Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-07-01
RICHMOND WING.
SATURDAY MORNING...JULY l, 1865.
Negro Wages.


Severe animadversions are INDUCED by Northern
newspapers on the prices offered in Virginia for
negro labor by proprietors and former masters
We might infer that the North, whichis so fond Of
attaching the word free to everything, while It
has secured that for which il has so pertinaeousy
stryen, free labor in the South, does not intend
10 allow "free" capital The rule elsewhere
throughout the world is that employers. anu
emGoyed settle terms between themselves. II
Southern propristors are not willing TO allow prop
er wages TO their former slaves the remedy Tor the
latter would be TO 20 elsewhere. And il the
Northern people are OF opinion that Southern em-
poyers are Offering too little Il is easy for them TO
Offer more. secure the labor for themselves aud
right the wrong. This would he fair, practical
ami busiress-hke. Anything else may he mis-
taken Tor dictauon and impeftinence. But, there
are matters belonging 70 this sub ect which It Is
quite poss bic are not known 20, or thought CT by
th0sewhose ides~ OF Justice and isir-dealEg seem
10 be 50 outraged by the action OF the Virginia
farmers. Ia TIE Hrst place, We have been urged
Nv the North Ter the last forty wears 10 believe
ina, slayery was the mu,. expensive iOlIn of labor
in the world. Yet the only wages paid TO the
slaves we've food, clothing, house-rcut and luer
6octors, bHi> and taxes. What enabled the master
10 paw these wages lJt Least here m Virginia. was
the productive increase IN the slave property ITSELF
In this way. man beginning The world With half
a dozen slaves might Al the end OF an ordinary
life have flty or ucosy 90 divide among his chill
dleu. But this element ct value IN slave labor is
row lost. and consequently The South % We
have been rightly Taught by the North.
could not .f.rj % clothc ic'd and cole
for the negTo population ia Teturn Tor their labor
This would be the case even it that population
had been disturbed in Eo other way than by
quiet emancipation. Eut shat are the facts p
Mr. Lincoln said. some months before his death,
that there were two huulryI thousand negroes IN
the military service oi the United states. OF
coplse. these vesC Young, active healthy males
lust tie class OF negroes Whc-c labor WAS 80 re-
muuera.iye o. the master that out OF the ggUhts
arising froE 20 Lc was enabled % take care Or
those who, from infancy, Old age, dscaic or
otker cause. we're teoJ expense. IN addition 20
these two hundred thousand. many thousand
perhaps IN equal u1InJcr a. precisely the same
cIsss-the s.l.et.c. lat. llgeut and entsrprislSS-
escurej from their Ov ue's and Iuaoe tEer "dy
70 free Ststes where Jhey yet are. Subtract these
hundreds Of thousands OF the btst labJrers the
south had from the whole body Of negroes, and
then consider tie question whether 1t when
they we've al aOik. enabling the prcprie
tor out OF she profits lie obtained IRON
tleir labor. 10 provide for those who were
o. no value. but IN expense, slave labor
vas the most costly form Of labcr, when the
40 10 -
vgs,b.e for Southern employers 10 do so much
ns f,el c!otae and care tgrthe entire negro popula-
t9nitmaicirg But this very thing the Souihis
dofrz. ard expects 20 have 20 do. Tie young, the
Old and the infrm have remained on tie plsnts-
lions, IN nineteen cases oat OF twenty, and their
former masters are taking rare Ol them. They
have too tender O consideration lor those whom
rhey have always regarded part Of their family
to tlr1s; taeu cut 10 stsIye. Shattered s.
tier f5r.1rss have been by the demands and
results o. Tie Wsr. ;bey are stI shoulJerng this
burden v5l! rs they cen. Toiuduce those who
are ale % WORK. 11ey offer them ia addition 10
food. house lzui s1j fuel, certain month
N sun .u mor,v The practical result Of
the whole thing wall be-. that after Legro labor
has been Usuorl. zsj and made altogether unre.
liable b7 the results OF the war-s,l-r hundreds
Of thousand, OF the most capable la1orerS have
been removed. the southern people, in addition
To the hard bargain they have had heretofore in
p5oytlrg Tor the physical comforts Of their ne
rross IN IetGra Tor their labor are doomed 70 do
ne same thing low, aud pay money eousiers.
t.ou Tor the privilege. Bu, the Nort1 is not sat.
i,fet Mr. Greeley IS scandalizcd-Mr Raymond |
is a5ignaut. Many most yirtuous and tender.
hearted people ere shocked and outraged. Well, |
vel. we are very sO,ry, but it can't be helped.