Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-05-03
The Government Plantations on the Mis-
1rs sissippi---Greeley Bringing that Policy
into Disrepute. @ H

ST A4NNfHh .
II GREELEY, 10 the Tribune issued on Fast Day
morning, is unmerofully severe upon the official
order Of Adjutant General THOMAS, announcing
; a system for the occuT ation OF plantations on
the Mississippi, and the employment thereon of
emspoipa,ed negroes. "This SYSTEM" GREE.
LEY saws, proposes In substance that the plan
tations eball be leased and the Government
shall suppy the lessees with labOrers. The
wages OF the negroes are fixed at q certain
cum, to Sc paid by the lessees, who, in lien of
rent, are to be taxed on the products of the
estate"
GREELEY thus states his strong objections TO
the plan General THOMAS has promulgated, un-
der Instructions, ss the General alleges, from
the War Department. GREELEY says:
Under such system il Ia Inevitable that the
estates will be leased by speculatore, and no
amount of care or superintendence by the Gov
eminent Commissioners will be able to protect
the negroes from oppression, cruel treatment,
aud ov, rwork EXCEPT that punishment BY the
Iash is forbidden, they will be II possible worse
off than ou the eame plantations under their
old mssters and 10 undisguised elavery. The
owner Of slaves bad the inducement of self-in-
terett net 10 60 beyond certain point In bis
exsctlons and abuses. The lcssee is freed from
any such restraint, and by the terms oil his con-
tract, which is to expire in less than year, his
only Interest s to get all possible work 10 the
shortest possible time out Of his laborers. Idle
stipulations impossible Of enforcement will not
yfetter al unscrupulous speculator, such as most
of these leesees are likely to be. Whatever The
contract says about humane treatment will be
operative just so far az direct supervision and
compulsion make 1t go, and no further.
The negroes will be worse off under the new
system than 10 slavery under their old MASTERS
The latter we're induced by self interest not to
20 beyond a certain point in their exactions;
lessess are, freed from any such restraint, aud
their interest is to get all the work they can out
Of the negroes in the shortest possible time
These are noticeable pointa, coming from the
source they do. But GREELEY continues to state
his objections to the plan of General THOMAS,
saying:
The plan of Gen Thomas Ignores the rights
of the blacks, forgets that they are Free, and
deals with them as with 80 many cattle. They
are stock fer the plantations, nothing more.-
Even the wording of his order has the old taint
of slavery" The negroes are to be put TO ag-
ricultural pursuits" GAS many negroes of 40
eYaqs quality as the lessee may desire are TO be
turned ouer to him upon the order of the Com
missioners." The price OF their labor is hxed
between the Government and the employer; the
negro 10 not deemed worth consulting
GREELEY adds that there are other obec-|
tions to the system, but the above ought to be
more than sufficient to overthrow it."
Adjutant-G General THOMAS has stated pub
licIy st Memphis, Helena, Lake Providence,
Youug's Point, and other places on the Missis
sippi, that he was authorized to develope the
policy Of the Administration in regard to the
negroes, both as to employing them as soldiers
and as laborers on the plantations. This is I'M
derstood to be a part of the 'oar policy Of the
Administration. The severe and unsparing |
criticisms which HoRAoE GREELEY makes upon
General THomAs's plan Of employing the ne
groes upon Government plantations, is certainly
calculated 70 bring that policy "into disrepute."
Perhaps GREELEY hes not perused General
BuRssIDE's orders No. SO, or General HAacAIL's
No. 8; or he may console himself with the
reflection that be belongs to another district,
like the man who, being asked why be did not
cry with tue congregation under the powerful
exhortAtion, Of the preacher t, "aee from the
wrath to come," cooIly remarked that he be
longed to another parish.
But we may be wrong in this. II is more
probable that GREELEY and the like of him feel
perfectly safe in criticsing and bringing the
Administration "war policy into disrepute" to
their besrts' content; provided always, that
their criticisms and denunciatIons tend, not to
secure the freedom and rights Of white men,
but to free and elevate the negro.