The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-28
WILL THE NEGROES WORK

Lie ldSt HunuucI Vi lIlc lLOuuOn
Economist at hand contains OH article
on the subject of colored labor, in which
some very striking views are expressed.
South, we give the following extract for
the careful consideration Of the southern
people:
1.-The one necessity essential to the
development of new sources of pros
perity is the arrangement of some in
iustrial system under which very large
bodies of dark labOrers will work will
lingly under very few European su-
pervisOrs. 1t is not only individual
labor which is required, but organized
labor, labor so scientifically arranged
that the maximum of result shall be
obtained at q minimum of cost that
immense sudden efforts, such rs are
required in tunnel cutting, cotton pick
ing, and many other operations, shall
be possible without strikes or quarrels;
and that, above all, there shall be no
unnatural addition to the price of labor
i'm the shape of brides to the wOrkmen
to obey orders naturally repulsive to
their prejudices. All these ends were
secured, it must freely be acknowledged,
by slavery. For the mere execution of
great works cheaply, no organization
could be equal to that which placed
the skilful European at the top, and
made him despOtic master of the half
skilled black or cOpper-cOlored laborer
below. The slaves obtained only food,
could not strike. and were not liable to
those accidental temptations to desert
work, which so frequently impede great
operations both in India and Egypt. The
relation was almost as perfect as that Of
brain and hand, exceptth that the brain will
never voluntarily put the hand to tor
ture. Slavery, however, involves be-
sides this organization which Is benefi-
cial, moral and social consequences
which are not beneficial, which are so
injurious that civilization, after pro-
tracted struggle with its own interests
and prejudices, has resolved to discard
slavery from its working system. A
new organization, therefore, must be
colum enced, and the only one as yet
found to work effectively is, as might
have been expected, one based upon
perfect freedom and mutual self-interest.
Half-slavery, that is, slavery minus its
immoral incidents, such as the separa-
ton of families and denial of education,
does not work. 1t has been tried in
every country under the sun in the
shane of convict labor; in India in the
form of statute, or as it is there called
impressed labor; and in Egypt upon
a spiendid scale as "force" labor under
European chiefs, and it does not any
where pay well. The dislike caused by
the sense of compulsiOn produces too
much laziness, too much cheating, too
MANY revolts, and too many deaths to be
profitable to the state which employs it.
even in the pecuniary sense. To be
profitable, the compulsion must be car
ried out logically to its last point, the la
borers being treated in all respects SIM
NV as valuable cattle. Short of that
da,noralizing condition there is no half
ty.y position to be occupied by labor in
wh;cb compulsion does not cost to the
nationl of course not necessarily to the
;nJ;v;dua l--more than it is worth"
Va nnti, e that all through the South
Tho on;n;nn Is universally held that the
nacra will n. Ut work except upon COM
nnision. and h ence the reorganization oil
tshor contemp lated by South Carolins
and other State involves the application
~ f,rce ma a fin. 81 resort in the event o.
tha negro becon ding lazy or intractable
This is natural enough in a community
educated by the practices of slavery, anl
| n NAV be that the South will prove on
execution to every other place on earth
| and balf-coercion may prove effective
m was tried in Jamaica, but with mos
denlorable results, as the history of tina
island proves. The Economist adds:
EFF. however, complete freedom Is Il
| he the principle adopted, it Ia clear tina
fhe dark races must, in some way o.
other. be induced to obey white mel
willingly. Without at all afirming o.