The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1866-10-20
An Alabama Judge on the Negro,

The Hon. Henry D. Clayton, late a
general officer in the Confederate
Army, and now Judge of the eighth
Judicial Circuit of Alabama. made a
very excellent charge to the Grand
Jury ofPike county on the 9th inst.
1t has been published by request of the
Z ar and the Grand Jury. We copy |
it from the Troy Advertiser:
"There is class of our population
clothed with civil rights and privileges
which they did not possess until re-
Gently and in dealing with which you
may experience some embarrassment.
/, of course, allude to the negroes.
/" Among the terms upon which the
Confederate States terminated their
heroic struggle for separate and in
dependent nationality, was one which
guaranteed freedom to this race. Al
though we deplore that result, as alike
injurious to the country, and fatal to
the negroes, the law has been placed
upon our statute books in solemn fora
by us, through our delegates. The
laws for their government, as slaves,
have been repealed, and others substi-
tuted, adapted to their new condition.
We are in honor bound to observe
. these laws. For myself, do not hes
itate. TO say, in public and private,
officially and unofieially, that after
having done all / could to avert it,
when took off my sword in rrender,
l determined to observe the terms of
that surrender with rhe same earnest
ness and fidelity, with which l first
shouldered my musket. True man
hood requires no deception, but that az
we say with our lips we shall feel in
our hearts, and do with Jur hands.
. There is nothing in the history of
the pastof which we need to be ashamed.
Whilst we cherished its glorious mem
cries, and that of our martyred dead,
we paused here and there to drop a
tear over their consecrated ashes, but
remember there is still work for the
living, and set ourselves about the task
OF ra-establishing society and rebuild
ing our ruined homes. Others, un-
willing to submit to this condition of
things, may seek their homes abroad
you and are bound TO this soil for life,
for better or for worse. and it must at
last cover our remains. What. then,
is our duty To repine at our lot
To sit down night and day, cursing and
gnawing our chains That is not the
part of manliness but to rise up and
go forward performing our high mission
as mon. " He who does. the best hi.
circumstances allow, does we'll, act.
nobly-angels could do no more" /.
itnot enough that the blood of the bes
and the bravest has been she'd in ever,
valley throughout the land Is it no
enough that bones of our fathers, an,
brothers, and sons lie whitening o,
every hili-topl Is it not enough tina
the wailings of the widow and the or
phan still sound in our ears Hav
we not suffered enough Have "
not done all that was in the power I
human nature In our own bosom
let US wear the consciousness as a Jew
Ell above price.
"Now let as deal with the facts be
fore us, as they are. The negro hs
been made free. 1t was no work
his. He did not seek freedom, an
nominally free as De is, he is helples
beyond expression-helpless by b
: want of habits of seIfrelianee-helr
less by his want of experience an
deubly helpless by the want of con
prehension to understand and appr,
ciste his condition. From the yer
nature of the surroundings. SO far q
promoting bis welfare and adaptin
him to his new relation to society al
concerned, all agencies from abroa
must prove inadequate. They ma
restrain in individual instances, b,
we are the only people in the worl
who understand his character. an
hence the only people in the worl
capable of managing him.
" To remedy the evils growing OF
of the abolition of slavery it seems tw
things are necessary. First, recogn
ton of the freedom of the race. as
fact; the enactment of just and huns
laws, and the willing enforcement
them. Secondly, by treating the
With perfect fairness and justice in o,
contract, and in every way in whic