Boston, May 23,1862.
My Dear, Sir, —
. . . I would gladly do anything, except come before the public, to help your
good work. You may use my testimony in any other way than over my signature,
and the indorsements of the “Daily”1 and other journals would seem
to answer all purposes. I have watched the Educational Commission from its very
inception with the greatest interest, and, while in Secessia, had every
opportunity to gauge it, not only by the criticisms of its many enemies, and by
the statements of its friends, but by personal observation. It was started very
late, and when only the most prompt and even hasty measures gave it a chance of
success. These measures were taken chiefly at Boston, with that efficiency
which marks our good city and State. A large number of volunteers were hurried
from various pursuits, down into South Carolina, where, in about ten days after
the enterprise was first thought of, they found themselves landed, with bare
floors to sleep upon, soldier's rations to eat, and the obloquy and ridicule of
all around them for “sauce piquante.”
Under all their inexperience, and all these disadvantages,
they have worked their way quietly on, and up to the time when I left, May
14th, when the new rule of military governor was about beginning, they had
accomplished the following results.
First and foremost. They had inspired confidence in the
blacks by their kindness, and especially by their bringing the first boon which
these forlorn creatures had received from us, namely, an opportunity for
education. In all else the negroes have been materially worse off than under
their old masters, — with only their scanty ration of Indian corn, no shoes,
blankets, clothing, molasses, or other necessaries, and no luxuries given them,
of which they formerly had a moderate allowance. Against all this they had had
only the doubtful advantage of idleness or precarious employment, and the
promises of the cotton agents. It was a great point to put over them
intelligent and Christian teachers, and this they have fully appreciated.
Second. The material benefits which have resulted, namely:
beginning very late, the forces of the plantation have been organized to
reasonably steady labor; a full crop of food has been planted in common,
besides many much larger private, or, as these are called, “Negro Grounds,”
planted than ever before. I saw repeatedly whole gangs who had finished their
plantation work by ten A. M., and had all the rest of the day for their own
patches, some of which are four or five times as large as usual.
Third. In addition to the food crop, enough cotton land has
been planted to give the negroes, if they are allowed to take care of the crop
and enjoy its fruits, more of the necessaries and indeed comforts of life than
they have ever had before.
To sum up, we have then for some of the results,
The confidence of the blacks;
The education, so far as it goes;
The encouragement of industry; and
The material advantage of food and
cotton crops;
instead of leaving the negroes alone to run into vice and
pauperism, or turning them over to the tender mercies of hard speculators.
Of course, the agents of the commission have made mistakes
in some cases, and some of them have been ill chosen, and have helped the
enemies of the enterprise to bring it into local discredit; but generally the
whole has been a most successful undertaking, and most of those sent from this
quarter have, by their patience, faithfulness, and disinterested zeal, been a
credit to Massachusetts. They, as a whole, form a noble band of men and women.
They have had everything to contend with, especially the opposition of many
with whose interests they interfered, and of others whose prejudices they
offended. Their predecessors on the plantations, the cotton agents and
military, had begun to look upon themselves as the successors to the planters,
entitled to the use of all that was left, houses, horses, negroes, crops.
When the agents of the commission came down to take charge
of the plantations, they were looked upon as interlopers, and in most cases every
obstacle, short of absolute disobedience to the orders of the commanding
general, was thrown in their way. All the little mistakes of the new-comers
were magnified; all the good they did ignored, and a local public opinion thus
created against them, which many of our own soldiers, who ought to have known
better, gave in to. “What a ridiculous thing for these philanthropists to come
down and teach the stupid negroes, and occupy the plantations, and use the
secesh ponies which had been so convenient for our pickets!”
Such was the natural feeling of the unthinking, and of some
who ought to have reflected. This false opinion was largely availed of by the “Herald”
and other kindred papers, to create prejudice at the North against an
enterprise aiming to improve the condition of the blacks. How much more
satisfactory to this class would it have been to have had the negroes left to
their own devices, and then given all the enemies of improvement a chance to
say, “We told you so! The negroes are worse off than before, — idle, vicious,
paupers. The sooner you reduce them to slavery again, and the more firmly you
bind the rest of their race to eternal slavery, the better!”
It would take too long to go into the question of what is to
be done hereafter; but there was an emergency three months ago which has, in my
opinion, been successfully met; and among other results I believe you will have
the testimony of all who have been engaged in the experiment, that it has
distinctly proved that the negro has the same selfish element in him which
induces other men to labor. Give him only a fair prospect of benefit from his
labor, and he will work like other human beings. Doubtless hereafter this
selfish element must be appealed to more than it could be by the agents of the
commission. There must be less working in common, and more done for the
especial benefit of each laborer. It is much to establish the fact that this
element of industry exists.
In conclusion, I consider the Educational Commission up to
this time a decided success. I congratulate you and your associates upon having
added another to the good deeds of Massachusetts, not by any means forgetting
the share which New York has had in the good work; and I sincerely hope that
General Saxton, cooperating with you, may in a manner worthy of his high
reputation complete what has been so well begun.
Very truly yours,
J. M. Forbes.
_______________
1 The Boston Daily Advertiser.
SOURCE: Sarah Forbes Hughes, Letters and
Recollections of John Murray Forbes, Volume 1, p. 309-13
