Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-12-05

right to protect the industrious portion of the com.
munity from the burden of supporting the idle and
the vicious and it is the part of true humanity onC
practical Justice.
To provide against any possible abuse Of power q
board of compensated visitors. constituted of per.
sons of acknowledged integrity and ability ebonid
be appointed by the bureau to examine into thr
management of the several departments and have
power to hear complaints and report abuses or inef
nclency II any, to tho head OF the bureau If il be
urged that the work of organizing such system man
be too great, suggest that even if this were true il
FURNISHES an insufficient for not attemptine
what can be done through the enlargement and ey7
tension OF the work of the bureau already cstab.
ilshcd, and whose practical character has been de-
As a financial measure the value of such course
by the Government as has been indicated can scarce
y ne estimated The course Of trade has required
ourth of the entire cotton crop Of the country
1t vii! be consumed abroad at any price, while the
quantity OF cereals exported must depend on the rel
allVe crops OF the United States and of Europe and
consequent relative prices Hence the importance OF
large crop Of cotton If the laborers in the South
VINO raised the crop Of five million bales cotton in
iSoo together with other stable productions can be
induced to produce three millions of bales in 1866
and three fourths of that quantity be exported nj
onc-haltl Its present value in payment for foreign i'm
pOrtatOns. It's effect the financial condition of the
country would ol course be equal to the same amount
IN ,Secle produced by the development of its gold
ana silver mines. With well directed and energetic
efforts to swell the products Of the country, and
gradual contraction Of the volume Of currency the
resumed.
L HdNH to-day received from the Agricultural De-
partment IN W hingtOn the following statement:
lhls industrial question of the South is also very
intimately connected with the currency and finances
OF the country OF the 5386S97 bales of cotton pro-
duced in 1860, not over 900 bales were consumed
IN this country, leaving for eyportrtion 1855 S97
which, at ten cents per pound furnished Sl55 AS $50
to supply the place of specie in our foreign exchange
and which, if produced this year, at the present
prices, say forty cents per pound, would supply the
for importatiOns.
The balance of trade must be paid in specie, un-
less paid in cotton, which is to Europe the same as
specie; and if that additional amount of specie coud
be retained at home, it would tend greatly to
strengthen the paper currency of the government
and probably avoid altogether the much dreaded
financial crisis.
of the p 443 S97 of cultivated lands in the
aforementioned States. probably not over one half
has been cultivated this year. and cannot be cutiva-
ted for years to come without the aid ofcaptal and
labor. to be drawn from beyond their limits. From
reliable information, it is fair to conclude that at
least ten million acres of these lands now subject
to purchase lease with the right of purchase at
from 50 TO $50 per acre. the rent from 50 to s. per
acre.
repeat, then. in view of these considerations, the
important problem of the hour is that VI organizing
the industrial classes of the South When we look nj
the probability that the labor of hundreds of thou
sands of men will be lost to the country unless efforts
shall be speedily put forth on their behalf cannot
doubt that the people will freely sanction and cordi-
ally justify energetic policy the part of the Gov
ernme9t, tending to secure object so important
both on the ground of humanity and Of the great in
terests OF the country.
Let us hope that Government which has in four
years afforded such demonstration of extraordinary
energy and military power, will be able to prove its
ability successfully to deal with the responsible
tie, which the results of the war have imposed.
~ Mr. Edward Atkinson said the plan presented by
the evils existing at the South. The difficulty was
that Northern labor and capital was not safe away
from the military posts in the Southern States No
one could go there andbsette away from the military
stations except at the risk of his life. He mentioned
severa! instances which had come to his knowledge,
showing the danger to be confronted by Northern
men IN attempting to plantations n EgOr-
gla. Texas and Northwestern Missouri, and said the
testimony from the South was Of one unvaryng char
acter upon this subject.
In Mississippi, since the revocation of General So-
Gums order concerning the State militia the freed
ovcrscerS, and could not be considered free. What
was needed was legislation by the Southern States
i9r the protection of free labor He would not make
the Freedmcn'S Bureau great business enterprise
but would use il simply ~ secure justice between
man and man. Not until the freedmen were secured
IN Their rights as men could the cotton crop become
valuable. 1t was the evident intention of the South
ernerS to get back their lost power by the passage of
yagrant laws and the exercise of their political in
Hncnce Inc hrSt requirement was the eStah.SInent
OF the rights Of man, and this secured, good cotton
crop would follow
Mr.. Tobey said they would not deny the facts or
figures presented by Mr.. Atkinson. He had proposed
the measures under onsideration simply because la
6or could not be reorganized at the South without
Northern aid lie had no confidence in Southern
legislation The legislatures of the Southern States
might pass laws in good faith, but they had power
to enforce them; He wished the Frecdmen's Bureau
good crop could not be sccuredin 1866 without the
interpOsitiOn of the Federal government: and Mr..
Tobey desired that this course should be pursued,
rather than wait for Southern action while the freed
men were perishing from lack qf shelter and food
Mir. Atkinson said ms principal objection to the
resolutions was that they did not declare the first re-
quslte to be the protection of capital and labor at
the South. A Mort hcrn man now going there knew
that he would be in an insignificant minority. If
justice was done in those States by giving the whole
population their right Northern settlers would have
q majority to back them.
,,l lhG question being takep on the. passage of the