East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-05-18
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they are the victims Of Eastern specu.
lators, and should be protected. True,
Ne says, several thousand acres have
been set apart for their use, but ga
considerable portion of the land so re-
served, are swamp lands, totally snat
for any purpose except 10 breed alli~
gators aud marsh hens" This seoms
rather hard, but the writer makes dis
closures still more disgracefil. While
arguing in favor Of the system of pre-
cmption, and showing how the negroes
are swindled by employing them upon
estates Of loyal whito tax purchasers,
hc incidently alludcs to letter pub
lished in New York paper, from Il.
y, Philbrick, agentlcman who express
es himself in high admiration of the
mamor in which business is conduct
cd in South Carolina, and woll satisfi-
cd with tho pecuniary results. Ii is
now said that there are very substan-
tial reasons for holding this view, in
asmuch as Mr.. Il. went b Beaufort
under the auspices of Boston stock
company, to purchase estates and 20
work them to the best advantage, and
in one season made $3.50, 900 over and
all outlay and other expenses" Truly
this is kind of philanthrophy that
pays well. But let us SEQ in what re-
spect the negro worked under this sys-
tenn is better off than when a slave:
Each family" says Mr. r., "has q
little patch of land for their own cul-
tivution, and their house-rcnt free"
tall this they had when they were
slaves j "they are held entirely re-
sponsible for their own food" their
owners provided them with food and
clothing, tool "and to give them
courage and provide for their current
wants, partial payments are made each
month, for planting and hoeing the
corn per acre--reserving the principal
payment for the end. And for each
family, definite portion of land was
assigned for the cultivation of cotton,
III such quantities as they choose to
take, and the separate families so as
suming the care of these patches were
made, so far as possible, responsible
for the crops grown upon them," THAT
is, the labor is not, as before compulso-
~, under the whip; but if they don't
labor, they must pay for it; so far
Us is possible" Now, under this sys-
ten, what do these negroes earn on an
average? 50 cents per day
That Mr.. =. really believes that the
millennium of good works has culmin-
ated in his transactions hcre, l have
no doubt. 1t is very easy to be per-
suaded that one is n philanthropist,
when the work engaged in is one
which pays such enormous profits
SO plausible is Mr.. lhilbrick's letter,
so earnest does he appear TO he in his
work, so simple minded in the clean
breast he makes of the whole plan of
his spcculatlous, tlut the very best
people at the North are deceived by it,
and believe him to be second Viii
bcrforcc and Astor united i'll one.
Now, if these negroes are employed
at all upon these plantations--and
doubtless they may be with the most
perfect propricty, and, III many cases,
should be--thcn they ought to be paid
full laborer's wages. Any one of these
freedmen may go North if he chooses
and earn from 81 so to $50 per day,
as coal-heaver, or in other branches
of manual labor. White men will
not work for less here and find them
selves, and yet Mr.. P.'s method gives
them 55 cents
The Boston stock Company ought
TO return TO those negroes the utter
most farthing of the money they have
squeezed out of them, paying them an
average of 81 per day for the work
already done, and re-engaging them
for another season at the same price !;
and oven if that were done, THEN. prof
its would yet be enormous.
Here is a shameful exposure, if true
New Englanders massing colossal for
tunes 10y hiring negro labor at starry
alton rates, and all in the giise of
philanthrophy, and under the pretense
Of ameliorating the condition of the
wrctchcd victim, is sorry commenta-
ry ON human nature. But it is no
more than might have been expected.