American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-10-13
The Labor Questior-The Chinese
BY GEORGE W. GIFT.

a paragraph has lately appeared
in some of the papers which an
nOunces " that the Chinese Immi
grafton Agent at New Orleans ha,
contracted for the delivery, at that
port, of 10000 Celestial laborcrs. tC
be in time for the next years crop >
or something to that effect Thus
far | have not noticed that this mat
ter has attracted the attention Of the
public. We seem to be 50 entirely
engulfed in the whirlpool of politics
that we have no time to bestOw upon
our domestic affairs. The introduc.
ton Of the Chinese is of much I'M
pCrtanCc, and | sincerely trust that
the people Of the South will arouse
themselves to give the subject pro
per consideration.
| am aware that it is urged by a
large number Of respectable people
that white men can do field labor in
the South, if they but possess the
will and determination. For one
deny the proposition. | contend
that there is as much industry, en-
ergy and enterprise in the South as
can be found amongst the same
number of people elsewhere. AS an
evidence of the fac, | cite the ire
mendous efforts made during the
late war. Count up the immense
quantities Of war material fabricated
by the few employed. Our inven-
tions eXcelled those Of the North
For instance, the Brooke gun, the
Tennessee cap" for the base Of
rifle projectiles, the McAvoy fuse ig-
inter, the torpedo boat, which solves
the irOn-clad problem, and many
other things. Our people are will
ing to work at anything; but to cu'.
tivate the staple productions Of the
South with white labor is a physical
impossibiIity.
Put the white man in the rice fields
Of the Pedee or Savannah rivers, or
on the sugar plantations Of Louisiana
or Texas, and how long will he with
stand the malaria ? Try him in the
cotton field, and see how quick he
will fail or if he goes through the
season it will be at the expense Of
his physical constitution and future
health. Should | admit that white
labor can be used, where are we to
get it? Not from Europe, certainly,
when the North has more capital
and can make more seductive offers
The great countries of the West still
demand more labor, and to get it
they nave societies, advance money,
issue circulars, establish agencies, in
fact work early and late TO accom-
plish their object. These things we
do not do, and the reason for it is
that we have no confidence i'll the la
Dor when we get it. The people of
the North have tried the experiment,
and know that it pdyS: we have
not tried it, but are well satisfied
that it 'rjH not pay.
The negro having, like the Brah- .
min bull, become an object Of w0r
ship instead of utility, Is ont of the
question. He must relapse into bar
barity, or disappear before civiIiza-
ton. Modern philanthropy prefers
that he should become an idle, Vi
cious vagabond, instead Of useful
beng. What boots it if he become
a law-brealiur and inhabitS jails and
or vanisleS before the
breath of pestil. nee Has not the
mission of Exeter Hall and the Puri-
-ans been fulfilled The negro as
freedman is failure the facts to
the assertion are too numer-
luS and palpable to be denied. ia
naica, the richest and faircSt posses
sion of Great Britain, has degen-
rated into a wilderness; the sugar
has been removed to {
)uba the population is 50 worth
eSS and so mutinOuS that military
Orce is necessary to maintain the |
of the laws. Only last a
ear a number were Summarlly exc
uted for crimes of the most helnOuS il
haractcr. But to come nearer home. 7
What is the testimony of the great :
majority of our planters this year u
will not undertake to answer; | y
ave neither the space nor inclina- q
ion; however, | may say it all in n
our words--the negro 'coRt ,cOrk! :.
To sum up: The white man is in
to the task of developing $
ur agricultural resources the negro a
) unwilling. Are we to pause i'll our CT
rOgress Are our rich fields 10 A
niger to be cultivated T! Must our
tiles cease to grow Shall our rail :,
pads fall to decay, or shall we make !
n effort to retrieve our fortunes, W
nd again commence the race for m
aterial wealth and greatness Cot Vi
under system of un- =.
liable labor, and burdened by an a
lerouS, unequal and unjust taxa ID
on, must continue steadily TO de re
inc. Rice and sugar cane are no th
nger cultivated as great and profit bo
lie. crOpS-ln fact, they are almost :.
nong the things that were, when
dia rice is sold in Charleston and oa
lba sugar and molasSeS are the ih'
ain dependence of the New Or be
ans market. Cotton, sugar and NJ,
e, the former principally made in -
c South, built her railroads and
les, and poured wealth into her 'h'
llers. Without them she is impov-
shed. Taking the country as
lole, what other 1at resoure has TO
el | deny that she can ever COM Ct
te with the Northwest i'm producing