The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-06-20
COLUMBIA.
The State of the Country.

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views as to the best means Of preserving
the peace and good order of the country,
under the recent orders of the military
authorities Of the United States emanci-
patinc our slaves, and also to recommend
some uniform rules, if practicable, by
which fair compensation shall be allowed
them under their alt ,red circumstances.
The report and resolutions which were
prepared BY the Commit ittee, and which
we are informed, wero adopted by the
meeting with great unanimitv, have been
sent to us, with a request for publication.
But, ns the space in our paper is quite
limited, We arc able to publish only brief
extracts from the report and some OF the
resolutions, as indicating the general scope
of their views. The subject is certainly
one Of profound Importance to every cti-
Zen Of the South.
The meeting, after taking q rapid sur
vcy Of the condition of the country, some
parts of which have become almost de-
populated, and NEST OF the plantati ons
nearly stripped of their most able. bodied
negroes, Lwho, upon the announcement Of
their freedom, flocked 10 the seacoast or
crowded into the towns ana villages,) and
alludiug to the work now done on the
plantations by the negroes which remain
most slovenlv and imperfect manner"
proceed as follows:
This state of affairs cannot be allowed
to continue, without the most disastrous
consequences to all the parties concerned.
An iHsufhciency of food for the wants of
the population will be the: inc vtable re-
suit, with all the horrors Of famine for the
next year. And the gathering, in various
parts of the State, OF idle and dissolute
negroes who have left the plantations, (and
these were generally the worst characters
Of the sangs,) must as inevitably lead to
vices and crimes. dangerous to tho peace
and safety Of th.. community. The cause
Of this Threatened scarcity of feed hpin.-
the insuthc;cncy of labor on the planln-
tlons, owing TO oeSerton; and its impcr-
fiction. amounting, in many cases, almost
TO wrrthlessness, owing to the want Of
rontrul and discipline (which has been
taken away from the planters; the first
duty is to inquire how this labor can be
retained on the plantations, or restored
after it. has been withdrawn. The most
obvious method is to make it the interest
OF the neyroes to remain at their old
homes; and the most obvious means of
accomplishing this is to provide aud re.
tain on the plantation the food necessary
for their comfortable subsistence. If this
be done, and no undue temptations are
held out TO allure them = other places
thy will remain: not only. from the
promDtings of interest, but from their al
tAchucnt to their old homes, for which
they are SO remarkable.
After providing an abundance Of food
for them on the plantations, the next duty
is not to permit it to be carried off and
wasted. (as it will Inevitably b. wasted)
by allowing an undue part of tho crop to
be given to them in compensation for
their labor as it is called. No matter
how small or large portion Of the crop
may be given to them lin kind. y it will be
sure to be wasted in few months, (per.
haps weeks, in gewgaws and iinery and
expensive luXuries, which tickle the palate,
OF (Which is pore pernicious Silly in in
toSicating drinks, until, within a period of
few brief months the stock Of food
which has been given to them will be
exhausted, and they will become starving
paupers upon the country AMI without
homes to shelter them Such condition
Of things is most earnestly to be depre-
Gated. not only from humanity to the
negroes, but from considerations of public
policy. which admonishes us MOTTO throw
upon society !. houseless and Starving,
aad, therefore, thieving Lazzaron, to prey
upon the community.
10 prevent this waste of food, at a
crisis like this. when so little can be spared;
10 prevent, also, the idleuess and dssipa-
ton which anust occur, owing to the fire.
onent Visits of the negroes to the towns
ana little country shops willis; engaged in
tratheking with their "cror in kind" the
neet,Dcy ,.acnn,,,,.pI. hat :, = :,