The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-12-27
Work Ahead.

The new year is approaching, when men
must wind up, as well as they can, the past
and open their books for the coming year
Commercially and agriculturally, there are
matters for the gravest consideration. The
work that is ahead will admit of no child's
play-no temporizing in the hope Of post
poning responsibility-of delaying an ext
gency. Commercially, there will be crisis
within the year which all ought to prepareto
meet in the best manner. Economy is the
sevenfold shield that will protect a community
best from a financial revulsion. 1t should be
practiced by all. Merchants should not VEN
ture too far their bills payable should be re-
duced in number and amount as much as pos
sible, and there kept until the storm is past
and we can see more clearly into the future.
Housekeepers and heads of families should
cut down their establishments to 4 moderate
standard, and diminish their outgoings, at
least, SO that they should not exceed their in
comings. BY practising this system of ecOno-
my wherever it can be applied, the commu
nifty will be infinitely better Off. No spirit of
spec lation and wild adventure, with a bold
reliance upon chances while SO dark a future
is Immediately at hand, should tempt men to
incur very heavy responsibilities just now
Caution and prudence are now our best friends.
little patience for few months will enable
us to come to better and safer conclusions, and
to take new measures and adopt new policies,
with better lights ahead to guide us safely on.
Agriculture, upon which rests the commerce
OF the land, has to undergo radical changes
There must be entirely new systems adopted
The new mode of hiring labor-and that free
labor-forces upon the farmer this change as
necessity. There are some advantages IN hlreo
labor. You are not responsible for it when
loJ fhn inf
and you may dispense with it at times when it
is not needed. 1t buys it's own clothing, feeds
itself, and pays it's own doctors bills. When
the service of this kind of labor is rendered
and paid for, there is an end of it. You know
what it has cost you know what you have
made. You are involuntarily led into system
of calculation, and forced to that balancing of
accounts which not only shows you how you
stand, but compels you to settle up. This is
one advantage over slavery, and will make the
farmer n better business man than formerly
He will be driven to a more close and compact
ed system of cultivation. He will diminish
his area of tillable soil, and apply his hired
labor under his own eye to better advantage.
His spare land he will soon sell off; that which
he retains, by prudent tillage, with reduction
of useless animals, which have heretofore con-
sumed so much and yielded so little, will en-
ready cash than he has been accustomed at
such time to call his own.
These matters will give the farmer a great
deal to do. He ought to consider them well
and.proceed intelligeptly with his operations.
He has yet to see whether the freedman will
work-will perform his contract. But there
can be no satisfactory settlement Of that ques-
ton unless the farmer prepares his plan Of
operations and arranges the whole system of
his farm in manner to institute proper and
efficient superintendent and accountability.
The old slipshod mode will not answer at all.
Slaves did not do half work under the old sys-
TEN, and it will be expecting too much OF
freedmen TO hope that they will do any better
than slaves under the same system. The
freedman must have q fair trial under q good
system, and then, if he does not answer, we
can try some one else. But there is no alter
native now but to give him proper trial He
is. we believe, still kindly disposed, and If he
il kept clear Of the demOralizing influence of
the vicious and idle who crowd the cities, we
by no means despair of him. The pinching
{ demands Of the present winter will have
penencaai enect upon his disposition, and we
may hno that his life may be systematised and
.nas AAoo. 'oaEecsed 20 that he may become USE
1uI and independent; I. e., q GOOD lahorar mat
talces care Of himself and his family Na.,,.,.
short Of this, we all know, win an.vsr -
he cannot do this he must 60. This. too. II hs
does not know now, he will in due time learn
These matters contain enough to occupv the
attention Of our people. Everything depends
npon the manner in which they are treated.
Every man who, by his forecaste and energy. 10
fashions And arraDges his own affairs a. to e.
cure succsss and avoid disaster, win promote
fhe general welfare, both by what he saves or
Meass, and BY hi: excellent example TO Others.
Tho Christmas festival has passed Oh with
she usual religious and social obseryances in
~ city and country. There 10 no part of the
unassd States where these holidays are held
q = universal esteenf n among ourselves.
Heey are principally observed In other sections
tWo Or fhses religious denominations
tn0usn We are glad to notice that, Of late