the sequel of appomattox-第6节

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und　to　remain　with　me　any　longer；　and　I　have　a　proposition　to　make　to　you。　If　any　of　you　desire　to　leave；　I　propose　to　furnish　you　with　a　conveyance　to　move　you；　and　with　provisions　for　the　balance　of　the　year。'　The　universal　answer　was；　'Master；　we　want　to　stay　right　here　with　you。'　In　many　instances　the　slaves　were　so　infatuated　with　the　idea　of　being；　as　they　said；　'free　as　birds'　that　they　left　their　homes　and　consequently　suffered；　but　our　slaves　were　not　so　foolish。〃*

*　〃Black　and　White　under　the　Old　Regime〃；　p。　158；


The　Negroes；　however；　had　learned　of　their　freedom　before　their　old　masters　returned　from　the　war；　they　were　aware　that　the　issues　of　the　war　involved　in　some　way　the　question　of　their　freedom　or　servitude；　and　through　the　〃grapevine　telegraph；〃　the　news　brought　by　the　invading　soldiers；　and　the　talk　among　the　whites；　they　had　long　been　kept　fairly　well　informed。　What　the　idea　of　freedom　meant　to　the　Negroes　it　is　difficult　to　say。　Some　thought　that　there　would　be　no　more　work　and　that　all　would　be　cared　for　by　the　Government；　others　believed　that　education　and　opportunity　were　about　to　make　them　the　equal　of　their　masters。　The　majority　of　them　were　too　bewildered　to　appreciate　anything　except　the　fact　that　they　were　free　from　enforced　labor。

Conditions　were　most　disturbed　in　the　so…called　〃Black　Belt；〃　consisting　of　about　two　hundred　counties　in　the　most　fertile　parts　of　the　South；　where　the　plantation　system　was　best　developed　and　where　by　far　the　majority　of　the　Negroes　were　segregated。　The　Negroes　in　the　four　hundred　more　remote　and　less　fertile　〃white〃　counties；　which　had　been　less　disturbed　by　armies；　were　not　so　upset　by　freedom　as　those　of　the　Black　Belt；　for　the　garrisons　and　the　larger　towns；　both　centers　of　demoralization；　were　in　or　near　the　Black　Belt。　But　there　was　a　moving　to　and　fro　on　the　part　of　those　who　had　escaped　from　the　South　or　had　been　captured　during　the　war　or　carried　into　the　interior　of　the　South　to　prevent　capture。　To　those　who　left　slavery　and　home　to　find　freedom　were　added　those　who　had　found　freedom　and　were　now　trying　to　get　back　home　or　to　get　away　from　the　Negro　camps　and　colonies　which　were　breaking　up。　A　stream　of　immigration　which　began　to　flow　to　the　southwest　affected　Negroes　as　far　as　the　Atlantic　coast。　In　the　confusion　of　moving；　families　were　broken　up；　and　children；　wife；　or　husband　were　often　lost　to　one　another。　The　very　old　people　and　the　young　children　were　often　left　behind　for　the　former　master　to　care　for。　Regiments　of　Negro　soldiers　were　mustered　out　in　every　large　town　and　their　numbers　were　added　to　the　disorderly　mass。　Some　of　the　Federal　garrisons　and　Bureau　stations　were　almost　overwhelmed　by　the　numbers　of　blacks　who　settled　down　upon　them　waiting　for　freedom　to　bestow　its　full　measure　of　blessing；　and　many　of　the　Negroes　continued　to　remain　in　a　demoralized　condition　until　the　new　year。

The　first　year　of　freedom　was　indeed　a　year　of　disease；　suffering；　and　death。　Several　partial　censuses　indicate　that　in　1865…66　the　Negro　population　lost　as　many　by　disease　as　the　whites　had　lost　in　war。　Ill…fed；　crowded　in　cabins　near　the　garrisons　or　entirely　without　shelter；　and　unaccustomed　to　caring　for　their　own　health；　the　blacks　who　were　searching　for　freedom　fell　an　easy　prey　to　ordinary　diseases　and　to　epidemics。　Poor　health　conditions　prevailed　for　several　years　longer。　In　1870；　Robert　Somers　remarked　that　〃the　health　of　the　whites　has　greatly　improved　since　the　war；　while　the　health　of　the　Negroes　has　declined　till　the　mortality　of　the　colored　population；　greater　than　the　mortality　of　the　whites　was　before　the　war；　has　now　become　so　markedly　greater；　that　nearly　two　colored　die　for　every　white　person　out　of　equal　numbers　of　each。〃

Morals　and　manners　also　suffered　under　the　new　dispensation。　In　the　crowded　and　disease…stricken　towns　and　camps；　the　conditions　under　which　the　roving　Negroes　lived　were　no　better　for　morals　than　for　health；　for　here　there　were　none　of　the　restraints　to　which　the　blacks　had　been　accustomed　and　which　they　now　despised　as　being　a　part　of　their　servitude。　But　in　spite　of　all　the　relief　that　could　be　given　there　was　much　want。　In　fact；　to　restore　former　conditions　the　relief　agencies　frequently　cut　off　supplies　in　order　to　force　the　Negroes　back　to　work　and　to　prevent　others　from　leaving　the　country　for　the　towns。　But　the　hungry　freedmen　turned　to　the　nearest　food　supply；　and　〃spilin　de　gypshuns〃　（despoiling　the　Egyptians；　as　the　Negroes　called　stealing　from　the　whites）　became　an　approved　means　of　support。　Thefts　of　hogs；　cattle；　poultry；　field　crops；　and　vegetables　drove　almost　to　desperation　those　whites　who　lived　in　the　vicinity　of　the　Negro　camps。　When　the　ex…slave　felt　obliged　to　go　to　town；　he　was　likely　to　take　with　him　a　team　and　wagon　and　his　master's　clothes　if　he　could　get　them。

The　former　good　manners　of　the　Negro　were　now　replaced　by　impudence　and　distrust。　There　were　advisers　among　the　Negro　troops　and　other　agitators　who　assured　them　that　politeness　to　whites　was　a　mark　of　servitude。　Pushing　and　crowding　in　public　places；　on　street　cars　and　on　the　sidewalks；　and　impudent　speeches　everywhere　marked　generally　the　limit　of　rudeness。　And　the　Negroes　were；　in　this　respect；　perhaps　no　worse　than　those　European　immigrants　who　act　upon　the　principle　that　bad　manners　are　a　proof　of　independence。

The　year　following　emancipation　was　one　of　religious　excitement　for　large　numbers　of　the　blacks。　Before　1865；　the　Negro　church　members　were　attached　to　white　congregations　or　were　organized　into　missions；　with　nearly　always　a　white　minister　in　charge　and　a　black　assistant。　With　the　coming　of　freedom　the　races　very　soon　separated　in　religious　matters。　For　this　there　were　two　principal　reasons：　the　Negro　preachers　could　exercise　more　influence　in　independent　churches；　and　new　church　organizations　from　the　North　were　seeking　Negro　membership。　Sometimes　Negro　members　were　urged　to　insist　on　the　right　〃to　sit　together〃　with　the　whites。　In　a　Richmond　church　a　Negro　from　the　street　pushed　his　way　to　the　communion　altar　and　knelt。　There　was　a　noticeable　pause；　then　General　Robert　E。　Lee　went　forward　and　knelt　beside　the　Negro；　and　the　congregation　followed　his　example。　But　this　was　a　solitary　instance。　When　the　race　issue　was　raised　by　either　color；　the　church　membership　usually　divided。　There　was　much　churchgoing　by　the　Negroes；　day　and　night；　and　church　festivities　and　baptisms　were　common。　The　blacks　preferred　immersion　and；　wanted　a　new　baptism　each　time　they　changed　to　a　new　church。　Baptizings　in　ponds；　creeks；　or　rivers　were　great　occasions　and　were　largely　attended。　〃Shouting〃　the　candidates　went　into　the　water　and　〃shouting〃　they　came　out。　One　old　woman　came　up　screaming；　〃Freed　from　slavery！　freed　from　sin！　Bless　God　and　General　Grant！〃

In　the　effort　to　realize　their　new…found　freedom；　the　Negroes　were　heavily　handicapped　by　their　extreme　poverty　and　their　ignorance。　The　total　value　of　free　Negro　property　ran　up　into　the　millions　in　1860；　but　the　majority　of　the　Negroes　had　nothing。　There　were　a　few　educated　Negroes　in　the　South；　and　more　in　the　North　and　in　Canada；　but　the　mass　of　the　race　was　too　densely　ignorant　to　furnish　its　own　leadership。　The　case；　however；　was　not　hopeless；　the　Negro　was　able　to　work　and　in　large　territories　had　little　competition；　wages　were　high；　even　though　paid　in　shares　of　the　crop；　the　cost　of　living　was　low；　and　land　was　cheap。　Thousands　seemed　thirsty　for　an　education　and　crowded　the　schools　which　were　available。　It　was　too　much；　however；　to　expect　the　Negro　to　take　immediate　advantage　of　his　opportunities。　What　he　wanted　was　a　long　holiday；　a　gun　and　a　dog；　and　plenty　of　hunting　and　fishing。　He　must　have　Saturday　at　least　for　a　trip　to　town　or　to　a　picnic　or　a　circus；　he　did　not　wish　to　be　a　servant。　When　he　had　any　money；　swindlers　reaped　a　harvest。　They　sold　him　worthless　finery；　cheap　guns；　preparations　to　bleach　the　skin　or　straighten　the　hair；　and　striped　pegs　which；　when　set　up　on　the　master's　plantation；　would　entitle　the　purchaser　to　〃40　acres　and　a　mule。〃

The　attitude　of　the　Negroes'　employers　not　infrequently　complicated　the　situation　which　they　sought　to　better。　The　old　masters　were；　as　a　rule；　skeptical　of　the　value　of　free　Negro　labor。　Carl　Schurz　thought　this　attitude　boded　ill　for　the　future：　〃A　belief；　conviction；　or　prejudice；　or　whatever　you　may　call　it；〃　he　said；　〃so　widely　spread　and　apparently　deeply　rooted　as　this；　that　the　Negro　will　not　work　without　physical　compulsion；　is　certainly　calculated　to　have　a　very　serious　influence　upon　the　conduct　of　the　people　entertaining　it。　It　naturally　produced　a　desire　to　preserve　slavery　in　its　original　form　as　much　and　as　long　as　possible　。　。　。　or　to　introduce　into　the　new　system　that　element　of　physical　compulsion　which　would　make　the　Negro　work。〃　The　Negro　wished　to　be　free　to　leave　his　job　when　he　pleased；　but；　as　Benjamin　C。　Truman　stated　in　his　report　to　President　Johnson；　a　〃result　of　the　settled　belief　in　the　Negro's　inferiority；　and　in　the　necessity　that　he　should　not　be　left　to　himself　without　a　guardian；　is　that　in　some　sections　he　is　discouraged　from　leaving　his　old　master。　I　have　known　of　planters　who　conside