The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-01-14
COLUMBIA.
Sunday Morning, January IA, 1865.
Our Labor for the Next Year.

L MS Is Tile ulOS1 Nllstl dilSt lIIijOI-
tant question to the Southern people
of both races whites aud hlacks) that
is now before shem. The press Of
the North, in the interests of the
ultra radica lparty of that section, may
endeavor to impress their people with
the idea that there is special aver
sion to the negro since his changed
condition. It is utterly false. There
is no feeling of resentment Or hatred
against the colored people in any of
the Southern States, that we know of;
on the contrary, the best sympathies
OF the Southern people are with them
in their new position. The relation,
which, for century, have existed be-
tween the lanu owners and negroes,
have engendered ties of attachment
between them, which cannot be so
easily severed as radicals and fanatics
appear tv imagine. In and around
the city of Columbia, we have never
seen the negroes more respectful and
courteous than within the past eight
or ten months, during which period
they have enjoyed their suddenly con-
ferred freedom.
And why should it not be so :? The
young negroes and the boys of the
whites were raised children together :;
the colored 'maumas of the South
regarded the children of their old
nassas" as in some sort their own.
The endearing ties of association,
which grew with their years together !;
the playmate in boyhood, the attached
friend in ripper years the faithful ally
IN our recent struggle for indepan-
dence; the associations from infancy
to old age between the two races, all
sconspire to render the ties between
them SO strong, that it will take some
thing more than the intermeddling of
few fanatics, who desire to keep
the Union :" disunited, to be able to
We do not deplore the emancipation
of slaves, however impolitic its sud-
den enforcement may have been; but
we believe that these people, raised
among rs, will learn to appreciate
their new and elevated position, and
take their part in renovating the for
tunes and condition of those among
whom they were born and bred. We
do not believe that there are many
amongst us who are not agreeably
surprised at the conduas<of the freed
people at time whsfopportunity in
an nihsafFecriono~< spirit; their
conduct throughout the war was most
exemplary, and marked by good tenn
per and sympathy with the cause
their masters were engaged in. But
beyond this, have any people in their
condition, on the instant of sudden
emancipation, working such a radical
and surprising change in their for
tunes, behaved better? The history
Of similar changes in other parts OF
the world had prepared us for diff
ferent state of affairs from that which
the Southern States generally find
themselves in to-day. OF course,
there are exceptions, and irregulari-
ties of conduct among the emanci-
pated race, but for our own part, we
must confess that we have a higher
respect for the virtue, moderation and
good qualities of that race now than
we have ever had
The truth is, and we venture to
give advise to both the employer and
laborers, both are reciprocally and
equally interested-each in the well
fare of the other This community
Of interest must naturally induce
good will on the part Of the laborer,
and kind treatment on the mart of.+bo