Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-05-30
NUMBER 284.

| who could raise their crops of corn. and.
| wheat last season, have nothing LETT them.
now but their lands. How Is such an nernere
| gency to be provided for? It IL a prob
lem thatwiil task the attention Of the most
active minds, for upon its solution hangs
the very life of the population of the entire
South. y,g l4E..i'.-I va 07f'rTrq~
Who Is to organize new and efficient
system OF labor for that section Of the eotin-
try! The season Is fast advancing, and the
seed-time only discloses the ominous fact
that no seed Is to be had. Seed and labor
are lacking, together. If we expect the
southern population to find the means for
Duylng what we are prepared TO supply
them with, they must be put In way TO be-
gin and raise crop OF some sort during the L
current year. Ii harvest-time comes along
ana finds their granaries and corn-cribs
empty, they have nothing to look forward
onsqch dreadful possibility for them withsd 4
We are told on good authority that eyery- :,
where In the interior of Eastern Vir6inia
the prospects for agriculture this season are
wretched In the extreme. Forhundreds of
miles In every direction from Richmond.
the people are despairingly looking forward
70 famine as sure to come next winter
All their seed corn is gone in localitiesA
where corn was the main crop blamed.
Along the banks of the rivers which, flow, /,
into the Chesapeake from the interior, the
eye vainIy looks Tor signs of the laborer, IN
fields which have been devoted to agricuI-oi
ture for couple of centuries. Neither ~
white nor b ack labor is to be had. The r
white soldiers who have come back from.
tne wars, nave no means nor heart to en-
gage In work. Free black men cannot be J
got on any terms. The farms are run into
dreary commons. Fences are not to be
found. Live stock nowhere sh ows itself.
The Virginia valley Is an entire waste; and
unless It's population are relieved in some
way, they must In the end suffer all the
horrors of famine and pestilence.
In Louisiana, though the suffering is not
so Imminent, the prospects of agriculture
are not at all flattering. Emancipation has /,
come upon the people OF that State with
such suddenness that they are not prepared
to set up at once the machinery Of any new
system. They have been overtaken; by q
sweeping revolution. The Ne,o Orledns
Times tells us that the question of securing
the labor needed for tillage has not yet been
fairly answered. There have been made
numerous experiments In the matter by i'm !
dividuals who have been seconded by the 4,
National Government in the same field but
there has been nothing like satisfactory
result in the various parishes. Unless the
agricultural interest thrives there, all their
other hopes are destined to perish. ur.sgol
The whole problem is an intricate and
serious one. Some persons appear to think
the South an open field, to be overrun by
rings of land dealers, brokers' agents, and
spectators, and to be easily stocked with
colonies of laborers, who are to change the
entire country into paradise in single
season. But even II this were possible,
what is to be done with the negroesp They
are still there, and will live and die there.
Our military commanders are already warm
ing them that they must not expect to be
supported in idleness they must work.
There are millions dependent on what they
and Others may do this season. What will n
be the rehabilitation Post. ,...,..,, ...,.,, d.