits and to set up house keep
ing for themselves. Whenever this is
found to be inpracticable, they are advised
to engage Themselves by the year but to
engage thcmclvcs by contracts made under
the auspices of the Frcedman's Bureau.
These contrets, one of which is now before
US. ignore the civil institutions to
which we hive been accustomed to look for
the sanctioIng of our contracts and the ad-
justment ofour disputes, and introduce us
to a tribunl unknown to our laws and be-
Eeved to e altogether partial to the negro.
Besides, ne Of the features of these con
tracts Is, that the employer shall assume
during Il, coverturc OF the parties. vague
and ill-ddned responsibility 10 educate tho
children 4 the employee and pay IN addi-
ton bothhe medical bills of lie employyoo
and thatot his family. OF course, no pru-.
dent platter would thinkof engaging ne
gro, wild family. at present rates Tor
wages. udcr such contract as this, ana
hence. yhcn negro labor cannot be engaged
outside If these contracts, white uan Is
cmployd when he can be obtained. -A'd
it has leen asccrtaincd that white labor can
be obt.ined and many people III our county
are employing it and nearly all are seeking
to enagcit But, in the meanwhile, what
is to become of the negro? Deprived OF
regular labor by his own or the folly Of hlS
advisers, drawn away in the woods from
the countenance and encouragement which
are alone capable of saving him. he relap-
ses into the idle, dishonest and vagabond
habits of free-ncgroism in slavery times,
and then the end is not long nor difficult to
foresee. The truth is, the Freedman's Bu-
reau. If there ever was a necessity for ats
existence here ut all. has outlived its use
fulness in this State and should be ahated
throughout its limits We sincerely hoEe
there may be found sense and virtue enough
In some Of the leading managers of this IN
stitution TO ses this and relieve nntise la
Dor and our native laborers from the sinister
Influences which Of prcsen, surround them