Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-06
"THEY WILL NOT WORK.

There is a sound floating in the air in va
rious quarters which seems to shape itself
distinctly into the phrase standing at the
head Of this article. The sound seems to
have aoated northward on southern breeIes,
and to have found an echo in northernly lati-
tudes, They will not work.
We have no doubt that there are n great
many people down South as well as every
where else who will not work so long as they
can find support without it. A large portion
of the officers, soldiers, contractors, specu-
latorS, ETC., who belonged to the Confederate
army, or were fed in one way or another at
the Confederate crib would much prefer Of
fce to hard work. The tax gatherers who COB
bled the tithes, and the lazy supernumeraries
who ate them; the sharpers who collected and
cribbed the soldiers aid; the rebellion sup
porters who have lived upon stealage Of some
sort during the last four years will not
work" II they can help 1t. Most of them
will find they can't help it. however, and will
be compelled to work or starve.
Ah pus VIC uout moan the Wnlte man
this government was made for the white
man and he has right to be idle and starve
If he chooses-we mean the irrepressible
black man. He won't work" 1t would be
somewhat surprising IL the black men who
have been at work for white masters who
spent their earnings abroad were demoralized
by bad example to that extent that they will
reluctate against labor for WHILE but ne
cessity, and the love of little money or
some small possessions they now can call
really their own will produce the desired
effect even in extreme cases, and there Is no
reason to apprehend that the negro will not
do their share Of the work as compared to
the whites who belong in the South.
New stimuli to industry in general, and new
incentives TO labor in individuals, will operate
TO change the character of the whole South.
The old aristocratic men and women of the
lately rebel States will shudder at the thought
Of gentlemen and ladies being compelled to
work, but the young men of the South who
are. good for anything, are taking of their
coats and beginning a new Cram era of
labor and industry. And these are the men,
too, who will ere long sway the destinies of
their States, and command paramount in.
Ansncs among their fellow citizens. General
LEH's sons have gone to work upon their
farms, and many rebel officers instead of
lowering around political cauldrons to throw
In ingredients Of mischief, are taking hold Of
the plough and turning up the soil that has
lain falloW these four years.
But there is great host Of bummers and
larry ioungers who managed to live with.
out work during the war, who are determined
10 live without it rs long as possible now
that the war is over and these are they who
raise the cry, which the Northern Copper.
head is so fond of sohoing, that the negro will
not work. From the most reliable informa-
tiOn we can get, the negro is doing quite as
well as could be expected, and 1t will be
found that the four million blacks, who have
done all the work in the South for great
many years, will do their share Of it under
the new order of things.