THE NEGRO UNDER FEDERAL RULE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 213, 13 January 1865, Page 3

THE NEGRO UNDER FEDERAL RULE.

The following letter from New Orleans, written by a resident in that city, was recently published in the Index .-—■

Sir, —That a boon ill bestowed may become a curse rather than a blessing to the receiver is a fact of common experience. The boon itself may be one of unmixed good, but the good to be derived from it must depend upon the time, manner, and bestowal, and the ability and desire of the recipient to make the most of his opportunity. It cannot be denied that in many nhilantbropie schemes zeal outruns discretion ; and my own observation in Louisiana has taught me that there is a mad, fanatical, hate-engendered philanthropy which works its will regardless of consequences. I do not. intend to discuss the question of slavery or the wisdom of emancipation—not even to express an opiniqa, on these points—hut. simply to speak of things us they are, deriving my facts solely from official documents, or from my own observation.

Tho boon of freedom to slaves has turned to ashes'in the first year of his emancipation, if we may trust the declarations of Federal officials, those who lured him from his bondage with visions of liberty and social independence, and who now leave him to perish by the Dead Sea of Disappointment, to eat of its ashy fruit, to drink deep of its bitter waters and to die. I said my facts were derived from observation and official documents. I have, however, concluded to reply solely upon the latter in this letter. I have now before me a copy of an official report from a special agent of the *• Plantation Bureau" of the Treasury Department, who was directed to examine and report the condition of “ all abandoned plantations, or those worked by the Government in the parish of Iberville.” Let us hear what this Government agent has to say upon this subject, and let the honest Abolitionists of England pronounce judgment upon the spurious philanthropy of their American brethren:—“ On visiting those places I found them in the most deplorable condition. On every plantation worked by the Government, or represented to be in the possession of the Government, I found there had not been one day’s work performed since the time of their occupation by Lieutenant Hanks’ orders in June last to the daj of my visit, with the single exception of the White Castle or Yaughan plantation Not another will bo able to turn ont one hogshead of sugar or any other produce. In fact, I honestly declare that the management —if we can with propriety use that word—has been of the most reckless and abandoned character, with perfect indifference to the interests of the unfortunate negro, as well as the interest of the general government, which, we have been told, sought the amelioration of these people. In fact it does appear that the agents or overseers placed in charge by Hanks considered they had no other duty to perform than to draw the rations for the dead as well as the living negroes, and their own salaries, and Lave everything to run to ruin. The agent goes on to say that he returned sooner than he should have done, because he could not go on and complete his report “ with such desolation around me.” He found the sugar cane “ covered with the vine and other rank vegetation.” But let us hear what he says about the condition of the “ freed men.” The mortality that has taken place in these government plantations is truly appalling. On the White Castle plantation, out of 300 placed there by Lieutenant Hanks or Captain Miller, there remained in January last but 47 souls to tell the tale of woe. On the Belle Grove plantation there were placed by the same parties 325 negroes in June last (1863) ; 202 of these have died. On the Magnolia plantation 250 negroes were placed ; of these 117 have died up to this date. The data of this report is omitted in my copy, but I know the agent made his inspection of these plantations in the spring of this year.

Oa the Eichland plantation there wero placed aa near as I can remember, 400. Of the number that died I could obtain no satisfactory information. I found only 192 in the place. On the Orbre-place, Bayou Plaquemine, there were placed 300 negroes ; the mortality was so great that they had to be buried in trenches, and without coffins. On the Manocaux plantation 150 were placed; 100 hare died- On the whole Hickory plantation there were placed, in June last, 413 negroes; of this number up to the 11th instant, 243 have died ; of the rrmaining number 38 are lying sick in their quarters and 23 are in hospital, no care being taken of them. On entering the hospital I found the number stated. In their midst lay the corps of a woman who had died at three o ; clock p m.. the day before. There was no government overseer there, and had not been for three weeks before. The man Ely, who had been placed in charge by Lieutenant Hanks, had left. He said he was going to New Orleans on business and would be back in four days. Ho persurded the negroes to let him have what little money they had to make purchases for them ; he went off with three to four hundred dollars, and never returned.

The corpse of the woman lay on the bare floor, with a block of wood under the head, but no covering over her. The body had begun to decompose, as the weather was exceedingly hot Humanity shudders when we think that in this room, and at the foot of the corpse, lay a woman who had been confined two days before. TUe child had died, and she herself was in the last stage of a fever of the most contagious character ; two children with measles ; a poor wretch breathing his last with typhoid fever, and in the nest room a woman chained with an ox to prevent her from killing others about the place. On entering the pesthouso the first salutation I heard was, “Please, tnassa, for God’s sake give me a drop of water! Ah, massa, we’re dying, and nobody to care for us” I inquired if there had been no doctor to see them. The reply was that the doctor bad been there two weeks before, and for the first time had left medicine, but as there was nobody there who could read the prescription it had not been given.

There has boon placed on the Miles, Taylor plantation 1,100 negroes in all, of whom but 278 remain. The numerous graves here disclose the last resting-place of the poor negro. You will also perceive that I prefer charges against the agents for drawing rations, clothing, wages, Ac., for negio *s long since dead. The Ventriss plantation was the ’as' visited. I found no overseer there. Of the 538 negroes placed there bv Lieut, tenant Hunks only 112 are living. This place ii a perfect wreck. There has never been any one in char -e of the negroes, who have died without the least care, and after death been taken to the fields, and left there—food for buzzards. Their skeletons prove the fact.

_■ One of the stock phrases of the American press, is, “ Comment is unnecessary.” In this instance comment is unnecessary, and T shall attempt none. But perhaps the reader would like to know whether this report had yet been made public on this side, and whether any action has been made upon it. This report yet sleeps in some pigeon hole of the “ Plantation Bureau, ’ of the Treasury departHie despair, as I understand, of any amelioration of the wretched condition of those “freed men and women,” and in disgust at the utter callousness of his superior officers.