Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1865-12-07
Labor in the South.

we Jesteiuhy iliSt Win q i"i g
planter of high position, from the
! priliries of eastern Mississippi, who
nas just returned from-a visit, to
illinois to purchase corn for HIM
self and nelghbors. Ina conver-
sation, he stated that the destitu-
ton in that section Gf country,
which has hitherto been one of
the create ST gtanar.es Of the world,
is very general. lie attributes
the scarcity to the fact that the
freedmen are demoralized, and can
not be induced to perform enough
work to furnish supply of food
for themselves.
This is II fact which affords
matter for the gravest considera-
ton Of every patriot and philan-
thropist, and should be viewed
entirely apart from the prejudices
or opinions of sections and parties,
and ought to be disconnected
wholly from the events of the late
war. Neither prejudice, passion
or opinion can clothe or feed the
black man, or make him a useful or
happy member of the body polite.
lie has been suddenly precipitated
into condition of freedom without
any effort on his part, and
awaked up to the boasted boon
without moments notice or pre-
paration. 1t is not strange that
he should vainly imagine that the
rest of his life was destined to be
long holiday. 1t is not unnatu-
raj that he should get his ideas
somewhat confused ON the ques-
ton of his right to ''the pursuit of
happiness" and his obligation to
get his bread by the sweat of his
brow. All compulsion being with
drawn, and no adequate system
having been substituted to present
q motive strong enough to his
mind to induce him to labor, can
it be regarded as an anomaly that
the poor, ignorant African, mini-
tiattd into the drc0nd of free labor,
civil rights and moral obligations,
should passiyely submit to the de-
cree which taught him to go whith-
ersoever he wishes, and find hap
piness for himself in his own un-
restrained appetites. We must
deal with the question as an ac-
complished fact-we must look it
in the face, however unpromising
it may appear. We must treat
it. too, as a practical thing, and
try to cure the evils resulting from
it, the best we can. We propose
to offer no suggestions rs TO the
remedy. 1t is for the people to
take the matter under serious COLI
sideration as the most important
that now practically engages their
attention.
1t is a stubborn fact, now getting
to be generally recognised, that
the large body Of the freedmen,
at this time. are very much indls-
posed to labor. The intelligent
Bureau officers having this matter
in charge, recognise it as the most
serious obstacle, staring them in
the face, to the return of prosperi-
tv to the Southern States, which
have been desolated and rendered
waste by the war. The matter
can not rest here. 1t behooyes
the planter to make an honest. ef-
fort to secure a system Of labor
from the fl. edmen which sLa.l be
consistent with their changed con-
dition, compatible with their re-
Gently acquired rights, and recip-
rocally beneficial the employer and
emyloyee. The planter can af-
ford to pay liberal wages and q
generous remuneration if be can
only induce the freedmen to work.
But work they must, or suffer
from priyation and starvation, and
entail upon society at large the
calamitous consequences of idle
ness and vagrancy. The white
capitalists of the country cannot
be expected TO ruin themselves in
the effort to make the experiment
successful. They should try the
experiment fairly, but net to their
ruin. In this they should be aid
cd effectively by the Government,
bothh State and National. There
can be no question of thenecessity
and obligation for such govern
mental assistance. Encourage
ment should be extended to faith