Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-07-27
Communicated
4 auGGEATION,

The sudden emancipation Of 100000
of slaves may be considered at least as one
of the greatest events recorded in history.
What is to be the future condition of this
vast multitude, and what their status is
to be as compared with the rest of the
population, depends in a great measure
upon the policy adopted by the Govern
ment and people at the present time.
Whether they are to become an incum-
brancc and q burden to the country, or
whether they are to be elevated, morally
and acknowledgements capable Of
enjoying and appreciating the blessings of
liberty ; becoming an element Of national
strength instead of weakness; contributing
their full proportion to the national rev.
enues; assisting as much as any other
class of the population in bringing out
and rendering available the u~ndeveloped
resources of the country, are questions,
the importance Of which can not be over
estimated. In former years the idea Of
emancipation and colonization of the De-
groes heldsin bondage in the United States
was o ~favorite scheme with some; but
now that emancipation has been consum-
mated, the idea Of colonization seems to
have been forgotten by all. The scheme
may, or may not be feasible, desirable, or
practicable /; still it would seem to be an
idea worthy of a thorough investigation,
and one that should be made the subject
Of q full and fair experiment. 1t has
been said by the former masters oil the
slaves, and by Others, that the climate OF
the Gulf States was such as to preclude
the employment of white laborers. as q
general rule, in the cultivation of the
staple agricultural products Of that region.
This assertion, although stoutly denied by
many, may v more OF truth than
fiction. 1t is no argument to the contrary,
that in Mexico, or even in the more south
ern and torrid regions Of South America,
that white labor has been successful. The
altitude of all these countries is such as to
materially affect the climate, while the
Gulf States are but little elevated above
the level of the sea, and afford evidence Of
once having been the bottom Of the sea
itself. Without discussing the merits OF
the question, We might make a simple
suggestion, or rather supposition-taking
the States of Alabama, Georgia, Florida,
Mississippi, Louisiana, and the southern
portion Of Texas, as a basis Of operation :
Suppose the Government, by some ar.
rangement with the above = mentioned
States, Constitutional amendment, Acts
of Congress or by such means as might be
most practicable to a legal and amicable
attainment of the object, were to set apart
all the public lands in these States to be
sold in limited tracts, and on reasonable
terms of credit, to the negroes who would
locate and become actual residents there
on-.the patents to issue in no cases until
the land had been paid for in full-the
Government in the mean time, affording
every facility and encouragement to in
duce the emigration thither Of the entire
colored population of the South, furnish
ing, if necessary, agricultural implements,
seeds, supplies, etc., to enable the negroes
to commence operations /; the expense OF
which to be eventually refunded by the
negroes to the Government. Should the
white population of these States choose
to remain, let them do so in welcome. On
the contrary, should they choose to re-
move to some other State or country, let
the Government buy their lands, at q fair
valuation-pay for it in United States
funds, and remunerate itself by a direct
tax upon the negroes of each respective
State where such purchases shall have
been made. Then, after being so remu-
nerated, ceding the lands 80 purchased to
the States wherein they shall be located,
to be disposed of by them either at their
original appraised value, or at public u
tion-the buyers in all cases to be negroes
and actual settlers Of the land 80 disposed
Of. The Government, by some system Of
awards and premiums, the establishment of
schools, and all the institutions Of c~iviliza-
ton, should incitc q spirit of enterprise
among them, and at the same time make
industry necessary to their subsistence.
II may be that such q policy or system of
colonization might ultimately result in a
separation Of the races, to the mutual ad-
vantage of both, and also of q more
thorough development Of the Of
the country than could be attained in any
other way.