the sequel of appomattox-第15章

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In　all　of　the　state　laws　there　were　certain　common　characteristics；　among　which　were　the　following：　the　descendant　of　a　Negro　was　to　be　classed　as　a　Negro　through　the　third　generation；*　even　though　one　parent　in　each　generation　was　white；　intermarriage　of　the　races　was　prohibited；　existing　slave　marriages　were　declared　valid　and　for　the　future　marriage　was　generally　made　easier　for　the　blacks　than　for　the　whites。　In　all　states　the　Negro　was　given　his　day　in　court；　and　in　cases　relating　to　Negroes　his　testimony　was　accepted；　in　six　states　he　might　testify　in　any　case。　When　provision　was　made　for　schooling；　the　rule　of　race　separation　was　enforced。　In　Mississippi　the　〃Jim　Crow　car；〃　or　separate　car　for　Negroes；　was　invented。　In　several　states　the　Negro　had　to　have　a　license　to　carry　weapons；　to　preach；　or　to　engage　in　trade。　In　Mississippi；　a　Negro　could　own　land　only　in　town；　in　other　states　he　could　purchase　land　only　in　the　country。　Why　the　difference？　No　one　knows　and　probably　few　knew　at　the　time。　Some　of　the　legislation　was　undoubtedly　hasty　and　ill…considered。

*　Fourth　in　Tennessee。


But　the　laws　relating　to　apprenticeship；　vagrancy；　and　enforced　punitive　employment　turned　out　to　be　of　greater　practical　importance。　On　these　subjects　the　legislation　of　Mississippi　and　South　Carolina　was　the　most　extreme。　In　Mississippi　orphans…　orphans　were　to　be　bound　out；　preferably　to　a　former　master；　if　〃he　or　she　shall　be　a　suitable　person。〃　The　master　was　given　the　usual　control　over　apprentices　and　was　bound　by　the　usual　duties；　including　that　of　teaching　the　apprentice。　But　the　penalties　for　〃enticing　away〃　apprentices　were　severe。　The　South　Carolina　statute　was　not　essentially　different。　The　vagrancy　laws　of　these　two　states　were　in　the　main　the　same　for　both　races；　but　in　Mississippi　the　definition　of　vagrancy　was　enlarged　to　include　Negroes　not　at　work；　those　〃found　unlawfully　assembling　themselves　together；〃　and　〃all　white　persons　assembling　themselves　with　freedmen。〃　It　is　to　be　noted　that　nearly　all　punishment　for　petty　offenses　took　the　form　of　hiring　out；　preferably　to　the　former　master　or　employer。　The　principal　petty　offenses　were；　it　would　seem；　vagrancy　and　〃enticing　away〃　laborers　or　apprentices。　The　South　Carolina　statute　contains　some　other　interesting　provisions。　A　Negro；　man　or　woman；　who　had　enjoyed　the　companionship　of　two　or　more　spouses；　must　by　April　1；　1866；　select　one　of　them　as　a　permanent　partner；　a　farm　laborer　must　〃rise　at　dawn；〃　feed　the　animals；　care　for　the　property；　be　quiet　and　orderly；　and　〃retire　at　reasonable　hours；〃　on　Sunday　the　servants　must　take　turns　in　doing　the　necessary　work；　and　they　must　be　respectful　and　civil　to　the　〃master　and　his　family；　guests；　and　agents；〃　to　engage　in　skilled　labor　the　Negro　must　obtain　a　license。　Whipping　and　the　pillory　were　permitted　in　Florida　for　certain　offenses；　and　in　South　Carolina　the　master　might　〃moderately　correct〃　servants　under　eighteen　years　of　age。　Other　punishments　were　generally　the　same　for　both　races；　except　the　hiring　out　for　petty　offenses。

From　the　Southern　point　of　view　none　of　this　legislation　was　regarded　as　a　restriction　of　Negro　rights　but　as　a　wide　extension　to　the　Negro　of　rights　never　before　possessed；　an　adaptation　of　the　white　man's　laws　to　his　peculiar　case。　It　is　doubtful　whether　in　some　of　the　states　the　authorities　believed　that　there　were　any　discriminatory　laws；　they　probably　overlooked　some　of　the　free　Negro　legislation　already　on　the　statute　books。　In　Alabama；　for　example；　General　Wager　Swayne；　the　head　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　reported　that　all　such　laws　had　either　been　dropped　by　the　legislature　or　had　been　vetoed　by　the　governor。　Yet　the　statute　books　do　show　some　discriminations。　There　is　a　marked　difference　between　earlier　and　later　legislation。　The　more　stringent　laws　were　enacted　before　the　end　of　1865。　After　New　Year's　Day　had　passed　and　the　Negroes　had　begun　to　settle　down；　the　legislatures　either　passed　mild　laws　or　abandoned　all　special　legislation　for　the　Negroes。　Later　in　1866；　several　states　repealed　the　legislation　of　1865。

In　so　far　as　the　〃Black　Laws〃　discriminated　against　the　Negro　they　were　never　enforced　but　were　suspended　from　the　beginning　by　the　army　and　the　Freedmen's　Bureau。　They　had；　however；　a　very　important　effect　upon　that　section　of　Northern　opinion　which　was　already　suspicious　of　the　good　faith　of　the　Southerners。　They　were　part　of　a　plan；　some　believed；　to　reenslave　the　Negro　or　at　least　to　create　by　law　a　class　of　serfs。　This　belief　did　much　to　bring　about　later　radical　legislation。

If　the　〃Black　Laws〃　represented　the　reaction　of　the　Southern　legislatures　to　racial　conditions；　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　was　the　corresponding　result　of　the　interest　taken　by　the　North　in　the　welfare　of　the　Negro。　It　was　established　just　as　the　war　was　closing　and　arose　out　of　the　various　attempts　to　meet　the　Negro　problems　that　arose　during　the　war。　The　Bureau　had　always　a　dual　nature；　due　in　part　to　its　inheritance　of　regulations；　precedents；　and　traditions　from　the　various　attempts　made　during　war　time　to　handle　the　many　thousands　of　Negroes　who　came　under　Federal　control；　and　in　part　to　the　humanitarian　impulses　of　1865；　born　of　a　belief　in　the　capacity　of　the　Negro　for　freedom　and　a　suspicion　that　the　Southern　whites　intended　to　keep　as　much　of　slavery　as　they　could。　The　officials　of　the　Bureau　likewise　were　of　two　classes：　those　in　control　were　for　the　most　part　army　officers；　standing　as　arbiters　between　white　and　black；　usually　just　and　seldom　the　victims　of　their　sympathies　but　the　mass　of　less　responsible　officials　were　men　of　inferior　ability　and　character；　either　blind　partisans　of　the　Negro　or　corrupt　and　subject　to　purchase　by　the　whites。

In　view　of　the　fact　that　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　was　considered　a　new　institution　in　1865；　it　is　rather　remarkable　how　closely　it　followed　in　organization；　purpose；　and　methods　the　precedents　set　during　the　war　by　the　officers　of　the　army　and　the　Treasury。　In　Virginia；　General　Butler；　in　1861；　declared　escaped　slaves　to　be　〃contraband〃　and　proceeded　to　organize　them　into　communities　for　discipline；　work；　food；　and　care。　His　successors　in　Virginia　and　North　Carolina；　and　others　in　the　Sea　Islands　of　Georgia　and　South　Carolina；　extended　his　plan　and　arranged　a　labor　system　with　fixed　wages；　hours；　and　methods　of　work；　and　everywhere　made　use　of　the　captured　or　abandoned　property　of　the　Confederates。　In　Tennessee　and　Arkansas；　Chaplain　John　Eaton　of　Grant's　army　employed　thousands　in　a　modified　free　labor　system；　and　further　down　in　Mississippi　and　Louisiana　Generals　Grant；　Butler；　and　Banks　also　put　large　numbers　of　captured　slaves　to　work　for　themselves　and　for　the　Government。　Everywhere；　as　the　numbers　of　Negroes　increased；　the　army　commanders　divided　the　occupied　Negro　regions　into　districts　under　superintendents　and　other　officials；　framed　labor　laws；　cooperated　with　benevolent　societies　which　gave　schooling　and　medical　care　to　the　blacks；　and　developed　systems　of　government　for　them。

The　United　States　Treasury　Department；　attempting　to　execute　the　confiscation　laws　for　the　benefit　of　the　Treasury；　appears　now　and　then　as　an　employer　of　Negro　labor　on　abandoned　plantations。　Either　alone　or　in　cooperation　with　the　army　and　charitable　associations；　it　even　supervised　Negro　colonies；　and　sometimes　it　assumed　practically　complete　control　of　the　economic　welfare　of　the　Negro。　This　Department　introduced　in　1864　an　elaborate　lessee　and　trade　system。　The　Negro　was　regarded　as　〃the　ward　of　the　nation；〃　but　he　was　told　impressively　that　〃labor　is　a　public　duty　and　idleness　and　vagrancy　a　crime。〃　All　wanted　him　to　work：　the　Treasury　wanted　cotton　and　other　crops　to　sell；　the　lessees　and　speculators　wanted　to　make　fortunes　by　his　labor；　and　the　army　wanted　to　be　free　from　the　burden　of　the　idle　blacks。　In　spite　of　all　these　ministrations；　the　Negroes　suffered　much　from　harsh　treatment；　neglect；　and　unsanitary　conditions。

During　1863　and　1864；　several　influences　were　urging　the　establishment　of　a　national　bureau　or　department　to　take　charge　of　matters　relating　to　the　African　race。　Some　wished　to　establish　on　the　borders　of　the　South　a　paid　labor　system；　whic