EX-GOVERNOR HAHN
on
LOUISIANA LEGISLATION RELATING
to
FREEDMEN.
Washington, April 12, 1866
Hon. T. O. HOWE,
- United States Senator from Wisconsin:
Dear Sir:—In compliance with your request, I send you herewith a pamphlet containing all the laws passed by the present Legislature of Louisiana bearing on the freedmen. You will see that the Legislature was proud of its achievements on this subject, as it ordered the separate promulgation and circulation of these laws. A careful perusal of the pamphlet will convince you that however much credit may be due for the skill with which the animus of these laws was sought to be disguised, there is nevertheless really very little desire to do justice to one-half of the population of Louisiana evinced in this legislation.
The first law—“An act to provide for and regulate labor contracts for Agricultural pursuits”—requires the freedmen “within the first ten days of the month of January of each year” to make contracts for labor for a whole year. The contract must be made in writing before a Justice of the Peace—elected by the influence of rebel employers—and two “disinterested” witnesses. Would neighboring planters and relatives of the employer be “disinterested” witnesses? The written contract is “conclusive evidence of the intent of the parties thereto.” All disputes arising between the parties shall be decided, and the decisions enforced, by the Justice of the Peace of the ward in which the parties reside—this means the ward in which the employer votes. The “heads of families” are to make the contracts, hiring out all the members of the family able to work, “ which shall be binding on all minors of said families.” As the negroes have not been allowed to keep family Bibles, and have been denied the rights of baptism, &c., it will be an easy matter for the “oligarchy” to keep such as they choose below the age of majority, until they become quite gray. This would only be carrying out the old system of misrepresenting the ages of slaves when they were to be sold. Any violation of the contract, or inhumanity or cruelty on the part of the employer, must be redressed of course through the means of a lawyer before a “Court of competent jurisdiction;” but any remissness on the part of the freedman is to be attended to by the Justice of the Peace, and the fear of being “forced to labor on roads, levees, and other public works, without pay,” is constantly brought to his mind. But the gist of this law is really in the ninth section—all the other sections were framed merely for the appearance of things, and to pave the way for this well-considered and important section, which is six times longer than any other section in the act. All the advantages of the employer are here in-
