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To the Freedmen

You are free — do you know what that means? You have wished, and prayed, perhaps fought to be free, and now it has come to you what do you feel like doing; rejoicing, praying, giving thanks to God our Heavenly Father? That is right, for so you ought. What next; - taking revenge on your old masters who have separated families, whipped and otherwise abused you? If you do, that is wrong, as you know, and besides against the law and you must not break the law. You are only free from the one unjust law that made you slaves, all the other just laws you must obey, as all wise freemen do; and the laws will protect you, and your old masters, and every one of us in our rights, liberties, property, and lives. You are men now, and by the Laws of God, and of men, you must work for a living. Some men do not seem to work because they have [[strikethrough]]the[[/strikethrough]] money, or lands, or means of employing others to work for them; so you can do when you are able, after working a long time as many of those men may have done.

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-01-19 18:28:49