Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-28


resented as the black elephant which
Uncle Sam has drawn, and is sorely per-
picked as to how to get this unwieldy
animal off his hands. There is a great |
deal of point in this picture. The free
ing Of the negro may be credited to the
war, bat it is certainly the work of the
Radicals, and it was hurried up without |
any previous preparation for so novel
and important change in their condi-
ton. While the FreedmeRs Bureau
took care Of them and furnished them
with rations, as did their former mas
tiers, they got along swimingly. But it
was determined to throw the negro upon
his own resources this year, and the re-
suit is seen Throughout the Southern
States A poor, penniless, Ignorant,
thriftless people, they are on the point of
starvation by the thousands Out of
employment and out the means where
with to subsist, their condition, es-
pecially in Mississippi, has elected the
earnest attention of the military authors
ties Gen. Ord has instructed Gen. Gill
lem to proceed to Washington and repre-
sent to the President and Secretary of
War the starving condition of the freed
men in large number OF the counties in
his sub district, due to the rein and
bankruptcy of cotton planters, and the
absence of corn or the means to buy it. /
And he is directed to report the absolute
necessity of some provision being made
by the government, to feed the armed
freedmen and avert war of races in
such sections as are without food. In
addition to this General Gillem has
issued an order by direction of Gen
eral Ord, in which commanding Of
feers in Mississippi are directed to no
tify the leading cOlored men, and take
such other measures as may be necessary
to give general publication of the fact,
that all freedmen who are able will be
required to earn their support during the
coming year, and to 60 to work upon the
best terms that can be procured, even
should it furnish support only, and thus
prevent their becominga burden to the
government All freedmen who can, but
will not earn livelihood, when employ
ment can be procured, will lay them
selves liable to arrest and punishment as
Migrants The cooperation of Sherifs,
Constables, and Police Magistrates is re-
quested in the enforcement of this order,
and any just action of theirs, under its
provisions, will be sustained by the mill
tary authorities Here is revealed
state of affairs well calculated to excite
alarm among the citizens of Mississippi
And this picture of Mississippi is but the
reflex Of the condition of affairs in Ala
bama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and perhaps
Georgia and the other Southern States.
The military authorities in Mississippi
are impressed with the neces sity of
prompt and decisive action, and we shall
not be surprised at seeing their action
responded to by the commanders in other
States Here is confession that the ne.
groes are incapable Of taking care of
themselves, and consequently of self
government, and yet this class, who have
thus early proved their incompetency,
have been clothed with all the
rights of citizenship. And after they
have exercised the highest right which
Congress conferred upon them, the
military commander of one of the
districts which Congress established
in the South, seeing that they re-
quired a guardian, as in the days of
slavery, directs the issuance of an order
compelling them to seek and accept en-
ployment, even should it afford support
only, that they may not become burden
to the government In the days Of
slavery it was the masters duty to take
care of his negroes, and it was his inter-
est to see that they were well cared for,
but since they have been freed in the
manner they were, it becomes the duty
of the government to take the place of
the master The first step in this pro.
gramme was taken in the establishment
of the Freedmen's Bureau, through which
the negroes were fed and clothed to a
very large extent until a few months
ago. The rations were then stopped
and the negroes required to go to work
and earn livelihood as the white cite
zens of the South had to do. A few
months has demonstrated their inca
pacity or unwillingness as body to do
this, and an order is issued by the COM
mand Of Gen. Ord, which smacks off the
command of the old shareholders, re-
quiring the negroes in Mississippi to
seek and accept employment, under PEN
atty of being arrested and punished as
Migrants The very few years in which
the negroes of the South have enjoyed
freedom, have served to demonstrate, it
seems, to the military at least, that they
must have some one to take care of them
Sc much for forcing upon people con-
dition to which they have not been pre-
viously educated, and for which the
teaching of the Freedmen's Bureau has
utterly failed to qualify them Uncle
Sam has an ugly elephant in his black
subjects upon his hands, as the reports
from Mississippi and other Southern
States conclusively show What will he
do with it2