Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-12-15

basis Of the Presidents Proclamation,
oontsmplates, amOpg other things, the es-
tablishment of loyal people on the Mis-
sssippi. There must evidently be re-
organization Of Southern society. Men
must have control Of Southern politics
who VIII not plunge the nation inuo an
Otaer civil war. Tie Republic must de-
fsnd itself against foes at the ballot box
SIS well as foes in arms. The former, when
Ia the majority, may endanger its life as
much as the other. The President was
determined to disfranchise the leaders of
the rebellion.
But there is another process By
which this reorganization Of Southern
Society is to take place, none the
less important. 1t is method which has
been employed from time immemorial.
The Greeks and Romans planted shoots Of
the parent stock in all quarters of the
then known world. BY this means they
secured permanency to their dominion
over land and sea.
Adjutant General Thomas is work
ing in quiet way to recon
struc: the society Of the entire Missis-
sippi Valley by leasing abandoned and
forfeited plantations to loyal men whose
interests and sympsthies will be fer the
preservation Of the Government.
Under his authority three commission
srs, called Commissioners Of Plantations,
have been appointed to whom is entrusted
the letting Of the plantations of the Mis-
sissippi Valley above the department Of
the Gulf.
For the sake of facilitating this great
and humane work and enabling some Of
our enterprisiag Yankees to make their
fortunes in short time, We furnish very
interesting statement for which We are in
debted to the New York Post:
Oae Of these gentlemen, Mr. Field, who
is President of the Commission, lives at
hatcher, Mississippi; another, Colonel
Montague, lives at Vicksburg, and the
other, Mr.. Dent, is at GOodrich's Landing
They meet at Vicksburg every three or
four weeks to decide upon applications of
persons desirous to Lease plantations IN
der their control. These consist Of places
owned by dieloysl persous, cr which have
been abandoned by their owners.
They are BOW leasing these plantations
for one year from the drst of ga2uary
next, upon the following conditions The
lessee must agree to employ one able
bodied hand to every eight acres of eulti-
vated land; he must sdmit the children
and iufrm Of the employed to accompany
and live with their paTents or nearest Of
kin; must feed and treat all the people
humanely; and must pay the following
| wages to those who labor; to able bodied
men over fifteen yeers Of age, seven dol
| lars per month to abis-oOdied women
over fifteen years Of age, five dollars per
| month; and to children twelve years OF
age half of the above sums. Children
under twelve years Of age are not to be
put to labor in the Geld. Tue lessee must
! further agree to furnish the people IstiOns,
which consist chiefly of bacon corn meal,
rice beans and Dolasses- such food, ueUat-
| Iy, as hey hsve been accustomed 10. The
negroes are expected to clOthe themselves,
as they earn wages; but if sBy Of them
are in ne Of clothing Eaen they are re-
ceived on plantation, the lessee agrees
TO advance what is required, and Is per-
mitted to deduct the value Of what he has
qdyaneed from the wages Of the recipients.
Finally. the lessee agrees to pay to the
| Uaited States, as rent for the estate leased,
four dollars per bale of four hundred
pounds Of cotton, and Eve cents per bushel
for corr aud potatoes raised.
IA R8liss BE 7Suffs I'd tne 'U0mmi ssioners 10
writing, and should be accompanied by
proof of the legally, good character, and
peouniarv and business capacity or ability
Of the applicant to- carry On g plantation
No transportation, supplies, teams, tools
or other aid are fuFnished by the govern
ment. Steamboats, running on priYete as
count ara now navigating the Mississippi,
and permits are given by the Treasury and
military authorities at military nosCs TO
lessees, to enable them to carry necessary
supplies TO their plantations. They are
also permitted to purchase of Qlartermss-
ters at military posts within the cotton re-
gion, condemned or captured mules, hsr-
ness, farming utensils, &c at an spPrsis-
ed value; and they are permitted to pur-
chase OF the Subsistence Department sup
plies of the kind required, at fair rate.
The usual sssson for ploughing, on cot
ton plantations, beeins in February, though
crops which yielded fair profit were, last
year, put in as lste as the latter part of
April and beginning of May.
Arms and ammunition are issued by ord
nance officers at the military posts, to the
LEI sees, for all the men on the plantations
able to use them go that every colony is,
to certain extent, Belf-proteoted. 2 be
chief object Of the government, besides en-
abling the blacks TO support themselves,
lie, just now, to establish loyal population
on the banks Of the Mississippi, ana by
this to aid in tbs protection Of that line Of
commerce.
A well-informed correspondent, who has
visited and examined the whole region,
writes:
The plantations vary in size, from two
or three hundred to e thousand acres Of !
cultivated land; on some are found build
ings, negro quarters, cation gin, utensils, |
and portions Of the stock or teams neces-
sary, in good condition; others are par
TALLY or entirely without such furniture.
The capital necessary to carry on a plan
'atiOn varies Of course in amount, accord. |
ing to the size and condition of the place,
from tive to fifteen thousand dollars.
We learn that during the past season 4
some forty cotton plantations were worked |
by lessees in the Mississippi Valley. The
seed was in no instance put in before the
last Of April, and in some cases not before |
May they were subject to guerrilla raid
in July, which for 8 time almost stopped !
cultivation; yet every estate has yielded
fair profit; some have paid fuely. The |