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morals by which they are surrounded. Outside of the Bureau, no efforts appear to be made to correct this great evil, and indeed when cases are reported for the action of the Civil Officers, little or no notice is taken of them, and prostitution and bastardy to an alarming extent is the result. Truth compels me to say that in this portion of Virginia, the colored race is rapidly bleaching out, and here in Winchester, in many cases it is a matter of difficulty to distinguish the black from the white, and the impression would seem to be that amalgamation commenced here many years ago. Instances have come to my knowledge where colored children pointed out their white fathers as they rode through the streets - Such lewdness must have its bitter and degrading consequences.  The most loathsome diseases have marked its victims, and made utter shipwrecks of many a promising colored man and woman. Until the Civil Authorities can be induced to do their whole duty in this matter, the curse must exist.

The most just as well as frequent cause of complaint the freedpeople have to make, is the difficulty to obtain pay for his labor after he has earned it.

The law affords him no relief unless he has the means to employ counsel - Justices are prejudiced
against him, and in matters where a white mans word is taken, he has to produce an overwhelming amount of evidence, and what with the time it takes to prosecute a claim of a few dollars,

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Edited. Filled in several [[?]]. One remains. Formatting suffers.