Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1865-12-09
The Labor Question,

\ great deal has been said ana is
being said about the labor supply
question in the Southern States
Tho subject is of the utmost import
anco, and il there is wisdom in n
multitude of counscllors-fora 4 vast
multitude is scdulously engaged in
the work ofgiving advicc-we hope
it will be forthcoming in this in
stance.
Two objects Of paramount i'm
portancc ut present engage the at
iention Of the Southern people. The
first is to obtain arcstoration Of our
civil and political rights under the
Constitution Of the United States;
and the second is to get an adequate
supply Of laborers to till the mum
bcrlcss fertile fields, at present lying
in an uncutivatcd state, on account
of the casualties of war and the re-
suits Of the emancipation Of the
slaves.
That the first will be restored to
us before the adjournment of the
approaching session of Congress, we
have little doubt. Nothing but the
pursuit Of u policy, opposed to the
circumstances by which we are sur
rounded and ut war with common
sound practical sense, can stop our
members from being admitted into
Congress, or prevent President
Johnson from carrying out his cher
ishpd idea of reconstruction; and we
hardly think it possible that the
States, now under military rule,
will pursue line of conduct calcu-
lated to weaken the hands of their
best friend, the President.
The second clause of the PROPOSE
ton is more complcX-it is attend
ed, we apprehcnd, with greater diff
culties. With an ample supply of
laborcrs, the South would become
comparatively prosperous within
twelve months. Without laborers,
our present seeming show Of thrift
and prosperity will vanish in less
than q year, and we will all see times
harder than we ever imagined could
exist before. OF this there can be
no doubt.
The question, then, is about the
labor supply. How shall we obtain
a sufficient number of laborers p
From what source can we derive
that amount of skill and industry,
bone and sinew, indispensable to our
agricultural and commercial exist
cnce? 1t is true immigration from
the North and from Europe will
help us considerably the the coming
season; but it is also undeniable that
it will take q full additional year to
make the unrivalled inducements
our country holds out known and
appreciated in the North and in for
eign countries, so as to cause a
mighty wave Of immigration to flow
in upon us and make our waste
AIsaS bloom and blossom with the
fruits OF an unequalled agriculture.
But, what are we to do in the mean
time2. what shall we resort to
staaIsQnan agricultural and COM
mefciaICSllapse, which may set us
back, so far, as a career Of prosperi-
ty is concerned, for many years?
We are inclined to think it is in
the power 2f the various Southern
Legislatures TO make the labor Of
the negroes available and valuable,
alike to themselves and the country.
Let laws be passed., protecting the
negroes fully in their rights Of per-
son and property, according to the
declared policy of the Government
of the United States. and, when this
is done, let other laws be adopted,
compelling strict observance of
contracts, on the part of all, black
as well as white, under heavy pen
alties, and defining, regulating and
furnishing vugrancy. 1t strikes us,
if laws like these were passed, which
would be unobiectionable in them
selves, even to the most violent Rad
ical, that the labor of the negroes
might be useful-that q great pres
cnt gap in our industrial system
might be filed up, partially at least,
until the approaching tide OF immi-
grafton shall render us independent
Of this somewhat precarious aid
". o. Crescent.