Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-10-25
eThe T;esislatdregAb out to Assemble,


industry: wi'h;sviil ,no.ons qc liberty, antl4na-
wl'ingtn .abnit to tbs discipline indispensable
for th, ir welihrc.a-sS -
= NJ ay tdown rs an ascertained fact that agri
culture cannot be madc profitable in this State
unless power be vested, somewhere to corrcu the
pres ent free labor; and thus make it regular and
uninterrupted To enter fully iato the discussion
Of this pint would far exceed cur limits we
must leave much therefore to be supplied by the
intelligence of Iour rcadefs. We would .SJlvise
those who entertain doubts on this ,ufjectto con-
suit Anthony Trolope, the last English traveller
in tl,e West Indies, where free negro Lnhor has
been fairly tried ;or the ast:7 years. Mr.. Troi-
lops is jor rathcr wac, for Lc is now lcad) an
Eusrshmaa and an abolitionist; and henec his
testimony is beyond suspicion. We cannot go
into an annlysie of the book, Or quote ut length,
hut Mr. tTreleps,frankly admits that efreo negro
labor has proved totattuilure nthc West Indies
s-wilh ,he single exception OF Trinidad; and
that because every foot Of land on the island is
owned BY TN white man. On this account the
froo negro has been obliged to work or perish, no
equutLcIs uoiH5 toieidlcu.
We have now had some six mtent,is trial Of the
FREQ laborcsysten, ourselves, and. judging from
this experience, There is but ono opinion on tie
subject. c,5-prdur the present systcm, planting
eannut Je made prcdtuJte IN, South .cerolina.
Hence the system must DO amended, or agriculture
abandoned in this State. The, great question
then fcr our Legislature is, can the system be i'm
proved? 2sdd il so, how? We wishit distinctly
understood "a; lhcsoutyet, that we huvc nc 6biec-
ction to, thetrecdom Of; heslaves-no more buying
or selling of negroes Of that we fully approve.
But setting slaves free from bondage and setting
them free frem lator things totally different.
Unfortunately, the. negro has no conception. of
this vital distinction hence the unpleasant task
levolys. upon tho white man Of terching him
this lesson. And'short Of actual coin pusion the
.lesson viii not and cannot be taught.
The great cork therefore, in our opinion, for
Tho Legislature aboutto assemblies to invest tho
employer; Kithtsuch power as is pdspensabloto,
compel the free negro to labor. Upon this point
turns the entire question; and as that is decided
50 is deci led The safe:y or ruin of the country.
And VIC orc honestly convinced that it is ms much
for the interest of The negro as the white man
that the former should bio required, upon tompul-
sion, to perform o reasonable amount Of labor
Weswould advocate nc severcr puni.hment than
that which is now, commonly pract;ced by
tho United State2 Provost Marshalls in correcting
free negroes; and in granting that power to the
employer, we would surround it. with every safe
guard to protect the negro from unnecessary pun
ishment. Thus, for instance, the power of pun
ishing might be vested not Immediately in the
employer himself, but:in throe of his neighbors,
who should determine the amount and witness
the infiction Of the punishment. :,
Itmqy be thought that The Congress of tho
United States would not admit South Carolina
into the Union with such an act upon her statute
book. We have no means of ascertaining anything
certainly uisn tiat point. 1t may or it may not be
so. But take either alternative. If the State
should be admitted into the Union with such an
try would thus be secured. If we arc refused ad-
mission into the Union on that ground, what do
VIC losc? We answer, nothing. What dove OK
.pect to gain by getting back into the Union? The
only reason for desiring it is that We may be let
y9lone to manage our own affairs. The country
is on The verge Of absolute ruin because we have
been deprived of the labor necessary to cultivate
our lands. WHAT'S to bo gained by going back.
into the Union? The power, we suppose, of pasa-
ing our own laws, regulating our internal police,
and managing the free negroes in the State as in
our judgment seems best. If this is to he denied
us, then there is 20 reason to induce q relecting
man to desire any further union with the United
States. If the United Suites still intends to inter-
fere and dictate to us how these free negroes arc
to be managed, then we distinctly affirm the opin-.
ion thatwc had better keep out of tho Union, and
leave tho nbolitonist to manage his four million
free negroes as he best can. If the United States
Government takes the position that the FREQ negro
is to be loft to work or not work MS he pleases,
then we have but one alternative left us; and that
is to look for labor clsowhere-to supply ourselves
With white labor from Europe and India-to dis.
miss the FREQ negro from plautatiune and leave
him to the 'abolitonist to take care Of. After 81
years experience with free negro labor il the
West Indus, the people of those islands arc now
universally adopting tho system of importing
laborors from Europe and India. ,-.1.5 =.
tits wisc then to test the policy of tho United
States on this point at once. We accept her net
of abolition and now propose to manage this
free labor so ns to make profitable, if she will
let as alone. If that much will not be conceded
to us, then our policy should bcto gctrid of this
free negro labor, or, rather free negso sloth and
siieness, ut tho earliest day possible end to give
those FREQ negroes no faothOla in ,our country,
- The.proposition of n Sorereiys State retaining
four hundred thousand FREQ negroes within. her
borders, who are to bo governed and protected bye
laws made by Northern abolitionists, apd tho
landholdcrs Of the State to be compelled to keep
these negroes on tcir plantations, doing us they
ploase;is SO prspos.erous, that will not insult
the understanding Of our readerS by or suingit. =
&sS Our papers from the West, inform us that
there never was SO large q yield Of corn in the
West as thisscason. All sur accounts from that
section concyrin tho statement that tho crop is
immense. l,.,e =. -. ID
y H Pardons; of members of the South Carroll