The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-10-01
MISCELLANY.
Ramblings in Virginia,

Der of this serial, wherein we set fort
the poverty Of the Nirsinians, who ma
he regarded as typical in tins respect q
the entire people South, as an abidin
result to item Of the war, at least fu
many years. We may remark, in lurthc
elucidalion of this point that the advnnc
of the colored troops under Major Gen
cral Godfrey. Wcilzcl, into the stat
was great calamity to the people, not
willistandng their nolbc service uule
such cmucnt leaders as Butler, Ord an,
Weiizcl, previous 10 the Coniederat,
cnptulaton.
We remember TO have convcrsed with
many cfihc farmers md people Of Rich
mond, and in no instance did they fail il
rrcounting stories Of pillage by these dusk,
Ii, rocs of the war. They stouily declare,
to It's that under the prctcnce Of searching
for fire arms, The black soldiers, led 10y
the Old plantation slaves, bore away from
us every pound tf bacon, every ounce ei
mra', every Chi, ken, duck, turkey and
goose an one old Ia ly pl ,intrivly re,
lated that even the eggs under the oil
setting turk ys were not spared. 1t may
bc confidently stated that ncgrors, even
~ vet, have no d, finite lea of their future
welfare. Some, if not all, sill have
vague notions ui II partition of the lands
of their former owners or m l>tcrs. One
negro woman, app Tcnily rs iniell;g'n as
any met with in the course of these ram
IL, 81. Al, | g Of,
backs having mrlc thcir M 'strr-
wealthy, they had \ right to II sh h,re OF
that wealth, forgetting or overlooking
the fact that the war which gave them
freedom, made the master poor. There
would seem TO be II settled nniipathy
between the races, and an in lispo,ili n
Oh the part of the blacks to work tor the
wages offered them, as they have come
in some way to DC impressed with the
b. ict Il y: they are lot having u ict
lone them. They are suffering from tho
shock caused 10y the explosion oi the
lun idea that freedom is immunity from
labor; AMI brings with it among other
blessings, the privilege of living in idle
comfort, il not luxury. A gentlcmln
connected with the James River improve,
mcnis, informed us he could not hire
black laborcrs 10y the month at the rate
of fifteen 90 lar, Il, da Lat, and rations
furnished 1t scenes that the notion
still cia1s TO them, tha; by some political
means they are AS community, to be
elevated without the necessity of labor,
beyond the reach of want. This notion
SEEMS TO be vaguely entertained IN close
connection with The idea that the action
ui the government in respect to Their
masters will in some way-Spmc possible
bu; unforeseen event, be retrospective, and
thai the fortunes acquired 10y the land
owners through their Labor, belong AN /
will At lrrst, in part. be delivered t.
them. How bitter vii be the disap
continent of this poor people when they
C me to know. ~ sad exp riencr, the
utter hollo Hncss Of such wicked reprcS-
cnlatiuns. As each recurring winter
since the war, finds them unrrNidcd FOR,
their misery and wrctchclness, indeed
seem To near their climax. Many of
the Nirginians with whom we came i'll
contact, c,ncrd much AMI deep feeling
towards their former slaves, and several
in.tancrs came I'm Ter our observation oi
masters retaining on their plantations the
a.ed and iniirm, and those too young To
labor for themselves, providing for them
~ when they were slaves. On one occa-
sion, sitting on the pi wa of Nirginit
farm house, convcrSing with the owner,
we notice hobing from an out building,
with the assistance of rugged cane. AN
old black woman bent nearly double by
age and inlirnily. This dccrcpit tenn 'lh
has been supported by her owner for six
teen years, during all which time she had
not performed any labor, or to use the
farmers cxpression. ''shs had nit struck 81
lick in sixteen years There were five
or six chillre' .., ~ in the du"ryard.
some of SO ttnl age as to require
constant care.
II is not to bc denied however, that
with mrjprity Of the f,rmars, there l..
and has been since the end Of the war, a
growing disposition to get rii of this
species Of incumbrancc, all an increasing
bitterness towards the negro race, arising
from the sudden disruption Of their for
mer relations, and the airs of equality
assumed by the blacks. Itls To he hoped
t'lut time and u I'd lcgsl i;1n W | 'cllc
the matter IN some promising way.
In the matter of the t rllity of the
soil, we observe that much of the lanl,
so to speak, has been worked ont an is
allowed 10 remain sterile This arises
from the fact that more Of the pro lucts
peculiar 10 the south, II IuriSh best in new
land, and will not vrgrtate in old lands
unless claboratcly prepared. This Latter
will he costly TO the farmer, while the
results will be unremuncrative, and ms
the farms are large, roriinn after portion
is gradually rendered nnprodnclive.
| Unless the oil system of -lave labor, the
/ farm in this situation was put upon the
market. and the ovuer removed to seek
green fields, perhaps in soma new and
other state, where the large amount ol
labor nj his comm ind, could be used IL
better advantage. IIrre it may justly .bC
remarked, is IN excellent reason why the
territories Of the United States should b,
free soil. The white northern man il
ordinary circumstances or even moderated,
wealthy, would labor side by side will
the nwncr nf one hnnlre1 slaves unle