the sequel of appomattox-第7章

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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　considered　it　an　offence　against　neighborhood　courtesy　for　another　to　hire　their　old　hands；　and　in　two　instances　that　were　reported　the　disputants　came　to　blows　over　the　breach　of　etiquette。〃　The　new　Freedmen's　Bureau　insisted　upon　written　contracts；　except　for　day　laborers；　and　this　undoubtedly　kept　many　Negroes　from　working　regularly；　for　they　were　suspicious　of　contracts。　Besides；　the　agitators　and　the　Negro　troops　led　them　to　hope　for　an　eventual　distribution　of　property。　An　Alabama　planter　thus　described　the　situation　in　December　1865：

〃They　will　not　work　for　anything　but　wages；　and　few　are　able　to　pay　wages。　They　are　penniless　but　resolute　in　their　demands。　They　expect　to　see　all　the　land　divided　out　equally　between　them　and　their　old　masters　in　time　to　make　the　next　crop。　One　of　the　most　intelligent　black　men　I　know　told　me　that　in　a　neighboring　village；　where　several　hundred　blacks　were　congregated；　he　does　not　think　that　as　many　as　three　made　contracts；　although　planters　are　urgent　in　their　solicitations　and　offering　highest　prices　for　labor　they　can　possibly　afford　to　pay。　The　same　man　informed　me　that　the　impression　widely　prevails　that　Congress　is　about　to　divide　out　the　lands；　and　that　this　impression　is　given　out　by　Federal　soldiers　at　the　nearest　military　station。　It　cannot　be　disguised　that　in　spite　of　the　most　earnest　efforts　of　their　old　master　to　conciliate　and　satisfy　them；　the　estrangement　between　races　increases　in　its　extent　and　bitterness。　Nearly　all　the　Negro　men　are　armed　with　repeaters；　and　many　of　them　carry　them　openly；　day　and　night。〃

The　relations　between　the　races　were　better；　however；　than　conditions　seemed　to　indicate。　The　whites　of　the　Black　Belt　were　better　disposed　toward　the　Negroes　than　were　those　of　the　white　districts。　It　was　in　the　towns　and　villages　that　most　of　the　race　conflicts　occurred。　All　whites　agreed　that　the　Negro　was　inferior；　but　there　were　many　who　were　grateful　for　his　conduct　during　the　war　and　who　wished　him　well。　But　others；　the　policemen　of　the　towns；　the