American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1865-10-29
FOR REPORTER.
Slave Labor.

form. thar ever fell to the lot of any sim
liar body in this State. We feel grea
anxiety in relation to the action which
the Representatives Of the people vii
take, in regard to the important question
which must necessarily come before them
and sincerely trust that wisdom, mod
Grafton and justice" will rule the hour
and the result of their deliberations viii
rebound to the good Of the country.
The sudden emancipation of the slave,
has thrown into utter confusion the laboI
system Of the Southern States, and unless
something can be done to bring ordeI
out Of chaos and confusion, through 4,
well devised legislative system, equally
fair and just to employer and EN-.
ployee, but SO stringent in character as
to COMPEL the negroes to work, as form
ly, upon the plantations, we see nothing
in the future but a continuation of our
troubles, eliminating ultimately, we fear,
in starvation and death to many Of both
races.
Many persons losing sight Of The i'm.
portant fact, that every dollar in the
world originally came from "mother
earth" heedlessly imagine that the pres
ent show of dry goods and notions fresh
ly imported from the North, and brought
South to sell, indicate an unprecedented
degree of prosperity; while the truth is,
it only indicates that there is a portion OF
the old crop Of cotton here undisposed of,
and to absorb the proceeds Of which, these
same dry goods and notions have beer
brought here. But the old crop will sooO
be gone-the new crop. or crop of 1865.
amounts, comparatively speaking, to moth
ing, and when the last bale Of the latter
crop shall have been disposed of there
will be nothing left with which to buy dry
goods or goods of any other kind. and the
streets Of Southern cities and towns will
then present a more desolate appearance
than before the surrender, and many OF
our people, we fear, will 6ndgreat Difficult.
ty in procuring, as they say in Ireland
"the bit and the sup" That such
will be the result, unless the Leg
islature ia devise some plan by which
plantations now grown up in weeds
and broom. sedge can again be brought
into successful cultivation. is, it seems
to US. a matter not to be denied or con.
troverted.
Let the Legislature then, representing,
as it does, the will and interest OF a State
heretofore scarcely second to no other
in the value Of her agricultural products,
come up to the work with a determination
to construct q labor system, which, ifpos,
sible, may save us from the horrors Of sui
fering and want, if not starvation, and
keep far from our doors the terrible ca.
lamties which attended the experiment 10
Jamaica.
We do notexpect impossibilities. No
n should. We know, or think we
know, Of some Of the difficulties by which
this question is surrounded, and are will
ing to make all reasonable allowances on
that account; but something can Le dons
and something must Be done, and done ~
time for the crop of nezt year, or another
contest in our opinion will ensue-a con-
test between races, the horrors of which
it is beyond u pen to describe.
1t is useless to disguise the fact that
those who formerly constituted the labor
ing population of the South are deter
mined, If possible, to live anywhere and
everywhere, sooner than remain upon the
plantations. They are perfectly willing
to run the risk of starving in order to
have the chance Of living in or around
cities and towns, to pick up a stray dime
here and there, and to live as best they
may by doing little jobs or BY stealing.
The condition Of negro troops at various
points, and the establishment Of the
Freedmen's Bureau, together with its re-
msrkable course Of procedure in msny
cases, have had q wonderful effect in de-
morslizing the lsbOrers Of the country.
Those who contract to work and are