Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-12-24

There are none among US who propose to act with
view to the ultimate emancipation of the negro race
All experience has shown that the black and white
cannot live together upon the soil, terms OF
equality The black must be the slave of the white
whatever relation the laws may establish between
them. lie must either be controlled and provided for
by master, who has property in his labor be op-
pressed and abused under the name of freedom by the
unprinciped and selfish, who have no interest in his
welfare The entirely the slave is dependent upon
the MASTER the closely the interests of the two
linked toget.or-tre better it is for both. The slave
should be made to feel that his welfare is involved in his
masters property and that it is his true interest
him honestly and faithfully The most faithful and at
the time tie happiest servants those who feel
that they have property i'll all that belongs to their
master His goods, his family, his reputation, in
certain sense theirs, to be kept and watched with
unwavering faithfulness We have among US many in
terestng examples of this kind but fear that the
number is decreasing. The faithful old servants who
clug with such unwaverng devotion to the fortunes of
the families to which they belonged rejoicing in their
prosperity suffering willingly in their reverses proud Of
their good qualities and ashamed of their vices arc pass
ing away from among us, and their paces supplied
with sulen moody eyeservants, ever anxious to
pete their task that their time may be spent in anuse-
mfnt in procuring the of vicious indulgenccS
The servant comes to think his interests are differ
ent from his masters His mind rebels against salutary
control. He claims right to a certain degree of free
DOM lie Is, III fact, partly emancipatcd and on that
account feels his bondage the We in the hab
it of attributing this change in the character Of ser
wants to the Efforts of aboltionss to make them dsco
tented with their condition but it would be well to
quire whether there not other causes nearer home
which will account for this deterioration.
Some of these causes we shall endeayor to point out
And one of these is, the hiring out of negroes The
hiren2 loses his interest in his masters welfare for he
sees him but seldom, and few kind offices arc performed
between them He has little interest in him for whom
he abors, it may be only for single year. lie has
motive for labor but to pease bis employer for the time
being, or to escape from the punishment which his ndo
lence and unfalthtunesS might bring upon him. He
soon learns the OF his employers fOrbear-
ance, and conducts his labor accordingly Hrclings
are proverbalIy the worst servants and especially
those who in the habit of changing their places from
year to year. ct there to be necessity for hi
ring out slaves. They may be the property of Minors
and it may be better even for the slaves to c hired out
for few years. than to be sold out of the family in which
they have been raised master may for the time have
more laborers than he well employ and it is much
bettertha they should be hired out than maintained in
idleness.
We do not think it wise or expedicnt that a man
should invest his property in slaves for the purpose Of
living upon their wages. This is abuse OF the insti-
tuition Of slavery and ought to be dscountenanced by
every good citizen
But if slaves must of necessity be hired out it should
be done under proper regulations The custom Of hiring
out by the single year should be abandoned The long
cr servant remains with his employer the useful
he becomes for the deeper interest he takes in his affairs
If the servant felt that he settled for term of years.
or at least that change not to be made the end
of the year. he would be anxious to please his
pOyer He would not be looking forward to the end OF
the year. under every little veXatOn, imagined hard
treatment, and resolving to be of as little value as pos
sibe till the connexion could be dissolved On the 9th
hand the employer would take pains in the dis
cpne and instruction of the servant did he feel assured
of his services for longer time. Under the pres Mt
system he feels the term of service draws near to
close that the results of discipline viii not pay for the
trouble of it. Everything goes at loose ends, and the
slave forms habits which render him less and less vaua-
BILE every year.
Another bad practice connected with this is the al
lowing Of slaves to choose for themselves their places Of
service. Negroes are like children fond of change
They know not when they well treated and like
y to choose homes where they think there will be the
least restraint. The liberty OF choice often keeps them
in state OF discomfort through the whole year. for they
very soon make up their minds that at the close of it
they will seek another home The employer. If he has
obtained capable servant, and is desrous of retaining
him. RENTS discipline and grants ndug ugenccs in
ducement for the servant to remain with hiu-and the
slave is ruined.
Ia the competition for good and capable servants is
not uncommon for employers to agree to pay them a
stipulated sum- or to allow certain portion of their
time to be spent they please thus paying master and
slave in order to secure the services Of the latter The
consequence s that the slave rapidly deteriOrates He
is allowed to feel that he has property in bis OWE la
bOr and he reasons that if part is accorded to him. he
has right to the whole and he renders his services
grudgingly Indulgence renders him insubordnate and
vicious, perhaps drunkard, and the master and employ
er arc both losers.
Masters and those who have charge of slaves to be
hired out have an important duty to perform 1t is
their duty that their slaves are well fed and clothed
not oYerworked, not exposed in bad ther, and prop
ery cared for in sickness But they cannot secure th
by listening to all the complaints of the slaves and al
lowing them to choose their own places. They mus
give their personal attention to the business and whe
convinced that servants are propry treated should in
sSt upon their remaining where they we're The en-
ployer should be assured when he hires slave that b
shall continue IN his service as long he wants him
long the slave is to be hired out There will ther
be motives for the proca duties of master and
want and both may be benefited by the cOnneXon. A
1t IS the employer is but bali master and the sav
is half reC-the very worst condition that each can b.
in for faithful service on the hand and efficient dis
! cpline on the other.
But Of all practices connected with th hiring out O
slaves, the worst is to hire them to themselves. Tha
is, to demand Of them stipulated sum for the year
which thessave pays he may dispose OF his time as
pleaseS 1t is in fact emancpating him for the year 70
given price. The result in majority of cases is tha
the slave deeriOrates in morals in habits and in health
He spends as little possible upon his food and cloth
ing that he may money to expend upon bis vices
or pass portion Of his time in idleness In few year
he becomes idle, Incorporate, dsconcnted and insUbor
dinate.
He comes TO look upon his masters interests as an
tag0nisc to his OWn and regards the money which Ii
pays to him much taken from him by gross inus
tce-whie at the time he exerts al evil infuenc
upon all the slaves with whom he associates No on
has right thus to indulge his slaves, for he damage
his property while he destroys the character an
happiness of his slave, and does great injury the com
munty. ~.
There should be laws to put stop to such daagcrou
practices and if they evadcd public opinion shou
put them down etfecuaIy it docs unnasked abo
tiOnism