Smyrna times., 1865-10-11
The Two Races In the South

1he iutufe happiness of the Southern ne
groes depends so largely upon their being able
to maintain amicable and profitable relations
with those who formerly stood in the relation
snip OF masters to them, and who yet are, and
for long time will remain, the principal hold
ers OF real estate and owners of capital. that
we have frequently taken occasion to depre-
cate every scheme which had tendency to stir
up animOsities of race or collisions of interest
The Southern whites will inevitably control
the labor and the fortunes of the blacks for
many years to come, and in all the daily affairs
OF lie, will exercise an Immediate and control
ling power The blacks will constitute great
population OF subordinate laborers, making
continual advances in we'll being and intelG-
gence, or else will retrograde into condition
worse IN many respects than the bondage from
which they have been emancipated Which
OF these fortunes is in store for the Southern
negro, depends more upon the whites of the
South than upon anything that can be said or
done in the North.
We have chronicled in our columns MANY
instances IN which the most desirable relations
IN every respect have been established between
bodies Of freedmen and their former masters
One OF our correspondents in West Tennessee
mentions case which we are glad to believe
is not an isolated one in that section Of coun-
try, but which offers an example worthy of be-
ing widely followed:
Col. Travis was prominent politician and
lawyer. He had fine farm, with thirty slaves.
When the rebellion commenced. he raised a
regiment, and served till the close of the war
He is ruined man, excepting his lands. With
trunk-full OF rights, in the shape of $65, 900
OF Confederate bonds, he says he is satisfied
for the balance Of his days His slaves all
stayed at home, but two young men, who en-
tered our army. On his return, The surren-
dered with Johnston) he called the negroes to-
gether and told them they were all free; that
they become so as the result of the defeat of
the South that they were as free as himself;
that as they had stayed at home and helped to
take care OF his family, he proposed to do the
best he could by them, if they wished to stay.
This year they were all poor together, and all
would share alike. Next year he proposed to
rent his farm to them on shares
This plan the Colonel is CARRYING ont in good
faith. The first step he took shows his know
ledge OF the difference under the slave system
The negroes lived In quarters near the big
house, and under the masters eve. Col
Travis says this must be discontinued. He has
seven hundred acres in his home farm. About
six families OF negroes live in quarters. He is
building cabins at convenient points on the
place, and allotting them to the family he
thinks can conveniently cultivate the unit of
land to which he is contiguous. He is doing
this on the principle that the freed people must
be isolated and made self-reliant He lets his
land on shares. One-third of the crop is rent
for land, ohe-third for tools, subsistence, stock
and forage, and one-third for labor. IF the
labOrer furnish himself, and the tools, &aakhe
gets twO-thirds. If part of these necesS Ahs,
One.half Some of Col. Travis people have
stock of their own, ana between the landlord
and tenant, enough will be had to cultivate the
farm eifectually. Col. Travis is confident that,
SO far as he is concerned, he will get a GOOD
return from his land, without SO much labor
as formerly he believes the people will do
well for themselves, for he says they have al
ways been faithful to him. IN T. Times.
EMIGRATION TO THE SoUTTI.-A compre- |
hensive scheme for beneftting the South by |
supplying it with labor has been devised in the |
East, Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts,
being at the head of it. The project contem-
plates the establishment of central office in
New York, where the owners of the land IN
the slave States can become acquainted with
Northern purchasers, and thus stream OF EN-
igration be organized which will fill certain Sec
tons of the South with population having
Northern energy and ideas Branch o1hces
will be instituted in all the former slave States.
In this way it is hoped to reconstruct the
Southern States socially we'll as politically.
The Southern States themselves are doing
something of the same kind, ane. to the same
end. 1t is proposed in several them to ap- |
noirt State commissioner, with power to as
P. : 30 N N a,1Js e.. sol, ,a,nan