The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-25
BLACK AND WHITE SHEEP.

In neither the fctions nor the facts of
pastoral life Of old, do we read any account of
shepherd who fed and guarded only the
black sheep of his flock, and surrendered the
rest to the mercies of the winter wind and the
ravenous wolf Yet such is precisely the ma
ture of the pastoral Office which certain jour
nails in the North, and certain men in Congress,
assume that the government is instituted to
perform. One of the latest evidences of this
assumption is found in the prompt objections
to proposition introduced recently into the
legislature of New York, for appropriating half
q million of dollars to relieve the suferings of
the poor of New York city. Radical writers
are prompt to condemn the measure as re-
pugnant to a sound theory of the functions of
government, and as false in point Of phil
anthropy and in point of economy. The New
York Evening Post, which has been an adyo-
cate of the freedmen's bureau, while joining
in this condemnation, frankly confesses that
the proposition to extend governmental charity
to the poor whites in New York or
any other city, cannot be consistently
combated by those who approve the
eleemosynary provision by Congress in
behalf of INDECENT blacks in the South. This
feature Of the bureau system the Post re-
CARDS as uncalled for, injudicious and mis-
chievous. But the Post is not typical rep
resentative of the partisan views which in
spired the creation Of the system II is too
supplemented and too conscientiously logical
to make its course fit perfectly with the
policy of party ACKNOWLEDGMENT which the
freedmen's bureau is intended to subser7e.
At the same time apparently lacks the acute
nesst TO perceive the subject in this aspect.
Otherwise, it could not fail to understand
that the eleemosynary feature is indispensa-
bleto the paramount purpose of the institu-
ton. Take away that feature, and the bureau
would amount merely to a vexatious inter-
ference on the part of government with the
industrial relations of the blacks. 1t would
then cease to be one of the most potent of
the brides designed to vitiate the habits of
the Southern negroes, in order that through
degeneration as laborers they might graduate
into reliable radical voters.
1t happens that the radical leaders have
nothing tc hope, politically, from the suffer-
ing poor of New York city, whom it is pro-
posed to relieve by an appropriation of public
money. On the other hand, they have reason
TO apprehend that the recipients Of this
bounty, hungry and freezing whites who owe
to radical policy their want of employment
and consequent restitution and misery, will
be under the influence of Democratic politi-
clans at future elections. They are quick,
therefore, to detect the unsoundness of
the principle of extending governmental
relief to the unfortunate and miserable, when
applied to this particular case. But when they
argue that this sort of charity tends to en-
gender and perpetuate pauperism, instead of
removing causes of indulgence and elevating
the class receiving it, their argument is
clearly fatal to their position as sup
porters of the freedmens bureau. This insti- |
tuition does not offer merely an occasional !
donation to meet a sudden and exceptional |
case Of distress. 1t agrees to provide contin- |
uously for the wants of several millions of |
blacks, if these wants should not be provided
for by their own industry. 1t thus holds out
IMMUNITY to the improyidence of class
naturally indolent and unthrifty, and who are
the least likely of all people to liberate them
selves from dependence upon eleemosynary |
aid which promises to make up for the short
comings of their industry. 1t may be called, |
in short, continuance for pauperizing third |
of the population of the South as means of |
making them faithful adherents of party. |
Such is the price which the radicals must pay, |
at the expense of the productive industry of |
the country, for their negro allies. The
freedmens bureau, or a kindred institution,
is essential to their domination.