Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-04-12
General Banks Regulations for System of
Labor.

We nave caltu the ATTENTION OF OUT itduFIs
heretofore to what is cllIei Gen. Banks system
OF free labor in Louisiana, expressing our dissent
from the principle which seemed to be its only
justification. Ga tn, outside Of this paper we
print n full these free hbor regulations" so
that il, as our ntighbor of the Tree Press coure-
ousy and kindIy suggested to us, We are our
selves too much 10 the dark to express an inte
gent opinion respecting them our readers at least
may have the text along with the commentary,
and give Gen. Banks all the credit TO which h.
is justly entitled for his system Of labor"
We have already said that We had no wish to
crticise Gen. Banks plan, any further than it
seemed to be direct infringement upon the rights
Of freemen. We do ut argue its expediency at
all-eIcept to say that we believe that the highest
expediency and the strctest right generally 90
hand in hand. We do say, however that We
can find no defence for his system Of apprentice
ship, except in the slaveholder's argument that
these negroes are not capable as whte people are
OF taking care Of themselves.
This order is expressed With convenient gener
atty, and for some reason does not in terms limit
its labor system TO negroes White hb5rers, 10
Louisiana, so far a, the terms Of the order are
concerned, can be hired out in the same way as
colored workmen. Yet this general scope Of the
order is the ony logical one l)r il Gen. Banks
had limited its operation to colored people alone,
bis general reasoning in defence Of it would at
once have fallen to the ground And now we
want some apologis' for, or defender Of Gen.
Banks system, ut has Mt yet quite arrived at
the dignity Of an institution TO inform us
by what law, constitutional, international, OF mar.
tia, the commanding officer Of a military depart
ment in the United States ha. any right to fix the
price Of labor, and declare as law hat one free
man shall receive eight dollars month, another
six, another five, and another three, for ten hours
labor in summer, and nine hours in winter and
that he shall work Sunday when the Planters
necessity may make il profitable Ter him to insist
upon it ? and that engineers and fremen shall re-
ceive but ten dollars per month? By what right
also does Gen. Banks declare that any man, with
or without family, in Louisiana, shall Cultivate
only one acre of land, and if he happen TO be SO
unfortunate as to be in the third class and has
no family, he shall be allowed to cultivate " one
qps-'er qcr., !" unless the discretion Of his EN-
poy mould enlarge this bit Of g,rlen' Isii
any wonder, under such regulations IS these, that
" planters" make immense fortunes, one having
rallied already a hundred thousand dollars by
the system "
1t is not difficult to see that planters, by th,
l"ystem," get their help at as small cos, as when
Slavery was in full operation in Louisiana. Their
a" FIRST ca" hand +" was worth $500, and o.
course cost his owner at least $50 as interest or
theinvestment, beside the risk Of dying. Nov
the planter gets rid Of the latter risk and pay,
$9s year wages and one can readily under
stand Why since Slavery is abolished, and laborer
are too few to supply the great demand they
should be under the greatest obligations to thu
military oGcer who should kindly commiseralt
their condition, AID supply them With help" a
cost no greater to them than the cost of Slavery
fnt what justice is there in taking from the labor
sp the opportunity to profit by this scarcity, ant
secure, as sborers do in other States, higbs
wages, by reason Of the increased demand fo
working men
1t is noticeable also that laborers are spoken
Of as class 10 this order, and without distinction
Of sex or sge, and Of course the term include
emales, Who are thus hired out to planters a
d" second" or "third or " fourth class hands
the only distinction that is made in regard to fam
lilies being that those who have families are per
mittsd to cultivate, on private account, a lid
larger patch of ground than those who have none
The only choice these aborers have in this system
Of apprenticeship is the privilege of choosing
their employers The term and price Of labor an
I fixed without consulting them.
This order is wholly ndefensible on principle
and il Can no more be argued in its favor that tn
, condition Of these "aborers" is better than
would be in a state Of idleness than the same al
gument can be conelusivey urged in favor
downright slavery. The true question is one
3 right, and not Of ,rpedieney. Ii a thief shoul
! steal your purse il would be no defence Of th
theft that he aud you were both better off for tn
robbery, that he had given part Of the money /
q rich planter, and wolld return part of it in il
! s,almenn to YOU and that il he had MT stolen
you would have foolishy squandered it, A Cou
would ut give much weight 10 such defence
a thief and yet it is, in principle, precisely Ii
= defence put in by Gen. Banks attorneys whe
+ those who believe that " aborers have the SAN
: rights 10 Louisiana as in Vermont arraiga h
9 System OF wholesale apprenticeship.
We suppose, after all that Gen. Banks ordt
:. was aimed al free negroes, aud that its provision
are not enforced in the case of white persons. \
one Of the dominant race " in Louisiana hi
ye, been spprenteed under this order, and no on
will be. Gen. Banks knows that he has no rigt
!, to cay that white "engneer OF foreman
shall receive but ten dollars month; and il h
, should attempt TO enforce such an order be woul
End very soon that whit, men would no, subm
6 to be thus deprived Of their right to fix their ow
price Tor their work, and work ten hours or fy
A hours a day, Just as they could agree with the
}. employers. |, answers thus to deprive negro,
Of their rights, however. SLAYER, has done
,. kindred, though a somewhat harsher work for th
( negroes for more than half a oentut, in Ioui.ar