The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1861-05-22
Experiments of Free Labor in the South.

Some of the most striking illustrations we
ever remember to have heard Of the impractica-
bility of extensively cultivating Southern soil
by free labor, either white or black, are related
in speech Of distinguished South Carolinian
in the House of Representatives. Experiments
Of this kind have been tried in both South Car
olna and Florida, and with similar results The
Rev. Mr.. Capers, distinguished minister in the
Methodist church, gave up his own plantation
to his slaves, having previously cndeayored to
prepare them for their trust 10y thorough moral
and religious training. 1t was after harvest
when he delivered over the plantation, and he
left them with barns full, with a stock Of cattle
and sheep, and each horse to plough On
leaving them, lac gave them all the good advice,
both as to the management Of the estate and
their own conduct, which his own experience
and observation suggested.
After the lapse of several harvests Mr. Ca
pers returned to the scene of his philanthropy,
to see how the objects of his beneyolcnce were
coming on. He found the fields uncultvated,
the cattle eaten up the barns empty and the
horses employed, not to plough or cart, but to
convey the negroes to the neighborng planta-
tons to depredatc. Another failure in an ex-
pertinent of black labor was in the year 1910,
when the estates in Trinidad, which had -four
ished under slave labor, became in consequence
of West India emancipation, deserted by the
iauorers. a planter came to this country, and
from the District of Columbia and the State OF
Maryland many free negroes were induced to go
to Trinidad to cultivate the land upon the most
advantageous terms. The enterprise resulted
in complete failure. The free negroes found
the sun too hot, and rcsorted to the towns, or
returned to this country.
The next experiment mentioned is Of white
labor, and the eXperimentor was the distin-
guishcd William Writ who had resolved to be.
come planter, and purchased land in Florida.
Having some scrupleS he determined against
the employment Of slave labor, and carried
down to his plantation large number of white
men, The work was commenced in the au-
tumn. The men worked with industry and fl
deity during the winter and spring seasons and
all went on as Systematically and energetically
as Mr. Writ had anticipated. But the rich flow
ers of Mr. Wirt's fine fancy were no sooner in
| full bloom than they were blighted. Summer
came. and the gourd Of Jonah withered as rap
idly as it had grown. Hot days and moist
nights, and increased demands for labor in tho
cotton fields, took all the pith and marrow oui
of the Anglo-Saxon bones, The men began tC
! fail their sinews were relaxed, and, finding tha
they could not endure the climate, they threw
down their agricultural implements, and left tn,
plantation in a body. The autumn crop woulC
have been lost but for the fortunate circum
stance that gang Of negroes were in the neigh
borhood for sale. These negroes were pur
chased, the crop saved, and thus the experimen
! ended.
Another experiment was tried by gentle
man of New York, who took large number o
German laborers into Florida, and began tn
cultivation of New Smyrna, tract of land upoi
which colony of Greeks had once settled bu
finding free labor could not cultivate Southern
soil, had abandoned. The German laborers a
once set to work, as all their countrymen dc
zeaIously, faithfully and industriously, and, hay
ing placed the ground in beautiful order, the.
planted the crops But the Germans could no
keep off the hot days, the moist nights, and tn
mosquitoes, and they also went away, leavinI
the New York gentleman without lahore
upon the plantation. There were no negroes il
the neighborhood, and he lost his crop AM
abandoned the estate.
In some of the Southern States the theTmon,
eter ranges from 113 to 1873 degrees, Fahrenhei
"a comfortable temperature for the sable skin
but no white man can live under it. In som
of the most fertile regions of the Southern
States, not only is white labor impractcablC
but the families of the proprietors cannot eve
reside on them with safety during the summe
months s.-RichmOnd Dispatch.