Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-02-22
sgatiuuaI gtFnbittsll
Condition Of tho freedmen.

Condition OF tho Freeamen.
Mr.. Alvord's letter from Chattanooga was
aS followsi
To Major Gsa, o. o HJtbdrds 81,
DEIR GENERAL, came over the "nghting
Fruuud" between here aud Atlantis ny day
HIGHT to see your line OF march, ehtreuVhVu
positions, battle-helds, &c. NY companion,
Rev. &. ?. Smith, former field agenI OF tne
Christian Commission, couId PoIht INC 70
ea,h LEGALITY az struggle, hospital work aud
ChrIstInn labor. Thus | spent one OF the
mo.t Interesting days Of my life In this long
revirW OF one hundred aud thirty miles up ~
the broader battle. grounds aud Businesses OF
Oh tttnnOOga.
Here bad weather for a day has prevented
much outdoor work. Saturday evening and
Sabbath | addressed the people, aud have
nov visited the schools In town aud on Look.
Out mountain.
Tennessee is paralyzed by the late polil.
cal revusiou. You feel IL as soon as you
cross the line. Georgia struggles mahfullv,
bat this state suCcumbs perhaps eau OR'g
do this. A CLEAN OF hope comes from the
fifteenth amendment, aud some possible fur
thCr action Ia Congress.
The assistant superintendent lately had
flhcen or twenty schools In this (lIamIltnn)
county, doing we'll, all OF which he has been
forced to closc, and Is now confined to dimin-
isbed members within the limits Of this city.
1t would not he safe, he says, to at present.
90 beyond. General enterprise feels the
shock capital shrinks from Investment;
god men are cast down, aud though the
aru planning for emigration to the south
wtsti many have already gone.
About ono hundred pupils are In the Chat.
tauooga schools, with teachers worn by toll
an anxiety. Tue colored church, with com.
mtndable zeal, still sustains Its excellent
pastor, Rev. Mr.. Tade. lie has n Sabbath
school Of two hundred, a Band Of Hope"
(t,mpcrnnce,) Of an equal number, besides
Atsmpcrancc league oil sixty adults. Both
parents aud children In these associations
arr pledged to abstinence from tobacco, u
remarkable fact, when We consider the
almost universal custom In Tennessee OF
smoking, chewing, and clipping" More
general intemperance, however, prevails In
Chattanooga among the freedmen than
have previously seen. Low drinking saloons
arc numerous, and as l observed IN the back
streets, are too well patronized by eolorsd
customers. The present depression OF the
Poople Is dsmoraliziuE, and 10, 1 think,
gratly increasing this evil.
More money should DO Appropriated for
this place by the educational societies, and
perhaps by the Government, II we are to
retain the foothOld We now have, and espe-
clnuy if to make n vigorous advance. The
bank, though suffering from large drafts
from labDrers out Of employment, IL holding
on Its wayi probably at the present tins is
doing more for the people than the schools.
On Lookout had hearty reception and
fortunate mountain view. AtOVs where
Hooker fought (and the day went up lit
orally "abOyo the clouds") stands the
"LoOkout Mountain Institute" As |
reached the summit dark masses, for days
having delhgGd the country, were struck by
yrtNH aud In -
up aud over the topmost crest, revealing
below and around that nost magnificent
panorama. The wide, low valley, the city
In Its bosom, the grey hillIldes, and loftier
peaks Of blue beyond were sharply defined
and nscked through riftsd clouds, with huge
patches Of glittering sunlight, old mountain
residents declaring that a view so striking
WIS very rare.
Pity that slavery should ever have bllghted
tho beauty Of such land. Missionary
Ri In distant view, up which lately swept
tho long line OF our victorious army, had
ouce a redeeming feature; its missionary
station aud work among the Cherokees,
often read OF with interest 10 my boyhood.
Noble men there struggled long against Gu
Jironlng Influences obliged finally to aban.
don the field. Its school buildings and mill
ari now nearly In ruins.
This institute at present 10 In vacation,
bit numbers OF pupils remain and the gem
or u routine continues. Mr.. Bancroft, sup
or 'utendeut, aud his corps Of teachers APP
pear without f. alt; buildings we'll cared for;
the recent appropriation by Col. Compton
economically expended, and SO far as the
design of tue generous founder Is concerned,
THIS scoool 10 a fine success. 1t may be
hoped that its youth, mostly from the poor
and middle class Of Southern whites, will,
In after life, clsaye to principles they arc
now imbiblHg. Its whole catalogue num-
bers, male and female, 90 pupils. Those
now present are working daily In SslEsup.
port, and at our Sunday evening prayer
meeting the young men showed ability and
an active Christian spirit. II your bureau
has funds still to aid white schools In the
South, l feel ASSURED this institute is vol
worthy Of your patronage.
Very respectfully, yours, SC,
J. W. ALVoRD,
Genl Supt. Education,