The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-04-24
The Labor ON tTGo South, Carolina Plan.
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The negroes on the cotton plantatioes ofthe
South Carolina islands around Beaufort, have
already gone to work for the Government. A
letter from Beaufort to the New York Tribune
gives an encouraging account OF the beginning
of this important experiment.
The islands on which are all or nearly all
the plantations have been placed under super
intendence at Port Royal, on which Beaufort
is situated-Ladies, St. Helena, Parry, Hilton,
Head and Dawfuskie, On these the estimated
number of plantations is 172. One superin-
tendent has generally charge of two or three
plantations lying near to each other, and in
some cases two occupy the same point, Jointly
caring for seven or eight estates. In addition
to the estates of these islands placed under
regular superintendence it is made the duty of
several of the agents on Ladies and st. Helena
islands to visit occasionally the plantations on
the similar adjacent Islands, Wessa, Dathaw,
Coosaw and Morgan. On some of the estates
the negroes were found to be doing so well as
to need no superintendent whatever. They
were industrously and regularly at work, de-
veloping the full capacity of the plantations,
peaeeable and orderly in their social life, and
requiring only some supplies of which they
were destitute and sometimes word OF advice
or suggestion. The duties Of the agents resi-
dent on the plantations have little immediate
concern with the planting and raising OF cot
ton. That is the business OF the negro driv-
er, who has always directed the process OF Gull
tivaton, and may be supposed able to do, now
that he is free, what he has hitherto done as a
slave. He retains considerable authority over
the negroes, even in the absence of the over
seer and master who formerly supported and
enforced it, and with the help merely oil the
presence of superintendent is quite compe-
tent to manage plantation under new sys-
tenn.
Only corn and potatoes have yet been plant
ed. The season for planting cotton IS from
the lst of April 80 the end of the first week in
May. 1t is the work of preparing the grou nd
for the seed which has been so long delayed.
and for which tools and stock are so much
needed. So little time has passed since the
work of organization has commenced, that the
system can hardly yet be deemed fairly in OPP
Grafton but enough has been done to serve as
an illustration of some of the methods by
which it is hoped to pursue the work OF edu-
cation and improvement. The negroes go read
ily to work; indeed have been generally at
work under their drivers before any superin-
tendence was begun. Idleness is the excep-
ton, not the rule So far as is possible to Judge,
no difficulty is to be apprehended on this score,
yet this is precisely the difficulty on account
of which the greatest apprehension has been
felt that all experiments with free labor must
be failures. The negroes in the camps have
been found to work willingly; why should they
not on the plantations Here is system III
operation on 10 plantations under which
they are at this moment successfully carried on
by free labor. If 1t proceeds with equal sucsss
the most alarming Obstacles in the way OF eman-
cipation will disapper; for the terrible ques-
ton, what to do with the negroes? will be
answered in the simplest and most practical
way.