Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-11-09
From the New York Observer.
The Frcedmen-Letter from Rev. DR.. Plum.

From the New York Observer
The Frcedmen-Letter from Rev. DR.. Plum.
or.
My Dear Sir have recently returned
from trip to the mineral waters of Virgin
ia and Of West Virginia For Il month I
mingled freely with the people Of that region.
I saw them in their homes, on their farms,
in their social gatherings, and in their pub
lie assemblies. I preached to them, prayed
with them, and addressed their Sabbath
schools of white and of colored children.
also saw and conversed with many persons
from other Southern States Sore as have been
the sufferings of many, I did not hear an I'M
manly whine, an unseemly whimpcr, an un-
christian murmur, or an infdel sentiment ]
heard but two profane oaths & wish had
not heard one. I did not see one drunken
man. Respecting public affairs, such Ian
guage as this was common:
eve accept the result of the war. Sla-
very is abolished finally and forever We
wish to live in peace with all men. We have
no disposition inadvertently to brood over
wrongs, nor to withhold kindness from any.
We hope justice, charity, and forbearance will
90 far towards allaying sectional strifes. We
wish to turn our minds to the arts Of peace,
to see good understanding everywhere re-
stored, the resources of our country every
where developed, and the Government uni
versally loved and honored. : * x
Gas a practical man, yeu care as little as
do for schemes of benevolence, however
magnificent, if they are dreamy and deluso-
ry. The hypocrite delights in such, for
their splendor costs nothing. ! agree with
you that it is too short to allow us to spend
time in speculation, however beautiful. l
wish to call your attention to the condition
of the freedmen in the South.
!: X x 4: *
Il am sad when | think how they are per-
ishing. l was in Virginia and West Vir-
ginia more than thirty days, and saw thous-
ands of black people; but among them all [
saw but two children under four years of age
An eminent lady; who had extended oppor-
tunities of information, said that she had
known but two or three births among them
in eighteen months, and that commonly the
white people did not hear of sickness among
them till coffin was applied for. A recent
letter from Christian gentleman in South
Carolina says: There are but few births
among them. A distinguished gentleman
in the South, native of Pennsylvania, said
within month, that he did not doubt that
100000 negroes had died in the last twelve
months. A gentleman has latley, visited
over fifty plantations on or near the Missis-.
sippi He reports the number of graves made
within year on these plantations as in no
case less than twenty, and from that up to
200. A Major. General Of the United States
army officially stated that in one year during
the war, in his military district, $4,000 of
these people persisted. A United States
senator recently made this statement: Our
officers say that at least a million have per-
ished.' Randall Hunt, of New Orleans,
says the same. They give reasons. Some
have fallen in battle. But terrible diseases
have prevailed among them, and the small
pox has swept them away all over the land.
They have not been used to caring for their
own diseases, and they have persisted by
thousands And [ believe, when we take
the census of 1870, two-ffth of the colored
population will have perished."