The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1866-01-05


sion to whatever appears to be wrong or
oppressive. From this cause, ws think.
springs the very general opinion that in
being deprived Of their slaves, the people
of the SoEth have been deprived of all their
wealth.
However unconstitutional or injurious :
the succession of acts may have been b. :
which slavery has been abolished, It is USED
less to argue, and We propose to show that
the fact itself may be made of worldly ad
vantage to our people. Herstofore It has
been the custom to consider a man as be-
ing wealthy, or only comfortable, in pro.
portion to the number of slaves he had de-
pendent upon him for support. The num-
Der of bis broad acres was hardly taken
into the account. Is this the right view
of it :
For the purpose of cultiyating tract Of
land, instead of having to support the actual
number of hands required to do the woIk,
our planters have had imposed upon them
to clothe aud feed and tend, at least thzea ]
Improbable one to every one whose labor
was Of profit % them. Few of our slave
owners ever disposed of their slaves
natural increase in numbers W
upon as SO much increase In c
this uneommercial manner thedz
their books at the end of the yea
md themselves SJoorer by far.
liz order to suppoat this. constantly
creasing number of non-producers, tIie
lands were skinned over, and the spotsZ
which promised most returns for the Iabor1
alone were cultivated Old fields, grow
up with pines and briars, took the place &
what once had been fertile plains. I'll
homesteads were neglected, and the COT
and the corn grew far away fromS
doors. Most of the products of the pls
tion were expended in feeding the .
ton upon them. Very little wasszF
real substantial gain. @s,
Slave labor being at an end, the 81
jeot to be considered is, the getsts y
proper amount of paid labor to till tie Il
it is proposed to cultivate. For this
only will pay be required. For the fsedfle
Of such hands as will be actually employed s
will the products of the land titled alone e
expended. The surplus is clear gain, and
may properly be reckoned as credit foss
the place.
Let Us now look at the real wealth of our
people. It lies in their lands; the vast
forests and the outspreading prairies; the
pleasant valleys and the gently sloping hills
These constitute the peoples s wealth. This
is riches, to which the labor of few de-
pendents is 10 comparison. as drop to Z
| ocean.
Instead then Of being cast down
unavoidable necessity. which grew *
/ os~ failure to establish the, Confede
cur people should at ones address
selves TO the work that is before them lI.sSa
! by earnest, jealous effort, exact the reward
that industry and sagacity invariably pro-.
duce.
Let them determine at once to be indsz
! pendent Of the world. Having sslectef
their ground let them labor to make
yield. La order to do this they must gil
if they hope to receive. Let their lands
manared and ploughed thoroughly s
well. Do not undertake more than, e.
accomplished. Far better is it tina
hundred acres be cultivated well than,
one hundred acres should be neglecte
spoiled.
The immense estates Of our psos
properly divided and worked, will9s
most powerful agent in regulating ssel,
merce of the world. AS it Sc, even rs s.
the chiefest of our products FgiesEss f1sr q
ksts Of ali nations. What mind eass sIca-
late the added power and wealth ecf our
people and their posterity when fheiE iaade
shall ali bloom and blossom, aen cattle
and sheep sail be on q shousaud 81 Fnd
the smoke from the cabin shall asesFE5 rod :
every field. RsS5Rss ssssTill form srk
all over dsS$santsoe eEFpPyx H. .demaal
this gIess ~ us s5l. TN 90 itse
increased foar AIa. Let az q.
work tlst ss9d 6e sopr kindred1glic
bSa.,,,s -, - = - .ns-like water =
ss<.sS9al= - sJobywOrA5i
Zen from ths-ciLct Ehtl psf