The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-29
TERMS OF ADVERTISING.
THE NORFOLK POST

state. The Freedmen's Bureau, howev-
cr well intended, has been injurious,
simply If for no other cause, because it
has brought third party, over and
above the law, into the arena, and its
influence has been to produce alienation
between the white and black. fit IL to
be continued the best thing 1t seems to
me for IL TO do, Is to hire out year by year
the whole black population-the infirm
to those who would take them for the
lowest price, and the able to the highest
bidder-maLing the chargeable negroes
to be paid for equally out of the wages OF
the able bodied, making proper stipula-
tons for food, &c, and employing them
selves solely in seeing that the contracts
were properly performed. Ibelieve THIS
would be- very expensive operalioo'
but it would ensure productions; be-
lieve, also, that all which would be me-
cessary would be To trust to the instincts
of our natures in regard to the love OF ac-
quisition, aud to have laws foq4ded on
the ordinary principles OF justice anu
fair dealing-tben industrious negroes
would be well treated Mt once to prevent
their leaving their employers, in other
words the laws of trade, of demand ana
supply, would regulate the matter, and
In a very short time bring all right.
The negro is to me n peculiar objecs OF
affection. / think | know them, ana
while [ am for subordination have ever
been for emancipation, but II emancipa-
pated he must exist as distinct ana IN
ferior race. / have long seen THAT III
slavery before this time there was q
most dreadful waste OF energy. ot
prosperity. that unless producing, they
were a dreadful charge and that look
ing only To their material prosperity
their present well beipg-there could
not be devised better plan than that OF
slavery rs existing before the late wal,
and that IL that state OF society was, thad
beenl the result of negotiation. the ne
GRO had proved himself the superior In
DIPLOMACY. after all the land OF the
country was its only real wealth, and the
negro only valuable rs he MADE ina!
productive. 1 have long been satisned
that the price paid for that production
was greater than l should have 70 pay
for fair wages aud fair work. FOR tnis
reason T have been satisfied that thus
far the Freedmens Bureau has done
more harm than emancipation, because
it has plainly diminished production.
Had the Emancipation Proclamation
been promulgated, and the negro LETT q
free man to deal with his master, MS
children being exempted from sale and he
TO arrange as he could with his former
owner, land no tampering, or any KIND
Of intermeddling attempted-the crop, OF
the country would have been double,
and so of succeeding years. The sCr"
prise to me is great, that with young men
wholly ignorant of the negro, his habits
and pecC liarities, with an ear ever ope n
to his complaints, the negro has done as
well IA the result proves. Think of them
complaining of one of your friends,
that he did not givethem meat, and the
young man, being ignorant that by meat,
the negro meant pork or bacon, beef not
being according to his notions in that
category.
Were out of debt, l would not conf
plain of emancipation, In itself as an
evil / should dread-as i do dread
the dreadful amount of sheer wanton-
ness, resulting from sheer idleness which
is before US. OF that wantonness / see
/ am to have my full share.