Winchester journal. [volume] (Winchester, Indiana) 1862-1863, 1863-05-15

the destitution of the South, in
consequence of the war, viii re
quire the labor Of more negroes
than she ever possessed, to repair
damages. The farms over q vast
portion Of Virginia, Missouri, Ten
nessee, Kentucky, and other
Southern States, with dwelling
houses, mills, gins, fences, ma
chinery. tools. railroads, and other
products of labor, have been des-
troyed or impaired TO such an ex-
tent as TO require the toll of years
to restore them. The South needs
not only her black laborers, but
millions of white lahOrers. TO en-
able her to recover from the shock
of civil war. Unless the South
ern States offer large inducements
for enterprising immigrants 10
transfer their labor TO her depart
ment, she will lag for a century
behind other portions of this
country. Slave labor will be q
mill-sto around her neck. She
must cut herself loose from this
incubus and flourish under the be-
nigR influence ofvomntary remun-
Grated labor The old system of
things might serve the purposes
and pockets of a few thousand
planters, who would be glad to
amass fortunes at the expense of
the great majority of their fellow
citizens, but it will not answer the
wants of IN impoverished people.
The enancipated negro viii not
go North whore his labor is not
wanted. He will stay here. "a n
matter Of preference. until the in
huX of white labor, like the advan-
cling tide OF the ocean, shall grad
ually diSplace him. The parti-
sans i'm the North who profess TO
think that negroes will go there to
compete with white labor, are as
ignorant of the negro as are
those persons in the South, who
pretend 10 believe that emancipa-
ton would he followed by insur-
recton. Neither evil is possible.
They are both the troubled dream
Of diseased fancies, or, perhaps, in
some cases, the bugbears Of un-
scrupulous politicians, more desi-
rous of getting Office than of con
sulting for the welfare Of the
country. 1t will be impossible for
the negro TO 90 North while the
demand for labor is so great in the
South. even if he desired to, rs he
does not And it will he equally
impossible for him to he idle If
he should attempt to he a loafer
upon the community, he would
soon be. VIrED oUT.
Tie has no alternative but labor.
And we think it highly probable
that he will become n vastly i'm
proved laborer, from the day when
such ruflians as Forrest can no
longer seize his wife and children
and sell them on the block like
mules or horses. There will he
no danger then Of insurrection.
The negro would have no intoler-
able oppressor to rise against, and
he would no longer brood over
dark plots of arson and midnight
assassination, 70 revenge himself
for the cruel whipping Of his wife
or the dehaucherv ofhis daughter.
These. It seems to us, are the
views Of common. sense. But we
connot prevent silly and preiudi-
ccd people from herboring all
sorts OF gloomy apprehensions Of
evil. in case of the emancipation
of slaves. anv more than Robert
Fulton could keep the old keel
loatman from going into n frenzy,
when he saw Fulton's steamboat
putting along the river. "Sir."
said the excited boatman, "vour
invention viii throw hundreds Of
boatmen ont of employment"
no said Fulton. "it will give
work 70 4 hundred fold their num-
ber at three times their present
wages" Fulton was right But
the conservatives Of his day
thought he was a madman, who
would ruin the river trade.