The New York herald., 1866-07-09
sp,cnxy or Az rxrroyra,s coxrn.cr.

Apart from the general bearings OF the question this
sion and Injustice in individual cases have obtained
copy Of contract actually entered into by wealthy
widow lady jackson with her hands. append i
as document which will well repay perusal You viii
perceive that under the terms OF this agreement the
freedmen not only required 10 insure the crops and
the stock but also the weather and the price OF cotton
next fall II IL an interesting matter for speculation
how much these daes will be In debt at the end OF the
year. supposng they indulge in moderate amount OF
saucness during tho twelve months, and cotton only
brings thirty cents a pound i am happy 20 be
able to add that tho lady author OF this precious compact
has had considerable trouble with her negroes and that
her efforts TO induce the Bureau authorities at jackson
70 endorse approve the contract have sgnay failed
Here Is the document as II stands, grammatical errors
included
January 1870 between Cornela s. Ross of the county
q q w es ana and o
any other freedman he may include At their de-
fs s FIRMLY ay da nsvs as Ss e
Tsm sd 9 s s have Mh MsT q
place themselves under Albsrts leadership and contro all
witnesseth That the said party Of the part hereby
sIs na employs the parties Of the second pa e s, 81 Il
rnry Of the first part and for other services pe
The party hs r.i part ss cosenan and promises he
said parties Of the second the said parties hc
pond provided the aid eston s viii bring
horse Of their %a OWN a e 0 y mine allow them
the use Of cow and calf VIII divide the hogs the
The first part A the end OF the wear said parties Of the
se S pa sna hS r and
two thirds OF their increase and on the - day OF
pe parry e s i BART part 50%s % ow e them svS to 70 ssa
% poultry h and to keep ono yard dog 70 allow the n nse
similarly employed She O. 5. Ross. reserves the
wages said family any member OF said family who shall
by their violence render Il necessary and TO protect herself
from being subjected dsobcdIenee and mpcnence sad
than one dollar Or p more than Gvc apon each and
every offence Of the kind mentioned, and said
70 abide by the decisions Of ssid party the 10
re nd on o. ,e 10 great re
pay eyerv TO all animals and implements gyen into
promise bcar the loss eny i sustained BY such properly
said party Of the first tho end Of the 1860 in good
health and condition sad parties OF the second part DO
leave The service the said party the drst part until all
the crops gathered housed rnned baed and hauled g
promise 70 furnish their quota Of help In any work
in rotation with the other families employed on the place
wood 70 supply The family Of aa party Sf the Ss part
o. the first part 70 attend thc sick and administer med
d%s b sny sr e but nseDos S no' aes PSs
theft. aid family party pa win psy
part The therefor and zoe de"i Se from their
selves % bind gin bale haul in regular turn with other
families % on on hs piace They also promise TO deliver to said
bushels of corn and thirty bushels e potatoes and less
hands in the sad family In witness whereof Ana Ta M
held firmly bound wIth The spua,ons herein coutne,
above written II h further specified that the parties OF the
second part do hereby sell all produce OF their
labor to the said party Of fs,",a The hrst part
Signed and sealed IN my presence ,his 2sa day Of
January. 1865 JOHN NJ. GREAvES.
Justice OF the Peace, Hinds county Miss.
BUREAU CONTRACTS
The contract 20 which Generals Steedman and Fuller
alluded in their last report having been approved
by General Ely, the planting bureaus Colam
ba, s. c. every whit niquitous in s provisions
as tho foregoing document The freedmen in Ike
manner required TO insure the crop and the farming
implements. There similar fines for insolcnce.
These fines to be entered in hook which book TO
be received evidence In court OF law and there
was an additional proviso which prohibited them from
inviting even near relative friend to and
thcm on the plantation. Among the lnrte number OF
this State there bo others Of this character
II IL matter OF notoriey at Columbus, Mrs, that
OF tho first Bureau agents appointed there In the
habit OF approving contracts drawn up by employers,
without even reading them.
ppIry
The contract system Is great mistake. wrong In prin
cipe and unjust In practice. The trne, ohvlons and
only just policy s 10 leave capital and labor TO adjass
themselves according to the law OF supply and demand
Tho negro Is necessity 70 the South -Four thousand
mites Of travelling and four months of close observation
In seven OF the Southern States convince me OF that
fact The planter cannot do without him. Wherever
white labor has been trcd In the cotton and rice fields
has proved utter and ignounious failure. On the
other hand the planter n necessity to the negro No
where the negro find better market for his labor
than In chva'ing the producta OF the sunny South He
mutual dependence; and with fair and equal aws am
convinced that the nesyro get along much better
without government wet nursing than with IT,