The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-23

feed them, Whllo CnGy -OeSplSeu us iIiiO
our cause, and 1 have no doubt the
same class are now to be fed under this
1 hear no complaint on
the part of the freedmen or from any
class who have tried to preserve and
protect themselves
There is class of people in the South
that never did make bread, and never
will, who will always be starving, and
on the bounty of the Government, if we
will allow them to become pensioners.
Ifthey had used ordinary industry and
had energy they would not to-day be
III want Of assistance to save them from
starvation. There is no spot Oh earth
more inviting than those southern fields.
They are carpeted i'll green, and deco
rated by the hand of the Almighty with
the rarest and most beautiful flowers.
1t wants but the we'll directed energy
and industry of it's inhabitants to make
it as prosperous and abundant as any
land the sun shines upon. Yet it is in
this land of beauty and richness we are
asked to feed the mouths of sixty thou
sand people, and while we are in hot
haste to feed them Whist do we see :?
In the State Of Arkansas a short time
ago an appropriation was made pro-
viding for the pensioning of soldiers not
provided for by Congress, meaning the
rebel soldiers, not for the weeping wild:
ow and crying orphan of the Union sol
dier. No, sir; but money they could
appropriate for the rebel soldiers, their
widows and orphans. So in other
rebel States, they have appropriated
money for colleges and schools of q mil.
itary character, where treason can again
be taught and made respectable. If
these States can provide money for such
purposes, l ask could they not dole out
a few mouthsful Of bread to the starry
ing people so eloquently appealed for
here to-day?
I could cite many other instances
where money has been provided by their
rebel Legislatures to promote treason
and benefit those who have cursed the
land by sleeping their souls in perjury
and their hands in the blood of Union
men; but no instance can find where
they have shown willingness to feed
the poor freedmen or the poor white
man. Sir, let this Congress, as done
heretofore, encourage. industry, invite
these people to come to the great west,
where liberty is known and loyalty low
ed, where energy, industry, and labor
is rewarded. IfCongress, however, is
to be turned into charitable institution,
to support all classes of people who do
not try to support themselves, you may
then appropriate S1,OOO,OOO every
month, aud the more you appropriate
the more people will be starved at the
end OF every month SO long IS there is
a dollar or man to pay taxes.
Tell me. sir, that this money is not to
go into the hands and mouths of these
people that attempted to destroy this
Government. Buy your 100000
worth of rations, send them so the diff
ferent posts, to the commanders in the
different parts of the South, distribute
your commissary stores to the various
officers throughout that country, how
will they be issued? They will be
issued upon the statements of parties
that they have need of them. Who
will make these statements They will
be more likely to be made by the men
and women who have attempted to de-
stroy you and Inc than by those who
have revered the flag and loved their
country.
| have seen the families of the men
with their ten thousand broad acres
come and ask for provision Is, and I have
seen the provisions given. These men
have all manner of devices to attain their
ends. A very common dodge used to
be like this: lady living on planta-
ton with her fifty or seven ty- five slaves,
whose husband was in the rebel army,
would send one of her col ored servants
to make application at the commissary's
for provisions for the whole
of the slaves. She coptro lied their la,
Dor and would send them III this errand.
The provisions would be ordered to be
given them, and when tt ley were re-
ceived they would be di vided among
the whole family. So it was, and so it
will be again. Appropri; ste this money
and the man who owns b is broad acres
with his hired laborers Iill resort to
5he same trick and receiv the rations.
Mr.. ELDRIDGE. May ( make an in.
JURY of the gentleman?
Mr.. LOGAN. Yes, sir.
Mr. ELDRIDGE. undt ,rstand him to
'ay that the Southern pc ,ople were in
he habit of using their n egroes for the
purpose of procuring pr. DIVISIONS from
he officers of the army b Y a dodge.
wish TO know If that was very com.
non practice among thes. negroes, and
t so, whether those negro )es who prac.
ised this deceit were considered as
oval men at the time.
Mr.. LOGAN. They wei e considered
oval and [ never knew a disloyal ne.
,ro during the war. La1 lighter. But
will tell the gentleman this, that they
ave been subject to the will of their
masters for. such a length of time that
hey know no better than to obey them
Mr.. ELDRIDGE. I un derstand the
entleman to say, that fifty negroes
,ould obey one woman, md cheat the
fficers of the army; and do it without
moving what he did, and still be loyal.
Mr.. LOGAN. 1t was ch eating the Of
GERS of the army or &c ,Fernment; it
'as cheat on the part of the person
Tho directed them to do II !. We issued
ne rations because we believed the
5atement Of the negroes, but afterward
'e learned the manner n which the