Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-01-04
Starving Condition of the Freedmen in Arkansas Movement fol thair Raliaf. .sL

in Arkansas A Movement tor
 their Relief. r es,sue assW
 We give the following extract from a letter written by an intelligent gen tleman in Chicot County toa gentle man in Batesville, dated at Lake Vill- age, Dec. 7th, 1867, which will give an idea of the condition of things in that part of the State: mi
 ''Despair is depicted upon the coun- tenances of every one. They are with out hope, and in daily apprehension of all outbreak, (of the negroes.) Noth- ing, in my opinion, will prevent it but the establishing here of q standing mil itarv force, for which the people have petitioned Gen. Ord. If parceled out, there is not three months provisions. The planters are unable to purchase any. The negroes arc being turned adrift without dollar. Starvation will be upon them. What the conse- quences will be, God only knows. This is the case all along the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers, as far as can hear."
 From the Memphis Appeal of the 24th ult., we take the following extract from an editorial in that paper:
 Already, negro women have been found in Arkansas, lying dead or dy- 1 ing of starvation in the roads. Having pretty nearly exterlninated the swine in the bottoms, the freedmen are now destroying the cattle. On the Arkan- sas river, we learn, corn is scarce aud already high---hardly more than q bushel to the month, in the river coun- try, we are told Two short years of 1 folly have sufficed to alienate from the silly and bcsotted negro the sympa- thies of those who would fain have been his friends. X short carnival of license and lazines. Is 10 be succeeded, for him, by long winter of discon- tent. The farmers and planters arc not able either to employ or 10 feed him and no longer want his services or his presence. The only question now is. how to get rid of him: and the process of extinction by starvation, ex- posture and disease, has already begun" The Appeal further says, 'that the following order, issued recently by Gen. Ord, is good as far as it goes but the difficulty is that the planters no longer want negro labonr, and are not able to employ it and pay for it. That is the result of compelling them to pay in 1866 and 1867. twice as much per month for iabour as it was worth, and then robbing them of large part of the price of every pound of cotton.- The order in question is:
 Commanding officers are directed to notify the leading coored 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 go to work upon the best terms that eau be procured, even should it furnish support only; and thus prevent their becoming a burden to the Government. All freedmen who can, but will not earn a livelihood when employment can be procured, will lay themselves liable to arrest and punishment as va grants. The cooperation of Shcrifls and Constabes, and Police Magistrates is requested in the enforcement of this order, and any just action of theirs un- der it's provisions will be sustained by the military authorities"
 In the Pine Bluff Dispatch of the 2lst, December, we find the following in reference to the freedmen in that section:
 I've have not learned that any thing has been done toward securing means to feed the negroes ofJeferson county, and keep them from starvation. during the coming winter. Something must be done, system of public works in- augerated, rations and clothing furn- ished,-they must not be permitted to go idle, they must not, cannot starve, and it some public provision be not made, and in season, something may happen, that will astonish the natives, we trust it will be avcrted.."
 | In view of the deplorable condition of the freedmen in some portions of Mississippi, General Ord has issued the following important special order H'DorARr1Rs FouRru MILITARY DISTRICT.
 (Mississippi and Arkansas,)
 OFFICE or C,viL AFFAIRS. | HOLLY SPRIsas, Miss, Dec. 10, 1867.
 Special Order No. POS:
 [ExrRAcT] a ise
 
 l III. Brevet Major General Alvan c.