Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-03
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

AAv 4 AL ~ = AAAN
The Star at this time nifty years ago
contained numerous references to the
I'M o vements of
South Regaining conditions in the
south due to the re-
1"s' uiouhu' covery Of confidence
The issue Of August 20, 1866. says:
Newspaper men who have had oc-
casion to go over basketful OF
southern exchanges per diem will have
noticed for the year past their almost
uniformly dolorous tone. indicating
that the communities of whose feelings
they are the reflex were badly in the
dumps. Everything has seemed to go
wrong with them. Made penniless by
the collapse Of the rebellion and Its
currency. without means to stock or
seed their farms. and with bitter
faith in its practicability. they COM
menced the year in very unhappy
frame of mind indeed. And during the
year the reports of drought, perjury,
famine. unmanageable labor. freedmen
breaking contracts, etc. etc, with
filled. have not encouraged an expecta-
ton of much progress for the better.
We are therefore glad to see by the
richmond Wing that so much has been
achieved by the people of the south
under the adverse circumstances: and
now that they have overcome the worst
difficulties of their novel position and
have thus acquired faith in their abil-
1ty to meet them we may expect to
ind them emerging from the slough Of
fr fot, lDl
lessly for season. In this connection
the Wing says:
Had our people acted as they have
talked, and still talk. the whole south
would now be waste and the popula-
ton would have died of despair and
want. While they talked despairingiy
they went to work like men and 1t Is
gratifying to contemplate the re-
suits they have achieved. Out Of the
scattered and confused debris Of slav-
tenn. There is not a farmer who has
not working force of negroes. and
however deficient the new freedmen
are in those qualities that belong to
the better class Of laborers they have
turned out better than we have dared
to hope. The farmers have managed
to stock their farms, to make crops, to
pay their, hired laborers, to support
their families and to pave the way for
second years more successful oper-
atoms. 1t is no inconsiderable achieve
ment to have reduced to form and or
der the social chaos that succeeded the
war and to have cleared away the sed-
iment that resulted from the mighty
agitation
In this connection reports were being
received OF an Improvement in the con-
dition of the freed
Charles County men in various parts
of the south. In The
eeuAneA' Star OF August 81,
1866, occurs the following item:
1.-The assistant commissioner Of freed
mems affairs in this District has re-
ceived an inspection report from the
superintendent of the tureau in
Charles county. Md. made from a tour
of investigation Just completed. He
states that the total number of freed
people in the county as about 5000.
Many complaints are made against
them for not adhering to their labor
contracts. which are in some cases true.
The majority of the contracts made
with freedmen are verbal, instead Of
being made in form to 1ega1ize them;
this Is to great extent the cause. 1t is
alleged, of bad faith among the freed
dealt with. have received fair equiva-
lent for their labor. their employers re-
port them to be Industrious and faith
full to their agreements. The number
of children bound to service by the
court since November, 1864, does not
exceed forty. and but few have been
bound against the will of their par
ents; and in all such cases. where ap-
plfcation has been made by the agent
of the bureau for their release. the
court has never failed to reverse its
judgment and release the child. The
total number of colored children be-
tween the ages of five and twenty is
over 1000. All efforts to establish
schools for their education have failed
it Is reported, owing to the extreme
difficulty of procuring buildings suit
position made to the cause by the peo-
pie"
In the same issue Of The Star August
81, 1866. is similar report regarding
conditions in Prince Will
Improved liam county. Va. marked
p.,,4; by improvement In the
oelatlons' relations between the
whites and blacks there:
HE states that the condition Of bureau
affairs is favorable. The idea that colored
men must be compensated for their labor
and protected in their rights OF person
and property equally with the whites is
becoming settled in the minds Of the peo-
pie generally. During the past two or