Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-20
For the Appeal
THE PAST.

For the Appeal
THE PAST.
Five wears have circled away snd los
themselves in the depths of the past
since il was my pleasure 10 communicat
with the APPEAL. In that time grea
changes have come over men and na
tious, mutation has walked abroad, an,
many men and things that We're then il
the f1ll tide Of progress, have passed int
the mausoleum Of ages. Many Old, IA
milisr faces have departed 10 "tha
undiscovered country, from whose borne
no taveller returns, 4" and left sad hesrt'
behind, TO weep over their unreturnina
exit. Systems have been overturned
opinions have been wrecked, and poll
ties changed, almost with the "rapidity
Of q drama Ii seems almost like q
dreams long and protracted dream-iu
which the mind wandered "smid the
wreck Of matter and the crash OF
worlds"
But what hiss been cannot be recalled ;
it has passed beyond the remedies and
control Of man. II matters little what
gai0ht have been; we all know What IS,
and It is with that and the future We
have to deal Many things are now as
good and beautiful as shey were before
fratricidal strife msrred the glory Of
American liberty. The country We all
once loved still remains; the flag we
were wont to salute with admiration and
delight still floats to the breeze; thecom-
mon history Of the common dangers and
triumphs Of a united people, with all the
gloriou. recollecdons that cluster around
il, is vet the heritage of every American
citizen. and / hope the day Is not far
distant, when in harmony and frater-
nifty the people Of the Republic,
from the sparkling lakes Of the North to
the green savannas OF the South,-frOm
the surf beaten shores OF the Atlantic
TO the golden sands Of the Pacific, can
rally around that old ensign Of liberty
and independence which our fathers fol-
lowed to victory and renown, and eX-
claim in unison OF heart
.ule star spangl-i banner, O long may it
Der tie land OF the free and the home Of the
brave"
Much that is good still remains, aud
though "havoc and Wild ruin has asrcveiled
in the commonwealth - yet order and
symmetry is coming out Of the chaos,
and a future, bright with enlightened
progress. Is before Us. To that future let
us look with a confident hope Of the
prosperity and greatness Of our country
and the happiness and well being Of the
whole people.
The Press
The press Of the South has great re-
sponsibility resting upon it at this time.
Ifever there was a period in the history
ofthe country when it moulded public
opinion, that period is the present. The
people, whatever may be their political
opinions, look 10 the press Of the country
for advice a. well as information. This
isa time in which it can do incalculable
good for the cause Of civilization and hu-
uanirv. Wisdom, moderation and kind
ness should mark its course. DenuncIa-
ton and vituBeratiOn cannot do good To
any cause. ] regret 10 see so much Vi
tuperatiou in some Of the Southern press
against individuals. It cannot do any
good, but really does harm. \ candid
mind, though it may differtrom writer
can read his productions with pleasure
when he discusses subjects with
cand1r, dignity, and moderation and
doe not descend from the consideration
of measures 10 the denunciation Of indi-
viduals. but vitupera,ion and bitter as
uer.iou- are disgusting, and always dam
age- him who deals in them more than
they DO his adversary. I am glad to see
that the APPEAL still preserved that dig
nitv and moderation in the discussion Of
measures which it did in days Of yore.
Though may not agree with it on Ger
tain political questions Of the day, yet ]
can read it with pleasure, because it
shows it-ell bright exemplar Of the dig
nifty Of the press.
Fsyetts Comfy.
Notwithstanding the ravages OF war,
the people Of this county, a. a general
thing are getting along very well. Con-
sidering the circumstance, I see no ex-
cuse for them tocomplain. Indeed, take
itau in all, I do not think Fayette county
has lost much by the war. The high
price Of cotton for the last three or four
years has nearly, ifnot wholly made up
for what was lost by the results Of war.
The Demand for Laborers-
There is a greater demand here for la
borsrs than the supply. The most Of the
freedmen have contracted, but there is
stiIl demand for many more. In con-
sequence Of the loss Of 80 many Of both,
the white and black population during
the war. there are not enough labOrers in
the county 70 till cleared and arrable
land. But il is hoped that before the
time 10 plant the crop, enough will come
from other counties and States to make
up the deficiency, 50 that the planters
sud farmers viii De enabled to plant a
fun guuaf13 Of both corn and cotton.
The EFecdmen.
AsI said before, the most Of the freed
men have made contracts for the present
year, and are now al work. ! am con
strained 10 say that they have acted well
in this county, both while the war was
in pr5gress and since its termination. ]
see no reason why the people should hate
the poor freedmen. They are not even
responsible for their own freedom. They
did not achieve il uhsmselves. They re-
oeived il a. a boon-a free will offering.
Then why be preluiiced against them,
because they accept this freedom The
white men are the authors OF emaneiDa-
tiou; they "pTecipitated the countryl into
revolution" and the abolition Of slavery
was the result Then is there any
sense in blaming the freedmen for
their present status2 II there is
] leonfess my inability to see It, Truth
compels me 10 say that do not think
the freedmen are IS worthless as SOM,
people seem 10 think they are. Tn,
eagerness with which nearly everybod,
seeks 10 hire them, proves the fallacy @
the Oft repeated assertion inst they wi
hat work. A man would not b
very eager 10 hire forty or hfty
loborers, when he thought they were
WORTHLESS, and would not work. Th'
fact Of the matter is this: The negro
laborers Of this county have made more
money for their former masters and EN-
ployers, in the last four years, than they
ever did in fifteen years before.
] have heard 80 much said about
the poor freedmen, that l thought
IL not out Of place 10 make these re-
marks about them, stating my candid
opinion about them. ] AIN satisfied thai
they viii work faithfully for those WHO
treat them kindly and pay them reason.
able wages. And should they not b,
treated kindly, and should not thos,
who employ them, pay them reasonabl,
and fair wages? The future Of the Soutl
depends, In a great degree, upon th'
proper treatment Of the freedmen. Wis
pom and sound policy, no less thsn re