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040

4.

support our feeble frame!  We repeat this ennobling fact, nothing in all the rounds of old Creation nerved our wasting bodies with strength and inspired our fainting hearts with elastic power but our, faith in the omnipotent arm of a Sovereign Jehovah, who turns the hearts of Rulers as a river, makes the very wrath of man to praise him, and restrains the remainder!  Nothing but a full assurance in the declaration of our Heavenly Father's promise to "Give us each day our daily bread."

But now, just as we are about to gather in our bountiful harvest & stow it in our barns for convenience and safety, unsurmountable difficulties are cast in our way by the very Man whom the government appointed to watch over our interests and secure to us our rights and privileges,

5

viz Genl R.K. Scott.

Honorable Sir, we do deeply regret for many reasons, that the nature of the case forces us to inform you, the Head of the Bureau of the deplorable condition of affairs on the islands & especially that of Edisto!  But, Sir, our prospects for the future, and the Liberty, and comforts and happiness of our families all combine in constraining us so to do. 

Gen'l Scott is not faithfully discharging the high function of his office to us as Freedmen, for instead of protecting our rights from the unhallowed invasion of our enemies who would maliciously by design our injury, or to say the best seek every opportunity to take advantage of the unsuspecting and unlearned, ever and anon obstacles of the most unsurmountable nature and forced in our pathway to impede us in the lawful procuring