Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-12-06
Current Gupits.
Experiments Of Free Labor in the
Sau,b.


tions we ever remember to hay
heard, of the imprac.icability Of ex
1 tensively caltivating Souihsrn sol
! Eby free labor, either white OF black
:. are related in speech of a distin
guished South Caroiinian in th,
House Of Representatives. Expert
| ments Of this kind bave been triet
: in both South CsroIina and Florida
and with similar results. Tie Rev
i, Mr.. Cape rs, distinguished ministeI
of the Methodist Church, gave uE
bis own plantation TO his slaves. hay.
ing previously endeavored to prepare
them for their trust by thorough
moral aud religious trimming. 1t was
after harvest when he delivered ovel
the plantation, and he left them with
barns full, With stock of cattle and
sheep, and a horse TO plow On
leaving them, he gave them all The
|good advice, both ds to the manage.
lmsDt Of the estate and their own con-
duet, which bis own experience and
his observance suggested.
After the lnpse Of saveral Ilargests.
AIr. Capers returned to the scere
of his philanthropy, to see how the
objects Of his benesolence were com.
ing on. lie found the fields uncul-
tivaied, the cattle eaten up, the barns
empty, and the horses emplayed,
not to plow or cart, but to convey
the negroes to the peighboring plan
ta;ions to depredate. Another fail
ure in an experiment Of free black
ltbor was in the year 1910, when the
estates in Trinidad, which had -four.
ished under slave labor, became in
consequence Of West India enamel
patton, deserted by the laborers. A
planter came to this country, an9
from the District of Columbia and
the State cf Maryland many free.
Iuegroes were Induced 10 go to Trini-
dad, 10 cultisate the land upon the
most advantageous terms. This er.
terprise resulted in a complete failure.
Tie free negroes found the sun too
hot, and rosoried TO the towns or re-
turned 10 this country.
The next experiment mentioned
is Of white labor. and the experiment
ter was. the distinguished William
Writ, who had resolved to become a
planter, and purchased landin Flori-
la. Having some seruples, be De-
teimined against the employ ment Of
slave labor, and carried down TO bis
plantation large number Of wlite
men. The work was commenced |
in the autumn. The men worked
with Industry and fidelity during
the winter and spriog seasons, and
all went on as systemaiicaliy and
energetically as Mr. Writ had an.
tic.pated. But the rich flowers Of
Mr.. Wirt's fine fancy we're no soou-
or in bloom than they were blighte1,
Summer c1me, and the gourd OF
Jonah withered as rapidly as it had
grown. Hot days and moist nights.
and increased demands for labor in
the cotton fields, took all the pilh
and marrow out Of the Anglo Saxon
bones. The men began to fail, their
sinews we're relaxed, and, finding
that they could not endure the cir
mate, they threw down their agri-1
cultural implements. and left the
plantation in a body. The autumn
crop would have been lost but for the
fortunate circumstance that gang Of
negroes were in the neigbborhood
for sale. These negroes were pur-
chased, the crop saved, and thus the
experiment ended.
Another experiment was tried by
a gentleman Of New York, who took
large number. Of German laborers
into Florida, and began the cultiya-
ton Of New Smyrna, tract Of
land upon which colony Of Greeks
had once settled, but finding free
labor could not cultivate Southern
soil, had abandoned. The German
llaboreIs at once set to work, as all
their countrymen do, zealonsly,
faithfully and iudustriously. and hav-
ing placed the ground IN beautiful
order, they planted The crops. But
the Germans could not keep off hot
days, the moist nights or tho mus
quitoes, and they also went away,
leaving the New York gentleman