Middletown transcript., 1868-09-26


readers of your sprightly journal are gifted
with great amount of patience, they may
spare few minutes, while I give them,
in loose, disjointed way, few notes of
travel
SOUTHERN FREEDMEN.
The condition of the freedmen in the
cities of the South is very melancholy.
Idleness and vice, to great extent, have
taken possession of them, and in many
eases they wait until the pinchings of want
compel them to exert themselves. They
have great aversion to digging and doing
the labor of the farm. They prefer to live
on such pittances as fall in their way in
doing Jobs and in peddling vegetables &c.
through the streets. In Savannah, hun
dreds pass through the streets with baskets
on their heads, shouting, 'crabs going
by yees," " tomatoes by yees," &c. There
are other articles they procure from the
country people, who drive their carts to
market, and in retailing them they make
a small profit.
The great prevalence of vice and disre-
gard of marital obligation, which is so gem
cral among the blacks, render this an in
yiting field for missionary labor. Indeed,
the tendency of the African is to barbar-
ism when left to himself Why do the
leaders of Professionalism make such efforts
to christiani2e and enlighten the Chinese
and other foreign nations, when the ne
groes in our own land have such great
need of instruction, that they may be in
duced to turn away from superstition and
vice. Let the theologians bear in mind in
connection with this subject the oft-quoted
maxim, " Charity begins at home"
The evil influences of the Carpet-bag-
gers-men from all parts of the North,
who have gone South for office and gain
has shown itself in the hatred and antag-
onsm which many of the freedmen express
toward the whites They carry arms and,
as they say, train themselves for the con-
test which is to come off, and which will
test the question of supremacy between the
two races The fruitful cause of these
troubles is the Congressional plan of re-
construction plan which contemplated
the supremacy of the ignorance and the
subordhation of the intelligence of the
South. As well try to establish a pyra-
mid on its apex as to try to found Il gov
ernmcnt of any stability according to such
il theory. The schoolboys of our country
could exhibit greater craftsmanship than
was displayed by the present laundering
Congress in dealing with the South. If
there be reasons for having a white mans
government in the North, then are there
ten-fold greater ones for establishing such
government in the South where the ne
groes are so inferior to the same class in
the North The question is such plain
one that it needs no augmentation to
prove it.
1t is exceedingly unfortunate that things
should be III such an unsettled state in this
section. Whites as well as blacks seem to
be looking for something to turn up.
Men who have capital are afraid to invest
it. men are discouraged from making ac-
tive attempts at accumulation. Stagna-
tion prevails in many regions where there
ought to be energy and enterprise to build
up the waste places of the South.
Friendly legislation on the part of Con-
gress, and the domination of conservatism
in the country, would be the means OF
amending the present unhappy state of af-
fairs.
AN OCEAN VOYAGE.
The trip from Savannah down the river
to the ocean was very agreeable. The
passengers amused themselves in making
} remarks on the different craft that ply in
: these waters, and, with great show OF
wisdom, giving their ideas of the running
of steamer. Ladies', gentlemen, and
: everybody were on board enjoying the
, bright scene which presented itself But
} now we are approaching the ocean, the
! waves begin to dash high, and some Of the
, weaker ones show premonitory symptoms
: of sea-sickness. The merry laughter has
abated, but many with a great show of de-
, termination "keep stiff upper lip" My
: friend Brown protests that he never gets
c sea-sick. Boast not thyself, o supcrJus
rir, I exclaimed to him. Let him that
7 thinketh he standeth, take heed &c. The
vessel tosses and crcaks, and one by one
the passengers seek their cabins, saying
with smile, that they, prefer a rccum-
e bent position. Soon, sounds are heard
=. more startling than elegant, followed by
+, groans and eXclamations. In how short
Y a time many cascades commenced simulta.
j ncous operations Who can describe the
y nausea and misery that attack the poor
: victim of sea-sickness The stewardess
n comes to minister to me, for I have sue.
o cumbed like the rest, and by way of com.
, fort, tells me that no one ever died of this
n ailment call her one of jobs comfort
G ers and almost wish there were speed,
n qnictus for the miserable lifo have t(
: endure.
r A Northeast storm prevails and, a.
s the vessel rocks from side to side, l have
o to hold tightly to the side of my bunk tc
!, save myself from being tossed out Thc
c inevitable nausea returns from time t,
: time, and I agonizingly cry out, how long
: O how long! [ am wondering at tn,
y stontness and endurance of Brown. wher
L the door of my cabin nnnns and hchnll