The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-03-06
The National Wards at the National
Capital.

The negro, at casual glance, does not
seem to be solving his problem Of freedman.
ship very rapidly. Every third person one
meets in Washington is either black or
sPecked, and is generally halIooiug at the
top Of his or her voice at some other inky or
Variegatcd individual to come and have a
good time or is having it alone. The black
boot sinner curIs up on his box, ard wnks
at the sun, singing, and rarely persists in
backing your boots. The servants who
sIcepily open the doors Of houses where one
calls, always respond TO the demand if such
a person is in, "Deed ! don no, sab, and
leave one to mount the stairs and find out
for himself.
In the House and Senate galleries hun.
dreds OF able bodied negroes, who ought to
be at work for themselves and the good fu
ture, Sit idly listening to the debates. Every
corner Of the capital seems to be cucumber.
ed with an Ethiope who, ragged and lazy,
is still querying whether or not TO accept
the energetic duties as well az the privileges
Of freedom, The saucY do nothingness Of
the Naples lazzaroni affords the ,uIy com.
parison; but do not think ne prejudlced or
| complaining. The bright day for Sambo
~
| the unskilled hands learn how to build the
structure Of INDEPENDENT manhood Wher
| ever "A negro il in the city, he no longer
cringes, but asserts his equality, often, o
course, too obtrusivply.
My frequent walks on the Virginia side o.
the river have not encouraged me SO much
rs | could wish concerning the Negroes
progress From Washington to Arlington,
and for fifteen or twenty miles around. Afri
can color holds sway, aud a walk affords a
, desolate panorama. In a little trip of hv,
miles, the other afternoon, ! saw only tw,
white tuces. ! met hundreds Of negroes
but they were inevitably desperately ragged
. dirty, and not prcpos7essiug enough 70 merit
r | acquaintance. just at the Virginia eud OF
. the Long Bridge q Connecticut man has go,
up little saloon, and in his veruacular tn,
q negro inhabitants round about were a "weal
l lot. Live mostly by punderiu', they do, >
# says he. know it by experience Dom
y seem to understand how to get good Twin!
any other way Yet directly opposite hi
door hosts Of donations from the freedmen,
aid societies North were being unladen from
the cars. Patent machines of ali kinds
were piled in wagons These must have
their effect sooner or later.
The commissioners have just condemned
the railroad bridge built during the war ex,
acuy parallel with and near to the famous
"Iong' one for pedestrians; and passengers
from Richmond and further south have 10 be
| carried around by Alexandra. The track
IN some places was piled with rush.wood,
which industrious freedmen and women had
chopped and we've about to carry away be.
tween trains. An arm Of the muddy Poto.
mac runs up nearly to the road, about half a
mile from the bridge, and there some negro
! boys were getting water in barrels, and ear
ryiug it to the shanties in the distance
! Conversation with them and with many 9th.
ers that | met cvjnced the tact that the ma.
joriy, outside of the frcedmeu's villages at
| Arlington, had no regular occupation and
one little fellow on being asked his occupa.
ton, answered, "Reckon doesn't 90 muffin,
mostly When he tires of that genial EN-
ployment, he will doubtless join the law
boot blacks in the city, who draw out, Give
yer patent shine, sab, in two shakes
Washington Correspondent Springfield U)
Republican, Rep.