What impression do you get of someone who is a Freeman? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

In context, a Freeman is a member of a group, seemingly universal, that is formed according to personal commonalities. In historical times, this referred to an man who was not a slave. Groups like this formed in terms of occupation, ect. As far as being a good or a bad thing, that would be decided by the size and purpose of the group. If we pay close attention to what Mr. Morris says, we come to understand the the Freeman have deviated from their initial purpose. Morris does not believe in violence, and we can infer that he might never have become a member if violence had been a part of membership. It seems, however, that over time, the Freeman took advantage of power and numbers to become oppressors, in which case, this type of group is no longer a good thing.