The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-01
Disorganized through the -desolations

absence of capital the Implements q
5 husbandry or other means in the hand
! OF their former employers, even if tn
. relations between these two classes wer
ever SO friendly, idleness and destiiutiol
I exist and must continue to exist unit
; suitable measures of relief shall b,
, adopted. Overwhelming evidence O
unquestiorable character as to these
facts reaches us from various sources.
The Freedmens Aid Society, whose
, officers must be regarded as good authori
ty, found their appeal, to be presented to
the people through the churches on the
approaching national Thanksgiving, on
|. the extreme destitution of the laborinp
classes in the South, and it asserts as q
probability that in Georgia alone not
less than ~, 900 persons must perish from
want during this winter unless timely
aid shall be extended to. them. The
American Union Commission and Re.
fugees' Aid Societies urge their cIaims
on the sympathy and benevolence of the
| people oftlhe North on similar grounds
and with recitals of suffarinrs unsnr.
passed. Military men and civilians re-.
Gently from the South corroborate these
statements. five need evidence of the
facts that capitaland the means of work
ing the plantations are to great extent
wanting, it may be found in the fro
quent applications from southern mon
TO northern capitalists to invest i'm cotton
lands at low prices, and also in the for
nation OF large associations to promote
enterprises of that character. But II il
not necessary to multiply evidence on
these points. | allude to these facts not
as matter of humanity, although
that Is by no means an inappro
pirate topic for the consideration of
TINS board, under some circumstances
but tits at present chiefly on the ground
OF political economy and of commercial
and financial interest that propose to
invite your attention to measures de-.
signed to effect the organization of labor
In the southern states so as to increase
their productions as nearly as possible
to the quantity raised before the war,
weary the same 21Op,tiafiOn Which raised
me nee millions of bates of cotton and
other products, in 1860, Is noW there TO
plant and raise the crops of 1855. How
can this labor be made available so MS to
effect the productions of 1866? Let pri-
vate capital, so far as it. exists i'm the |
South or to the extent to which it can |
be transferred there from the North. or
elsewhere, by adequate wages stimulate
the iabofing classes, and much greater
ana more general response will be made
lhan has been supposed. But capital.
rs already observed, is greatly deficient
n the southern states, and 1t is seldom
paced by It's possessors where society is
1isofganized and life and property com
oafatively unprotected by a stable and
'llcleht government, 1t cannot be pre-
'umed that it will seek investment in
nI'nnnptu in |
led condition Of society there to an
materially to affect the crons of
next year, when in other portions of
our country 50 great Inducements Offer
n the development of mineral wealth
mi the various branches of industrv ,
which have already made profitable re. ;
urns. to degree without q parallel In =
he history of this or of any other coun- t
~ This deficiency in capital and the {
organization of labor nov q
here, can be measurably, and pertains 7 a
lay add in great degree, provided for y
y government, and at the present mo- n
lent by 1t only-and this being done TO G
leet the present emergency and rs n 8
'mporary measure, private capital will a
ION follow order and security, attracted g
low prices of land, supply of relia. t
le labor and high prices of products. 9
Happily for the country Congress, at its o
lst session created an agency and b
over which in the hands of the Presi- O
ent may do much towards accomplish q
lg these mostimportant objects through 4
he operations of the Freedmen's Blu fl
all, as military branch of the gov. Ii
nment. The act creating it provides Of
or the occupancy Of abdndOnod and e.
nhscdted lands, and gives to the bureau te
control o. dn subjects retating to
t4gees ana Jreednaen, under such rules su
III regulations as may be prescribed by hs
e head of the bureau and opDrOycI hy =.
PRESIDENT" How much good has e. e.
'eady been attained through the indie. ~
igable labors of its able and humane g.,
ad, Major General Howard, and his hn
lcient assistant Gen. Fiske, Ia known ~. ue
the country. Its efficiency and use d dn
ness has been especially illustrated in TT,
lnessee, and also in the department 81 ~
Eastern Virginia, formerly under the ro
e and judicious administration of H.,
neral Gordon, and if perchance cr n|
ough unfortunate appointments II Ice
JAILED IN any of its departments to tin
omplish all that its friends could de. NJ n'i
let 1t be REINFORCED by men adapted fn;,
IS service with the promptness with m,
Oh unskilful generals in the arn,v Snm
been superseded by more compe- in,
officers. I'M
18th enlarged powers which NAV be in
ited early in the next Congress TO of
iorlze or permit the bureau to lease wei
possibly in some instances to pIr- swe
sc, lands in the southern states era,
re abandoned or confiscated lands cur,
no longer be adequate to the neces- wht
$ oil the case, the Freedmen's BIZ
may before the next planting sea- cult
organize and employ such portion folio
he lahorers there as cannot other 80
be employed for want Of capital i'm is nj
tie hands, and thereby secure tn the
aborer the rewards of industry. and trv
e national wealth the results of that nrod
''iy IaI III excess III It's pecuniary were
over the entire cost of its opera for e
cent!
2 government need not nor can IL to sIi
any inducements to interfere with eign
te enterprise, but as q faithful this
ian of the interests of the states cents
the nation, it may thus supple place
and assist individual capital by now
adapted to the emergency, and "Tl
same time consistent with indi- speci,
rights ana the highest welfare of Eurol
additi
'ed, that which the states in their retain
ar and present unsettled condi- to sire
md without public credit, or n govern
of individual credit and getheI
,nI,I 10 Il T.. orict