Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-07-18
Communicated.
The New Labor System.

There is perhaps no single characteristic
of the American people which excites more
wonder among European nations than the
ease with which we adapt ourselves to the
great and startling changes which the inc
vitable progress Of events is perpetually
producing in our social system.
The power of muscle is supplanted BY
steam, changing in manufactures and To-
comotion the entire machinery OF the
world; the slow coach system of carriers
for the transmission of Intelligence is, at
slngIe step, displaced by the lightning,
more swift shan the wing footed messen-
ger Of Jove; the weary, life draining
hand-stitci is supPlanted by the merry
song Of the treadIe, and still the great na-
ton moves on, strengthened by every
change, and challenging the world 70 out
strip in improvements the facility with
which we adapt ourselves to them. Each
change referred to, and many others which
1t is needless for us now to enumerate,
have been thought by the wise to mark
important crises in the history of our ma
ton, scarcely second in importance to the
revolutions that have shaken the world to
its centre.
Yet with so much ease have we con-
formed to the changes incident to them,
that we have almost persuaded ourselves
and tho world that no change has ever
been inaugurated, but that we have al
ways been accustomed to the new order of
things. Such q crisis is now upon us; one
more important in its effects and pene-
trating in It's changes, than any that have
preceded it, and we trust the people of this
and our sister States will prove themselves
equal to the emergency.
We refer to the great change that is now
being wrought in our Labor System.
After four years of war we return to our
homes with but one important question
settled, viz ; That we will cease fighting,
and devote ourselves to the pursuits of
peace The desolation of our homes, the
green graves of our comrades, the uproot-
ing OF our old system Of labor, though sad
aud heartrending in themselves are but
incidents OF the war, are matters of the
past which we can never hope to recall.
Our business is with tho present. As
sensible men, and children of our fathers,
1t is becoming in us not to waste our time !
in mourning over our fallen fortunes, not |
even to compare the present with the past, |
nor yet to be inactive because we cannot |
restore our institutions to their original |
state; but TO endeavor by every means in |
our power and as speedily as possible, to |
erect from the debris of matter around us |
as fair and symmetrical structure as our |
means will allow; congratulating our
selves the while that the fire has not fallen
upon the ruins, but that portion of the
original material is left US.
What, then, is our Inventory of Stock," I
We have our lands-which, though some
what neglected during the past four years,
have yet sustained no permanent injury.
the more fortunate have their buildings,
their stock and their farming utensils,
articles which, when once lost, can be re-
placed, and win be in time, either by our !
own or another's capital; we have also
most Of the same laborers who formerly
cultivated our fields. The losses we have
sustained are the removal of our movable
the destruction Of our buildings
md the decentralization of our field hands.
The latter is the one that particularly in
erests US at the present time.
The question evidently is, show can we
best conduct our plantations under the
present Free Labor System q" The di-
Tersity in the extent of the damages aus
aimed by the different planters renders it
difficult to gsnerslize. Each s