The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-06-06
From the Columbia Telegraph.

81 Is Mr. Editor,-Dear- Sir:-As the profitable
- employment ofiabor is engrossing the public
Sfs mind at the present time, cheerfuliy comply
with your request, to furnish a statement ofour
experience IN the employment Of Blacks, in the
manuf,ctory Of Cotton goods.
Previous to my coming to this State. little
= more than year since, had always supposed
That Blacks could not be employed to advan-
tage in that department Of labor. This i'm.
1te preston was created, not by personal observa
ton, but by The constant representation OF their
ny extreme Incidence, careessness, and utter want
of ingenuity.
'tE Upon my arrival at Saluda Factory, found
In the employ Of that Company several black
hands. and althougha vote had been passed by
the Stockholders to dismiss them, and to employ
~ exclusively white tiands-yet it was necessary
to retain the blacks until the time for which
= they were engaged, should expire. This gave
me an opportunity to notice their habits and
10 test their efficiency as operatives in Cot
=. tom Factory. Their activity and promptness
+ soon attracted my notice, and | watched with
great interest and some curiosity, the progress
of affairs, until the close of their term of SER
vice. At the expiration OF that time, my former
Impressions had entirely given place to the con.
m4yiction, that under all the circumstances con-
..nec,ed with the Mill, it would be decidedly for
The interest of the Stockholders still to retain in
s. their employ large proportion Of black hands.
And as the immediate cause for The passage OF
the above vote seemed to be removed, they ac-
. ceded TO the proposition.
= TO effect this it became necessary to employ
= several new hands, nearly all OF whom had nev.
= or before seen Cotton Factory. They were
put to the work as new hands, receiving no
! greater facilities for learning and performing
their duties. than is always, allowed TO such
tahands; and | have never seen an equal number
of entirely new hands become efficient opera
fsstives in aless time.
- Ibelieve that an equal number of persons
/, may be taken from the farming distic of any
,ofthc Northern States, with the same discrimi-
tion as to native talent, and put The same kind
of work, and they will no, become more efficient
rsin the same length Of time.
isT fsisffue that it requires skill and intelligence
.sto manage cotton machinery TO advantage; so it
requires skill and intelligence to manage farm
or a plantation to advantage. 1t does not fol-
low, that because the person who works with
The hoe, does not understand why one compost
sskisrut in one place and different kind in anolh
ser, that therefore he cannot do justice to the
plants with bis hoe,-neilher does it follow,
that because the operative is not versed in the
= sciences or skilled in the mechanic arts, that
& therefore he cannot be efficient at the spinning
= frame or the loom, as an operative.
49, / know very we'll that in the selection of
hands for the mills al the North, preference is
always given to those who have enjoyed the ad.
vantases Of intellectual cuture the entire want
% OF which would be considered almost sufficient
al. nj E,ro thn
ymilI. Bu, that deficiency in the white popu
laiion of Massachusetts is an index to svery
different state Of things from that which the
same deficiency denotes in the blacks OF South
Carolina.
j.. In the former State, there is school brought
within reach of every mans door, and he is per-
- mitted, nay enireated to send his children to
school and ha We them educated "whout money
and without price" Iflherefore, such oppor.
tunilies are allowed to pass unnproved, 1t is
not difficultto TO divine in what habits such per-
sons must have been drilled The same def.
sciency Intentionally universal among the blacks,
hears no such evidence of Incidence and rcck.
xgiessness Of valuable acquisition. They are
early trained TO habits of industry and patient
endurance, and by the concentration of all
4 their faculties to the few departments OF human
ACQUISITION to which they are necessarily re.
stricted, their initiative faculties become cul;.
- yaied to very high degree, their muscles be.
come trained and made obedlent to the will, so
that Whatever they see done they are very
quick in learning to do, without entering into
= any philosophical inquiry as to the method OF
doing it.
tsa01r Our Carding and spinning. rooms are
fIrnished with black hands almost entirely. and
theysperform their duties as promptly and as
veil as any hands have ever seen.-cO