Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-11-12
The SLAYER! Question at the South.
Correspondence of the State journal.
NEW ORLEANS. La Oct Odd 1879


New ORLEANS, La, Oct 23d, 1868
see in many northern Cepperhead papers
the epithet abolition" continually applied
TO the supporters of the Government. Every
man who does not believe in restoring the
country as it was" is an abolitionist From
this section of the Union this epithet looks
hdicrous enough. Slavery is dead here, al
though this parish is a part of the excepted
territory under the Proclamation. The ne
groes won't work without pay any longer
No master has any control over his late slaves
They naturally betake themselves to work
and claim right to the bread they earn; and
the master is powerless. He is not only So
but he is seeking solution of the problem
the profitable use of free labor. No greater
humbug was ever palmed upon northern
credulty than that freemen and white men
could not cultivate the sugar plantations of
Louisiana. Hence an abolitionist," one who
can give a reason for the faith that is in him.
Is actually to-day popular man in New Or
leans. HIS ideas, his statistics, his reasons
are new ligh to the planter; and now that
they can't hang men for their opinions, they
seek every opportunity to gather light upon
the problem involved in this great and funda-
mental social revolution. They are far ahead
of the northern Copperhead in their views
upon the question of emancipation.
And let me say abolitionism is growing
faster in the South than in the North Hay-
ing felt that the question must be met, the
late masters are looking the subject square in
the face. Not word do they utter about
| the Unconstitutional rights" not a pretence do
they set up that the death of the slave sys-
| tenn is not the legitimate result of treason and
rebellion. They admit its justice, and do not
seek to evade this inevitable result No men
SO loathe and despise copperhead politician
as these same slave owners, over whose fan
cied wrongs" a part Of the Northern press
works itself up to such tragic appeals. They
don't want their help; they don't thank them
for their hypocritical cant and shuttle; they
are ready to work out their own material sal
walton as soon as war lifts its hand from COM
mercial adventure, and leaves the road to
| prosperity again open.
The time is at hand when not to be an abo-
litionist in this section of the Union, will be
to be no man at all. Abolition planters will
soon be all the rage. The wise abolitionist
who can make the largest crops by using free
labor, is to be the man. and that is the prob
lem of this hour. 1t is the great problem
whose solution lifts load from a continent of
| free people; and it is, now even being tried,
| and will soon be more extensively tested
! That it will succeed, no intelligent man here
| for a moment doubts.
The planters have not the least idea that
they have been oppressed. None of them
| claim to have been wronged. They went in
| to contest with the government, and ac-
| cept the result, as a matter of course.
| have conversed with great many of them,
and know this to be the feeling The twit-
ter of northern dough-faces about the " Con-
stitution," and the compromises" and the
"rights," and all that, after two years of
war, only furnishes them food for laughter ;
and they do not hesitate to predict that long
after the Southern people are an abolition
unit, there will be party of fools at the
North advocating the restoration of slavery.
| have seen many Of these planters, and
am free to say like them They are quite
intelligent as a class. They generally admit
| the rebel game is lost; that their case is like
the 81 man who was well, and wanted to be
better, and took physic and-ded." But
they don't whine over it, and they don't en-
joy the Copperhead whine-regarding it as
mean and contemplate, puerile and infa-
NOUS Abolitonism is generally accepted as
matter of course, and will be quietly &C
guessed in, unless the Slave Democracy at
the North succeed in getting up successful
party at the next presidential canvass, to re-
vive fast dying hope. Even then the more
thoughtful want to get rid of the system
New Orleans is an abolition city to-day
much more abolition than Milwaukee. X.