Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-02-01

Sbore. It's soil, climate, business ana re.
sourees-E in Maryland is
rapidly solving the greatest problem in
velyed in Emanci patton throughout the
South.
On THE CHOPTANK.
Dorchester County, Md, Jan 2S, 1865.
1t was stated in my last that the freed ne
groes on the Eastern Shore Of Maryland are
laboring much more indus.riously than was
anticipated by those surrounding them, who
opposed their emancipation. Iray Justly add
that they are also laboring far more intelligent
ly than before; the ia nceptive OF wages not only
having increased their industry amazingly, but
also their perceptive powers; or, rather. their
disposition to use the latter to the advantage OF
their employers. 1 have negroes in my en-
ployment farm laborers,) who are worth quite
q hundred per centum more to me new, than
when 1 was paying their late owners-not
themselves-their hire. 1 find, too, that I am
net, as then, being constantly plzndered.
When slavery existed in Maryland /. was
taken for granted that nearly all the negroes
would steal, and that all would refuse to give
any information they might possess relative
to thefts of others of their class. This was a
source of great loss to the Maryland farmer.
OF much heavier loss than farmers in non.
slaveholding comm unities experience from
thefts. 1t is already plain that emancipation
is curing this crying and shameful evil, which
was but the natural result of an almost eXclu-
sive system OF farm labor without wages; often
on what q white laborer would conceive to be
short allowance OF food and clothing, and with
the laws and the influence OF society making
it penal for the laborer (slave) TO attempt to
acquire the knowledge and intelligence of the
white man which caused the latter to consider
thieving a crime / venture to assert that
since the emancipation Of the negroes Of the
derfully decreased, though many thousands
were suddenly turned neck and heels out of
doors, and for the time being hardly knew
where to procure q mouthfui of food. There
are large number OF originally free negroes
in Dorchester county, to whose credit be it
said, that they freely shared their pittance
with those freed by the adoption Of the new
constitution. or course all citizens who ap.
proving the policy, voted for the measure,
did their share also in preventing it from ere.
atlng momentary distress and embarrassments.
So, after week or a fortnight at most, from
the day the new policy went into operation,
the opponents of emancipation ceased to talk
Of hordes Of idle and ignorant negroes in their
midst, and, instead, began to- bewail the fact
that farm labor was about to become exceed
ingly scarce, as the able bodied negroes were
nearly all hiring out to cut wood, by tne cord.
They were offered $40 per month to work on
farms; and, by the wood getters, from IS cents
to 81 10 per cord lIeeding themselves) for cut
slug wuou. Uf course most of them embraced
the latter offer: as cutting two cords per diem
is but a fair days work there. This business
of wood cutting tonly prosecuted in the Win
teri has long been one OF great pecuniary i'm
portance TO the Eastern Shore of Maryland
Before the war fireWood was worth there,
hauled to landing ready for shipment. from
IN mar ord fho Iopo
supplied at from 81 to rs. The county OF Dor.
chester alone, has received, perhaps, mil.
lions of dollars in the aggregate for fire wood
shipped 70 Baltimore. Philadelphia, Wash.
ington, New York and elsewhere, and there
yet remains standing i'll It's limits millions OF
cords that must be cut before the county can ever
take its proper place in Maryland's approaching
race Of agricultural and mechanical progress
What am here writing OF Dorchester county
holds good with reference to Somerset and
Worcester counties, situated lower down on
the Eastern Shore peninsula. a super abund-
anee of fire wood easily accessible to water
transportation. has greatly retarded their agri-
cultural and mechanical development through.
out the last thirty years, in which period the
non-slaveholdIng States have made such as.
tonishing agricultural and mechanical pro.
gress. SO, too, has their possession and the
accessibility OF vast quantities OF valuable
ship timber greatly interfered with the deyel.
opmeHt of their resources and facilities, which
for agriculture and horticulture are unsur-
passed on the North American continent The
landholders of "The Shore'' have found pur.
chssers for their ship timber by the single tree
at high rates, and as they generally knew little
indeed Of the philosophy Of progress as it has
been developed by the necessities OF society in
regions OF the United States less favored by
nature, they contensed themselves with the
proceeds OF the sale of their fire wood and
timber, rather than to venture upon the ito
them) unknown sea Of agricultural and me-
chanical improvement, which, besides, in
volved an immensity Of real hard labor, to
which their slaves were almost as little accus-
toned as themselves. Nature-their magnif-
cent bays, rivers, navigable creeks, and for.
ests-fed them in great part on the fines.
delicacies known-oysters, hard and soft crabs
all varieties Of salt water fish snd ducks, geese,
&c, and the choice game OF the American
woods and fields. The "damned Yankee"
paid them thousands, tens and hundreds
OF thousands annually for the privilege of
cutting their ship timber, and for their
fire wood. Providence gave them a soil
and climate in which more in the way of ce-
reals, fruits ana vegetables are produced with
out real hard labor than any where else
amount OF care and work. Slavery, in making
manual labor a mark of social inferiority
ameng them, has been an incentive to idleness,
and, consequently, to popular ignorance.
Living in great part upon Northern expendi-
lures for their forests fire wood and cereals,
(for they sold nothing whatever except a few
slaves to the South,l the existence OF slavery
among them caused 'the damned Yankeen to
be hated, as elsewhere in slavehoiding com.
munities. So, too, have popular education and
diversifcation Of labor been generally frowned
down there, as being but emanations OF
.sdamned Yankee".isnl. The current war is
at length to a considerable extent opening the
understanding OF the people OF the region of
which am writing to proper realization OF
their own and their States true interests and
just affiliations; and the Eastern Shore OF
Maryland consequently offers a field for agri-
cultural and other Industrial enterprise such