The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-01-11
Salc-day.

the day the freedmen, regardless of a
cold drizzle of rain and the slush
under foot, began to assemble, and
by noon the town was full of them.
The rnmor, it seems, had circulated
itself among them that the Govern
ment was about to do something for
them in the way of giving them land,
stock, &c, that speech was to be
made them ut least by the authorities
that be. A better clothed or more
healthy looking assemblage of labor
ers could not be found in any coun-
try. Many faces, however, wore q
care-worn and troubled aspect. The
entirely new responsibility devolved
upon them of looking out for them
selves for homes, labor and bread,
could not fail to show on those who
never before had thought or care
for another days supplies. On inter
rogating pleasing, intelligent look
ing freedman, MS to the cause of the
unusual assemblage of his race, he
replied: 'I's come for orders-con-
tract done out-de Genarl said make
contracts till Jinewary, and den dey
would hear more about 'em.'" Our
polite, conscientious and efficient
Provost Marshal, Lieut.. j. E. Ashe,
Third Maine Battalion, who has made
a host of friends here among white and
black, in order to relieve the minds
of the freedmen OF any errors they
might have fallen into, and that they
might return to their homes, assem-
bled them in front of the Jail, and
after stating to them that they had
been misinformed, and were mistaken
in supposing that speech was to be
made here; but as they had come, he
had asked, and then introduced our
distinguished fellow-townsman, the
Hon. G. p. Sullivan, who is Inten-
dant of the town, to speak to tham,
and inform them as to the orders and
law respecting them and their duties
in the premises. Mr.. Sullivan spoke
to them at some length, telling them
that they were free-that they were
not blamed for being so--that their
former owners had no ill-feelings to-
wards them on account of their free
dom, which had come upon them
unsought, without any act Of theirs;
that as slaves they had been true and
faithful In the peaceful as well as in
the disturbed states of the country,
and that their former owners SYM
pathized deeply with them in their
new, and to many, unhappy condi-
tion-unhappy from the presence of
cares formerly unknown. He wished
to disabuse their minds of the idea
that the United States had land,
stock, or anything else for them.
There was nothing for them-they
must do like white men, ''live by the
sweat of their brow" that vagrancy
and idleness would neither be toler-
ated by the United States Govern
ment or by the State, and counseled
them to be honest and Industrious
that the wilkes We're their friends and
sympatlized with them-that they
should not allow any spirit of antipa-
thy to form in their minds against
their former masters, who were, in
most cases, their best friends, having
been raised from childhood with
them, and therefore sympathized
most heartily with them-that the
last years crop would be divided as
soon as the weather permittcd-th
they should enter into contracts for
the present year as soon as possible:
otherwise a crop would be lost, which
would not fail to bring untold suffer
ing-that they had to depend now in
a great measure upon their good
character, and that all should strive
to make and keep for themselves
good name-that their employers
would do them justice, and that white
and black must and should do their
duty, and all would move off well.
Lieut.. Ashe then informed them,
that in some of the surrounding
Districts, it had been required that
they should all enter into contracts by
the Goth of the present month, and
that they should all do the same by
that time, if possible. Though feel
ing a deep sympathy with the freed
men, we could not.but be amused at
the characteristic equanimity OF heed
lessness of Sambo, who, standing in
the crowd, says 90 himself, when the
announcement was made that the
Government had no land, horses, &C.,
for them, ''da now, what [ tell you
yah yah yah -
The audience, in which there was o
sprinkle of white citizens, equally in
terested in hearing the ''orders,"
gave undivided attention. We must
do the freedmen the justice to say
that they behaved themselves in
quiet, orderly, respectful manner,
without exception. Let them con
tinue to deport themselves, in their
new state OF freedmen, in their neces-
Sa1.v DIb]ic OatheriO0s no thov did on