The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-05-13
AN ADDRESS TO THE FREEDMEN.


MY FRIENDS N"w. wicn use that expression
Use il III vi -''ur,ii!. trr am yorl friend an'
I"..>e that r,,u are mine. l'h'lr has been &c
much said aud we'll said. scarcely think ear
add anything ,:a sill N: w"rihy"i ynnr attention
can however IN al! truth saw that it Affords me
great pleasure tn behold 81 large an a>scnhIa@c n
freedmen. whose expression "f c"nncnance and
unct department give evidence Of their hnicsty
and sohriciv: AMI have no (lnnbt that the farms
npun Which YOU ara employed Will show that yol!
are Industrious.
am. perhaps. Il stranger Ia many Of yon: as
have but rccelv settled in Your ncighmrllnod:
but | am not stranger IN rnlIr State. Bnrn AMI
raised in one of yuIlr mcc cEbOrlng districts. WAS
brought np III the np of slaves and many have
been brought NJ under my guardianship. there
tore well know the former relation OF master ami
slave which rcationsh y has been recently and
suddenly changed. inu are now free. How much
tn It freedom will rebound Ia vnllr success and hap
pincss i'll life, time only can tell
IT yon are Industrious. sObe.' and economical,
it will certainly prove blessing Ia YOU. On the
other hand. il Won are indnlcnt. anl spend vnur
time in lnlnging about. wasting what littlc'ynrl
may by chance pick M i'll rioous living. yonr
freedom will surely prove curse to You.
Just IA | arrived here. this morning. the chair
man of Your meeting. Of yuur telluw-trectl-
men. opened the meeting with prayer AMI ] feel
assured that every gentleman present lr,atlIc'i Il
hearty amen to his earnest and appropriate appeal
10 the God thai rules and will Judge us i'll coming
pleased with the remarks and sentiments "f Your
first speaker, another OF your icllow-frccdmeii.
He gave abundant evidence of his sincerity anl
showed that he really fell what he said. cannot
d.. better than ask y"lr indulgence that HAY re-
peat snmc of his language. and heartily endorse
the sentiments. In the first place. he told yol
that he regretted the efforts that had bccn made.
and are now being made IN some sections "i nlll'
country. to destroy the good feeling aud friendship
that las and ShOnd stall exist between YOUR
selves and vnur white nclShhors. and that Inc could
not believe that persons thus engaged Were really
YOUR friends. He earnestly urged ynil in seek AMI
cultivate the friendship of yonr former owners. amt
declared that they HOW were, and ever w"'ll'i be-
better friends IL vnu than the ,tran9nr. In tllr
most rurciblc manner lie cnlraTorc t" impress
uppn yur mind the evils that would result from
Nu,lr allowing third party L. CONC III among !"I
and create dlscur and s!rlic between v"iIr whit"
ur!glllurs AMI yulIs,irc dcXlnrtcd Noil Ia live
j., pea =. with a men. and c'cr bear III mind the
Injunction tu ",lo unto your nciShbnr as you would
har, vullr mrighlor de- INTO ynli. Whit Il happy
condition. OF things We would lave, my culurrrl
friends ~ this earth. il all men were t" live u t"
tnis golden rule. "" would have no war: man :
blood would not be- shell by his lellow-tian al!
mc,, would he happy whether bond or free. l";ir
fellow freedman further said Ia YEA that y"n w"r'.
l, bon and siilcw ~ ,h, country: that y"m iia'l
strength To work and could make rutt"n anal tiia
plenty ot cotton w"l'l restore "lir lnip"f'r,
ish.rl rungtrN tu her former prosperity and
happiness aud thar il y"ir 'nnn'ry could
again prosper. yml wnd prosper; Il Your
white ,firndSrmlld IL" lmrpy ynil would 'n happy.
nrn.c, there, Is 4 mutual I! l"n'lciicr. and 'Is,-
lrntl; should br Il mutual friendship AMI thai II
,.,-uncs vol tu,u ynl'r part i'll order that thai
Friendship sh"nli br maintained and strengthened
Yo were. cautioned rca,vr to yur choosing: men
IL make laws l"r y"llI government. and ] think
vrrv. very trtliltuv t"i tl: iir'r ;liil"n" W!"ni
N"ii had lived and among "'i''n' H"h n'' hN''!'
kncw !','ir SITUATION. "'9 ~" ''c,'S''r'S ~ '''.
better than any siramScr could II wa- he i'"s'
opinion of your speaker ti'at H,i'h men w"hI s"'
more linl"st ip""ri S"n m I''I '"iiiS S"sh '' -
as w"'i;d Ir"n"i' Nn: ii''rf':l. WIN '',"Ir r't-
ialhi; tla ANY St'anS'l. =. ''',.' "''''
r'l'''ll "i '"l'i't! ~ hit. NV ny 'l,r''''
a' Slal u 'mr'r rom '1t S''l'iI' a'''
applause while iic sl"nhri WAS ad'lrs"'ni; !"si.
that yn,I Gntiursri these sciItcll;s. II :" ror-
.liaily JON YOU.
i,c. leave tu request l"u to remember the IT,
nlark oi Gap, Anderson. H.. whi h my attention WAS
uar,Iru!arN attracted. luli rannI but b,'rvi that
he * ynnr friend. rsprc IL y";i br!irir the Yam
k,as To- m such H.. llc frankly ,uli :uu that IN Wa,
villa, w:.s called Yankee. at well knew AMI Iiti-
,lrrstoud ynnr rights alrl privileges as lrcc.nrn.
His rciarks Very plan and rndm lie
carlrsi, pr,,rnts L" you the minrii,ic nl labor;
that il unly hl your c'ilstiiit AMI faithful work
that yor could obtain pci.ty ut fn'nl a'l r;lInirnt
lie advised yon III reference /" yir suffrage, ;llli
warned you t!la; II WAS To ynr Interest to lm r:!ir-
fnl when ami lnw Won exercised your right /" that
privilege lie urged yuu when yuu did exercise
ih, ri"hl 10 be Influenced bv Il ,,.sr, Ia promote
lh. r,nI of yu,r country and place IN power hon
c.t and sensible mon. but that it would rcLonnl
much more tn your interest to devote Yourselves
10 wmk and the suIlur, If Your iamc- THAN ("
busy Yourselves with pnlitics. ur public political
MEETINGS. or running Ia every election. Ii ilr'
earnest honest and candid MANNER III which this
advice was given to yon dues not convince YOU Of
it, truth md importance, t.nlr and experience
surely will
The gentleman who preceded me. Capt Robert
,1,u. WAS url,u1,s thr former owner ut some of
rn nm, - knnw1 ~ Won ALL Yuu know his
,,,,,,t.,,r far Iruth and honesty of PURPOSE arui
from, tlc earnest manner in which he addressed
, i, .,r,is nr truth yu;, nlst m.rcrv,. that l, il
;.,,r r.;nnL and wnuj not advise Won 1u pursue
auy ,,urs,. but such as would lal tG yuur success
and lapplrcss lie ,lwclt ut some cill il upon the
jmprtaucc of labur-pruvcd to yuli the necessity y
Of all liking. both white and black. and that
every man should faithfully comply with his con-
ir,rts which sentiment Won received with unalli-
mons npplausr
II isa new system to YOU H. freedmen I" make
contracts with planters 1" labor ON their farms.
and it becomes ynn to h" careful how You thaf'
them, aln IN be inltlu! li l"rinrihlliE them III
every particular. When a planter contracts with -
number TT freedmen to work un his plantation II
brcuInrs accrSsarv To furnish IL Will stock anu
lruvis"us which requires Il large "n'l!H "i money
which often las 10 "a I;llsc, OH tie pledge "f hls
land and lien upon Ills crop. aLd PERHAPS III all
10 indemnify him hy y"nr faithful performance
of Your dnts as lab"rers. Ii Is the duty. on the
"tllrr hand, "f every many who contracts WIN l'r
freedmen la strictly COMP! WIN MS hErc'hIt
promptly lm! them the ftl amount "i wages agreed
upon, and any man refusing tod" :" should nrr",
tcmptablr III the eyes "i tie community IN Which,
kc lives. ilt my irrhus' !", nccu nave 'i' irai :"
yuur hriilS walit"nlf WroiiS''l i"f 90 H"t p'''
that there Is ANY one present nor Il" 'i'h 'li,r,
is any ran III tins scriint "l c'iltA pu' VIVA
would 1t" y"ii Justice. i-' me a"n n'sf H".'' huM'f''r
not I" attempt t" r"'riiSr your real Ut Suit".-'"
wronSs Inc GlwS Pr"Ni''ea i"i .ui'' li,'''''n'l WI
arc amply slliilciilt' anu .''" 1'eh's' NM u "
command "l iiilS department anu W" ''r'' "'i'
Is at the head al the frcchtlis i''ir'an lH,''
Sc"ttI are gent :er'i 'lat you can rtiy upon, i'N
ART charged with inc duty "l eS'clil''l!: lr Jaw
and should Ioi i'i. u i'v'ssarS ~" 's' q, -
r"'rl. ;'i!i IRON, my hi"" LII, u.' r,I,
"il!t'rS 1c' 'Ss"i' =" '''' WIN '''' J''''
III thcir iIi'il's. ,,.,i,,,. ,,,,.
may nave alrcans ,aS'n i%mr ia'',hc, i" n"S
bt must I'M ur.ne, '''i'' % r''i' nta, ~
uIipN, I Ia Iratll J., Ter Ia W:it H. tilltl