The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-06
Che Aorfolk Gust.
TuEsDAY. FEBRUARY 6, 1866.
coNDTTTON OF THE FREEDMEN
LECTURE BY MAJOR GENERAL o. 0. HOWARD
AT BOSTON,

dent of the Freedmen's Bureau, spoke
last evening at the Music Hall, to very
large audience, there being but few
empty seats:
ADDRESS OF GENERAL HOWARD
After few Introductory remarks,
General Howard said: Lees army sur
renders, then Johnston's, then Kirby
Smith s-the war is over; then suddenly
the chains of slavery are broken, and
between three and four millions OF
slaves are emancipated, in the midst of
people who heartily disbelieve in lib
erty, who are entirely filled with preju-
dice and resentment, and who are often
ant to glory in the apparent chaos that
follows, naturally, the death of slavery.
Hostile to liberty, they raised large
armies; they fought with desperation
thew were conquered; but they will not
be brought in day to love the thing
they hated. No, the contrary Is true.
The southern man lets go OF slavery
inch by inch, piece by piece. He says,
1--WE give itup," but he really does not
do so: and do not think, as general
rule. that he will, until constrained to
1t by the power.of freedom ITSELF You
should read the systems proposed from
SO many different quarters. Every plan
has i'm It the very gist of slavery COM
pulsory labor is stamped upon 1t. The
whole thought seems to be, chow can
the white men maintain our authority
over these black men? How can we
keep them from renting and owning
land. from bringing suits and giving
testimony in the courts against us, from
rising in the social We; how prevent wen
. how prevent their holding meetings
and bearing arms, how hinder them
from having voice in making and ex-
ecuting the Lawson ] do not say that
there is unanimity on all these points (;
but the great body of the southern white
ueople are to-day avowedly as L have
described. do not say that to hurt
them / do not say it to ALLEVIATE you
from them; but because l believe it to
be a truth that must underlie every
d measure adopted to secure to us the
fruits of our great revolution.
On the other hand, let me say that
there is a large class of our fellow clti-
zens at the North brought up under in
fiuences Numerically opposite to those
n under which the southern mind has
st been moulded, who reason in this way
"Slavery is great crime, therefore al
Shareholders are conscious criminals
No kindness is shown them; no sym
pathy is felt for them. They are de
8, nominated "oppressors," "heathens,
and stigmatized by other opprobriou
ne epithets. The young "swelr' who use
IS his dirk or pistol against the negro VIII
ne chances to cross his path is represented
re- as the exponent of all sothern feelin,
50 and principles. Now, my friends. thos'
y people who reason in this way are them
y selves either partially informed or ar
I'd encrusted with prejudice quite as rea
.a as that exhibited by the southern PEG
di pie. [Applause.] The truth is that
ac large body of the southern people ar
We sincere. Strange as it may seem to US
"a they heartily dsbelieve, nOD, in freedom
for the negro; they even nOD look upo
emancipation as curse OF God sen
upon them. There is class of peOpl
at the South quite different from tn
an main body-a class who have been a,
customed to read and think more lik
of the reading and thinking men els,
m, M where. While travelling in Mississippi
om had for a companion gentleman VIII
is q prominent man and quite intelle
. tual. / urged upon him the necessity
u, educating the.cOmmon people, black an
white. He answered me, while his ey.
to filled with tears, General, / am S
nj overwhelmed with my losses that
fS can't think. My slaves, my money, M
. animals, my buildings, all gone-notl
ing left but the bare land. My min
in dwells on these things and seldom ca
reason sensibly; but when | do reflect,
our see and admit that you are right.
re- Applause There is another class
hey men, of high culture, whose minds a
ed' now changing. One from Alaban
my said to me a few days since, 81 am su
.tly prised myself at the wonderful chan.
of feeling and belief that has bee
4. wrought in me in the past six months
He is now sanguine advocate of FRI
labor. This class is not large; but
almost every State could point out
n'n you by name, men who were on the q
; posite side, who now warmly, earnestl
but advocate free labor, and all that go'
e, with it. / desire to speak plainly tt
va night, in the interests of freedom. TT
t for great body of the emancipated will
ton purified and strengthened by the e.
for perience through which they are passin
/ lit It as the children of Israel were purifi.
Dove and strengthened by the experien
they passed through, in going fro
It. Egypt to the promised land Tho
beyond middle age have been depende
mol, SO long that freedom will give them
must, and will; but what they lack
the ability to provide for themselves
orth such q way, to use their own expressio
ured as to "enjoy the fruits of their ov
labor" Again thousands and thousan
Al. are poor women, with families of CHI
Phil. dren, without husbands or brothers
fathers to care for them. You can har
ptist ly realize how much they need aid; n
,em- simply food and clothing, but instru
nrch, ton and every description of kindnes
urch sympathy and guidance. might bril-
their to YOU scenes that would please you al
scenes that would pain you deeply;
ifyou i.A~s, caught my meaning, tn
there are disabiff.ies which, are not q
casoned by the bad opposition of i
negroes, or by present or even pa
S0h cruelties on the part of the masters,
arti- is sufficient There are disabilities d
para, cessarily incident to the circumstane
; anu of our case. Now what do we, as a 4
ton, propose? We have destroyed
cession and rebellion; we have brok
the pitcher of State supremacy at I
fountain, [applause,] and slavery,
name, at least, is dead. What do
propose? 1t is to so regulate our pub
affairs as to secure certain blessings
all our people; certain inalienable rigl
named in the old Declaration of In,
pendence livery familiar sour
, here)-the rights to life; liberty, a
the pursuit of happiness" [Applaus
In the past, these rights were scare
obtained; seldom by the negro: moo
by the Indian; and only partially e,
by us white men. Can we now so
,Rs, this old problem? Can we do it in