The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-24


| The slavery question having been settled,
by the military power of the United States,
and the South having accepted in good faith
the solution slavery being recognized as an
issue of the war in which she has lost and
50 framed her legislation as to recognize the
negro, in the future, as a freedman, under
no other obligation to labor than those
which bind every other freeman, Of what
ever color, il becomes matter OF very anx-
ious inquiry, outside Of the social aud polit-
cal questions involved, what effect may be
expected upon the great questions Of labor
and production already disturbed by previ-
ously existing causes.
Before going further, it is we'll to remark,
what your own judgment and information
Will bear me Qua fully IN, that the people Of
the South, universally, are willing to give
fair and honest trial 20 the experiment. Of
negro emancipation, which has been forced
upon them, and that if let alone, 10 manage
affairs in their own way, and with their in
innate knowledge Of negro character, and
that sympathy with him aud his fortunes
which is but the national result Of long and
close association, everything possible will
be done, In good time, for the social, physi-
cal aud political advancement Of the race;
clsshing as little as practicable az the same
time with the great material interests Of the
the South are well advised that the restora-
ton Of slavery within its limits, even we're
il desired, would now be an impossibility,
for reasons induced by the war, and by the
subsequent action Of the authorities, both
State and Federal.
Having adverled to the great deficit ney Of
labor at the South, prior 10 the breaking
out of hostilities, as indicated in the small
per eentage Of lands actually under culti-
walton, and their low average value, am
sure that no advocate Of negro eInaneipa-
ton, however ardent, will expect me to look
for any prospect Of immediate relief as
likely to result from that act. whether the
negro will work 81 all, or with greater en-
ergy and produehVeness, under the stimu-
lus Of freedom, are questions to be deter
mined in the future; but whatever the
eventual determination, there must, il is
evident, be a period Of transition, in which,
even under the most favorable cireumstan-
ces, decline rather than improvement, may
be everywhere expected to manifest itself at
the South.
while it must be admitted that expert
ments 10 negro emancipation have resulted
unfavorably in other countries similarly
situated, ! cannot but derive hope from the
consideration, that there were causes at
work in most Of those countries which do
not exist in our own, which may modify
and control the result. / refer 10 the ia
feriOr civilization Of the blacks in the cases
referred TO-, their small contact with the
whites, the great disproportion between the
eolors, the nature OF the climate, requiring
little clothing, and producing f.-oa sponta-
neously, etc. Taking these facts into ac-
count | sm not respondent Of the result
when time aud judiciOus measures have
been allowed to mature a system.
But what is to be done in the meanwhile
is a point Of grave interest, and enc which
will occupy a prominent place at the meet
ing Of abe STATE Legislatures during the
present winter. Is there anything to be
accomplished, snd what, beyond the adop-
ton Of such local measures as relate 10 the
status Of the negro and his character as
producing agentf
There Is but one answer and that msy be
condensed into a few Words;
The S0Eth nust hr0U her immense meal
treated domain info the market al a loo price;
reduce the qltaHtifV Of lGHd held 5y iadiUidu4i
sroDriet0rs, and resort % inteifigeaf and ZIG
orons measures at TIE earliest moment, 10 in
duse an ilfar Of population and capitol from
abroad. This is entirely practicable.
That the landed properties Of the South
have been, in general, too large, aud that
great benefit would result to the proprietors
BY disposing at low rstes Of the surplus, can
scarcely BE- considered open 10 srgumeuta-
ton. Several years since, I caused the re-
turns of the United States Census, Of which
was then in charge, 70 be examined upon
the point, and the result for the number Of
farms, which were selected at random, was
as follows.