, 1866-12-13


atmiDE the slaves. venture tho prediction.
~Aich1 am very we'll aware is contrary 10
the general expectation. that tho res buttons
and discussions in the Tennessee Legislature
on the suffrage question Will amount to
nothing more ahan general agitation Of the
NIL clasees arc being ed?cated up to
| an understanding and acceptance Of this great
fundamental principle of the Republic.
TIE COTTON CROP.
The cotton crop is su entire tAiluru In
| more than oue-th5rd crop. Southern men
| without experience In cotton-rRisIng have
Invariably, 10 far rs my information extends,
| failed to raase crop, and IN many instances
hare failed to pay the freedmen In their en-
p9S s% ssees ef 9ss ae. to do o. e ,hs
crop are understood and acknowledged by
T everybody, to-wlt: too much wet in the
spring, drouth In June, and July rust, Rnd
the woEm-not single favorable cltcum-
stance dur7ng the whole SESSION. except good
attribnting The tatlnre of the crop to the
refusal Of the freedmen to work, either
know nothing Of what they talk about, or
| arc great liars. It Is the almost luvariahle
testimony Of the planters that the freed
men have conducted themselves well-as
well % could be expected. It ia trae, how
ever, that there has been q general scarcity
| Of labozers, and that white lAborers, no mat-
ter how pressing the necessity, have refused
TO work on plantations where freedmen WeEe
employed and the consequence has been that
I u.uch Land has not been cultivated.
| TESTIMONY OF PLANTERS.
Two cotton planters In Middle Tennessee
took seat behind me In the cars, and one
addressed the other thus:
| well, Collins, how bare the freedmen In
| your section conducted theuselyesf''
very well, - was the reply, 'they have
| / paid my men ten dollars month in rations;
they stole some Of my hogs and eat ZEN up.
expected, and rather better, on the whole.
could not have them punished for stealing
| without losing their work, and believe the
black cusses knew this. But could not
help myself without biting Eny own nosc Of,
50 Kept them steady at work, and ain very
! "What Is your experience p inquired Col.
linz.
"My nigeers did not work much, and l
have not made crop. planted late-coula
| weeds got The start In tie wet weather, aud
the cotton dried up in june aud July, and
| have not paid c1pensts. have not made corn
enough for my mules, let alone the nlsGers.
! hardly know what am to do. l have not
been able to pay my niHgers dollar, ex.
ing. They stole my hogs, too, while they
lasted, and shot one fellow In the act; but
It did no good-the rest have been tulky a.
III ever since. wish to God the niggers
plant cotton next year--not In Tennessee. II
What will you dot" inquired the other
| u 1on't know" he replied. "Go to Texas
/ reckon.a
Colonel james wiley, an extensive slave
holder before the war, and very candid,
made two hundred bales Of cotton with
l twenty. 6iI freedmen and womeu on
lis plantation near Fort Gibsoa-.hat
his hands had worked well un.
der the stimulus Of one-fourth oI
The crop and rations,, which be engaged to
give them. He anticipated CONC difficulty
in Determining satisfactorily to all what
amount to pay TO each, but had concluded
to leave the vision to the negroes them
/ selves
Colonel Wiley knew an Indiana man near
Port Gibson who hsd worked q large PLAN
but had not made bale Of cotton, and had
not paid ILLS men or his rent.
| General Alexander, an old Tennessee plau-
ter, had employed forty freemen In Missis-
sippt-thcy had worked well for hsn-he
twelve dollars per month and 7ations.
] another planter had had trouble with hts
freedmen. and had attempted to punish
them by shooting them "a very mild pun
lsh1ncnt to be sure for petty larceny and
|
very little cotton. ass cd him il he thought
Il right to shoot men at pleasure? He re-
! Piled, II had as lief shoot nigger SIS dog. y
| These facts taken ut random are sufficient to
Prove, If proof were necessary, that negroes
will work for m induccmcnt, resent Injuries.
But have negro's story to relate. Let all
sides be heard before deciding the question :
| in Memphis saw gray-headed negro eat.
Ing his dinner on load Of cotton. ] ap.
preached him, when the following converse,
"WeN, my friend" said I. "did you
bring In this cotton to sellt''
,! No, sah," b, be E.ep,,,,ed; II fetched IT, but
| aDld you help raise It ~
VIC made sixty balcs.''
But, they eoy, freedmen Will not work
that you arc lazy, now That you are free, and
that you steal the hogs."
II know" said be, THAT some n!ggert
too but they steals so they don't get cotch
cd, and they tells heap of lies about nigge-s
and they cheAts us out ot olr wage.
Thsn ws dGes Tost nsf h15 I'd
Itel1 you, massa, what ono man did. HI
worked twenty nigEers, md he sent up Nu1
and got heap OF brass watches, and ear
rlngs, and eIeh, cause he knoWed niggers dun
4
to his men and women. for big prices. Pretty
Qnick the witches wouldn't 20. and the nie.
gers found out they wurn't &nff muffin, anll
then they acted "a bad Us they could, aud
woaldn't make crop; Nov, mnssa, ! can!
stealth boEs-can you NASSAU I tell you
what Is true, when any hogs are mIsein niS.
gers always steals 'en, no matter II they oil
die With the CHOLERA. When white folks
does right, nigeers viii do heap better
This Is the old negro's storY-aud con:
mend it TO the confederation or the slandcr.
ers ofthe negro, generally. .----
NOT SAFE FOR CAPITAL TO 90 SOUTH.
\ inquired Of q prominent aud influential
rebel near Murfrrcsboro, Il Northern capitnl
could be safely invested South, for instance
In building cotton factory and improving
their fine water power on the East Fork O
| Stone River He fixed bis eye upon mi
ys ss1Fnesty Fes4y s e1a ;a rsnp ~, yef
did
"Then tell you," he said, "that II woale
not be safe. would like TO see mills ant
factofi.e built here. but the loF-down ans
low-bred men would burn the factories, IN
less some Influential Southern men were as
scented IN the enterprise"
inquired If be would invest in such al
enterprise.
Looking at me- with stern inquiriog ez
preston of couuteuauce he replied, II Woul'
| fatner not answer your question ypu ma
| deem my answer an insult" assured bin
On that score, when be said, well, then, t
: / be frank, could not. Ihare taken an oat
on my trndtd k7ee not 10 do H." Suddenl
: checking himself, he said he would give n
the names Of some men be thought h
, not taken the oath who might iavcst. I VI
lesstood him to mean that he belonged to
, secret society which had sworn its menbe,
to eternal hatred OF, aud uou-iutercourt
] With, the Yankees, as the modern Greek
did egninst the Turks When they entese
the Hetsri.
:. 1t Is really and sadly true that person AZ
property arc very much at tho mercy Of RI
+ fans throughout the South. II bnlf q doze
e young men Of the best families (!} almo
. anywhere In the South, wish to have a lltt
z fun, as It IL sayagclT misealfed, In the va
Of shooting or hanging niger or faukc
they can and do often have 1t with impnuit
!. Tho commander OF the military post he
= aatd to nc that UnIted Statea soldiers.
caught out alone, are not as safe a. duEt1
|. the Wat. In 4 little town In West Tennessee
G will not name II, as have to go there again
Z | while was stopping there, three negro
!. were arrested for stealing clothing, and pr
y parations were talked OF for hanging the
% as soon as dark. This WIS spoken Of In
eleeful spirit, as young men in the Sou
wouad speak Of m anticipated bonAra
= dance. This language was used In my hea
= log: "EoIne oot-we are RoApg to have son
Z , fun tonight" l have not heard Eheth
l. the negroes were hanged. II they were,
J. would not be likely to get Into the papers.