The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-09-09
Southern Outrages.
Their Cause and Their Instigators.
7 In InfJ l

of negroes IN the southern states, who had
lust been emancipated, were turned loose
upon an exhausted and impoverished country
without any knowledge of seltsubsistence OF
protection against the vIclssltudes of life
This vast concourse of men, women and chill
dren had previous to that time been provided
for by their masters. Their food was sup
piled them day by day. They were clothed
and sheltered in comfortable quarters, and
when sickness overlook them they received
the best medical care the country afforded.
But after the war everything was changed.
The planter, whose interest it had been 10
look after aud provide for his slaves, WAS
now reduced to poverty. The results of the
war had freed them and placed them beyond
his control and, consequently, outside OF his
care and protection, had he been able or dis
posed to extend them. The country was des'
titute of the common necessaries OF life; and,
in large districts throughout the south, dis
tress and even starvation stared them IN the
face; and there is no estimating the painful
results that would have followed had not the
general government through the freedmen's
bureau, furnished subsistence to the vast
hordes Of hungry negroes who had fiocked to
the cities, towns and villages. The destitute
condition of the planter, in connection with
the entire change of the labor system,
compelled him to commence operations
on his plantation on a small scale and
on the most economical plan. The eff
feet of this was to leave unemployed thous-
ands and thousands of idle negroes Deepen.
dent entirely on the government fer the food
they ate After few years. however the
planters had so extended their fields as TO-
call for laborcrs, and many Of the most will
ing negroes found employment at remunera-
tive wages. AS time moved on the agrCul-
tural area was extendend, new systems adopt
ed, until the demand for help had increased
sufficiently to furnish employment for all the
freedmen who felt willing to earn q living.
The government meantime abolished the
freedmen's bureau and cut off the sup
plies of those who were too lazy to-
work. This again threw thousands Of idle
negroes upon the country; and they were the
worst class too. Unable any longer to live
in the cities and towns. they scattered into
the rural districts, where they collected in
small bands, occupying deserted huts and
not unirequently caves and rude brush houses
IN the forests. With nothing else to live on
they preyed upon the cighboring plantations,
pilierng everything their fancy or appetitcs
craYed Smoke houses, gardens potato
patches corn fields and cotton fiel Is were de.
vastatcd, and cattle or hogs shot or Griven
away from the barn yards in broad daylight
to glut their greedy wants. Itemons!rance
by the whites at these acts Of outrage was
followed by threats OF violence, murder and
arson from The negroes; and'ln many instances
they were only too ready to carry them INTO eff
feet, All appeals for protection went unheeded
by the dishonest carpet bag officials, who, for
political purposes, preferred fayoring the ne.
gro bandItt rather than the suffering planters,
under The shabby preeXt that the former were
loyal and the latter rebels. All attempts on
the part of the whites to protect themselves
by chaslIsing the thieving negroes were
promptly magnitied into ku Klux outrages
by vcnal set OF republican crlissaries kept
there Tor that purpose. The unfortunate
planter who sought to guard his own hard
earned property from devastation was de.
nounced as a rebel, a u kluX, or u white
Lacquer and If not murdered by the negroes
was arrested by the military. THIS state of
Il, 10, Iap "A ny continual
to an alarming extent from 1867 TO 1874, land
still exists wherever the republicans rule)
and was the sole cause Of all disturbances IN
the south. To contend against those maraud.
ing bands the white people were forced to-
combine for their safety. All attempts to-
correct the evil through the courts had failed
and main force became necessity. In many
counties organizations for mutual protection
were effected by the whites, and, after endur-
ance ceased to be virtue, the negro banditi
were dispersed and ii would be useless to
state that blood was not shed IN the accom-
plisbment Of this work.
But there was another element in the south
which was still more mlschievous than that
was the means used by the radical politicians
TO accomplish their devilish ends Through
fair dealing ana generous treatment extended
by the planters to the worthy freedmen, many
Of them were induced 10 stand by and vote
with their former masters and present en-
ployers who generally aniagonized the ty.
raurical rule ot radicalism under which they
were suffering So severely. To prevent this
the most Cisreputable alternatives had 10 be
resored 10. The very best and most iriluen-
tial were spotted, and the vilest characters
among the lowest grade Of negroes were sent
out among their lk as emissaries to organize
raids upon their crops or their persons, know
ing full wcll what the consequences would
be The whites, finding themselves boset by
horle Of thieving negroes, would prepare
for defence, and thus collisions were brought