Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-11-26
THE LESSEE SYSTEM ON THE MISSISSIPPI
suFFERINcs OF THE NEGROES.

endorses as coming from responsipie SOURCE, TO
specting the practices of those persons who have
received from the Commissioners of our Govern
ment leases of large tracts of land the Missis-
sippi, on condition of cultivating them by the
hired labor of negroes. 1t appears that in great
many instances the lessees, in their eagerness for
gain, have forgotten the planes duties OF justice
and humanity, and that the greatest abuses have
been practised. We commend the statements OF
this writer to serious consideration
VIcKsBURG, (MIss) OCTOBER l5, 1868.
notice in New York paper of the issue OF Septem-
Der 25th letter on the Freedmen of the Mississippi in
which the writer speaks in high terms of the plan pro-
posed by Mr. Fields and adopted by the President OF eas
ing the abandoned plantations along the river to loyal
parties under control of Commissioners appointed by Go
vernment.
wish to make some statements in regard to the work
ngs of that plan during the past season. having been IN
position to observe its management and ts results Hav-
ing visited nearly all the leased plantations IN the district
of Northeastern Louisiana where the plan has been tried
know whereof affirm, and set down the management
of these plantations and of the ree men on them as an
uumitigated piece of vlaDy which the capitalist eaps
all the profits at the expense of the negro whom he hires
and hare no hesitancy in saying that the negro in this
district has suffered prpations and has been far
more in state of serDitude if that possible during
the past sir months than ,ohen under the rule Of his South
ern master And for this there is occasion the
cupidty of the lessee Nor the Commissioners APP
pointed by the Government be exonerated from great
blame when such abuses practsed.
BY the of the contract of the essees with the
Commissioners the negro is to be paid five dollars per
month for females and dollars for males to be
furnished with certain ratons in specified quantities, and
with clothing the value of which is to be taken out of the
wages due him Medicines and medical attendance to
be FL rnshed and the children to be allowed the prV
lege of attending "such schools may be provided"
About fifty plantations have been leased under this system
and although the essees have suffered from raids by the
rebels and from the lsteness of the planting in the spring
yet large profits will be realized from them, varying,
cordng the number of planted from FIVE thousand
to seventy FIVE thousand dollars. Notwithstanding the
certainty of realizing this profit how has the freedman
on these plantations been treated Has he been paid fed
clothed taught and cared for2 Has he yet realized any
of those blessings of freedom promised him, and which
he fondy hoped to find within lines and for which he
has suffered every thing death Let the facts speak
for themselves But ne barest necessities for keeping
body and soul together have been furnished them The
scan ration of meal and meat has been doed out to them
if every ounce were gold the sick have suffered and
died for want of medicines and nourshng food and what
little clothing has been furnished has generally been at
orbitant prices But leased plantation has school
upon it, and that taught by nfrm negro The
which these people have received is amply shown by
look at the buralgrounds of the plantations in any
,ohieh be found from t,renty oo hundred gravss Of
the Dictims Of this HUMANE system. The terms of the
tract itself all In of the essee but these
have not been complied with and the intention of the les
see seems to be to absorb all the negros wages in the
clothing and ratons furnished him at advanced prices At
the end of the year he will find himself without means
dependent himself with bitter recoectons of the past
and gloomy forebodings of the future.
The worst feature of the whole affair is that the Com
mssioners who have the authority, have taken
sures to alleviate these evils bring the perpetrators to
account They themselves among the heaviest essees
in the dsrct-are interested parties in the system and
matter of course cannot be made TO its evils,
while one at least ia whose loyalty many call in
question Was it the meaning of the President when he
proclaimed freedom to the snsaved that they should be
placed under such masters and barely allowed the
saries of fe to say nothing Of the rights of eemen To
the negro in this district the emancipation proclamation
has thus far proved mockery and farce Was the end
intended by Government in leasing these plantations the
filling Of the pockets Of INSCRIPTIONS specustors who
not only willing to Cypress the coored race but ready
TO sell their country for god There Of
honorable exceptions to the general rule in the treatment
Of the negro few there who have desire to
the treated justly but the majority of essees
who under other circumstances would be cotton
SPECTATORS dealers in contaband goods followers Of the
army ready to pounce like yutures upon any opportunity
for speculation that the chances of might veop
The only persons here who truly appreciate the good qua
tes Of the race recognise their rights and strive for
their elevation found among the officers connected
with the colored regiments. Considering them, they
did at the outset much bone and muscle which could
be prcftaby used in the service they have by discipline
instruction and kind treatment developed their dormant
powers until they have been led to feel respect for their
intelligence moral qualities and capacity for assuming the
duties Of free citizens while those who have employed
them outside of the army have given them such treatment
TO bring out their most sinister qualities Of head and
heart
In my opinion the objects proposed by Government in
occupying these abandoned panatons-that of providing
for the and that Of placing loyal population the
banks Of the Mssissipp-can be attained by the
present system where capital has much the monopoly
Of labor The negro is iLtreaed his wages are small
too small to live upon and nducement is held out for
energy and athulness in his duties The second object
is defeated by the control Of large of land by one
person. occupying often miles in extent leaving the popu
aon if too sparse for any attempt concerted
action against raids from small parties of guerIas from
whom only is to be feared any trouble. Both objects
however, be accomplished by throwing labor open to
competition it is at the North, by paying the laborer
such he capable Of earning and dividing the lands
into small farms of eighty hundred and sixty more
and inducing farmers and others from the North to