Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-21
raospEcrs OF THE eorroN caor.
Correspondence of the Memphis Commercial

1 Z
Correspondence Of the Memphis Commercial.J
CHIcKAsAw Co, Miss, March l, 1866
Messrs. Editors As there is much specul;
ton upon the prospects of the cotton crop
the present year, and the influence which
being brought to bear upon it by the legisl;
tive warfare of the fanatics and Radical
now in Congress, bearing upon the farmin
interest of the South, have thought prope
to Offer to the public my observations an
convictions upon the subject. see it state
by some, that full crop is expected; b
others, not SO much; but believe the opin
ION IS general that a reasonable quantit
will be raised. Now let me say to all thos
who do not wish to make figures that vii
deceive them, not to rely on more than hal
a crop at best. For the last six months thu
prospects of procuring the labor offreedmei
TO cultivate cotton this season has occupied
my. particular attention. In the month o
September last, and with an eye single t.
that object, / visited Decatur, Huntsville
Florence and Tuscumbia, in North Alabama
and Columbia, Tennessee, making enquiry
OF my friends and acquaintance who were
well posted, as to the probability of govern
ing the freedmen and making their labor
| available.
| sought these localities for the purpose
| OF ascertaining what effect time has produc-
ed upon the negro, as the Federal army had
occupied these places for some time, and the
negro had ample opportunity to indulge in
freedom, and bask in idleness-his heaven.
From what information ] could thus gather,
and from my own knowledge of the negro
character, which is pretty extensive, (hay-
holt al, =
North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Geor-
gia and Mississippi,) was thereby conyinc-
ed that the labor Of the freedmen would not
do to rely upon, unless it was wished to sink
money by it. And / am more and more
confirmed every day that l came to cor
rect conclusion, when see the idleness,
wastefnlness, abuse of stock, characterization,
ETC., of the hired freedman.
Twill further state, by way of explana-
ton, that am located in the midst of large
and rich farms, and surrounded by swarms
of freedmen, and from my observations to
the present time, am clearly of the opinion,
that half labor is all that can be expected
of them.
Now as TO the effect that legislation will
have upon the present years crop, do not
know better plan to illustrate this effect,
than to give a concise account of my own
efforts, objects, and conclusions for the last
few years, supposing that my case will APP
ply to thousands of others in the South
and supposing, too, that the same causes
would produce the same effect upon them,
when surrounded by similar circumstances.
AT the commencement of the war, l was
living in the midst of plenty, and enjoying
all the comforts that competency in life
could give. But few blasts of the warriors
bugle swept from me the last chicken and
the last cat. then gave up my home to
my creditors, and was turned out without
money, clothes, or provisions, TO rent home,
with family to support; and it has re-
quired considerable effort on my part to
procure for them the most common neces-
saries of life for the last two years.
Since the close of the war, resolved to
make one more effort to rescue my family
from poverty and want, and if possible, to
educate my children. With this view, /
procured one hundred acres of the best cot
ton land in Chickasaw county, Mississippi,
and removed there in November last; de-
termined like the Farmer, in the fable of
the Lark and her Young, to see what /, and
my children, and two faithful minor freed
men, whom | have raised, could do at cot
ton making. ~ #.I Etf
Assisted by friends was enabled to pro-
cure few horses and provisions to pitch
crop. We went to work like Turks, and by
this date have nearly all our ground ready |
for planting, intending to plant at least sixty |
acres in cotton. But 10 what do hear |
come numbering down from the great city of |
Washington, at this favored moment, when |
we are buoyed up with hope of the future, |
and being cheered on by the sweet notes of |
The song-birds to our daily toll? 70 Is ta1 |
Upon cotton, which is nothing more nor less
than tax directly upon the labor of the |
homeless and poverty-smitten Southerner? |
Now, had we planted our sixty acres, and |
had favorable season, our taxes would |
have amounted perhaps to one thousand /
tollars-our rents and other expenses not |
lar short of one thousand more. |
Under these circumstances we would not |
be one dollar better off at the end of the |
year than at its commencement. Think of |
t for one moment. Here are five hands, of |
he second or third class, one over fifty years
If age, and four others ranging from twelve
% seventeen, without a home of their own,
md toiling almost day and night to procure
he comforts of life and an ordinary educa-
ion. At that moment you step forward in
Congress and say to them, "You shall pay
wo hundred dollars tax each per annum,
lfter paying your other expenses, rent, etc.,
'ut of the money you have so hardly
armed" We step back appalled,, and say to
7ou, ave cannot pay it. We must abandon
,ur enterprise. We must raise corn and
neat, and content ourselves to remain in
.overty, and do without education, except
What we can pick up in our own chimney
orners, for we are unable to pay tuition
eesp We say to you further, that you
nay ransack in vain the history of Ireland,
Poland, England, Russia, Austria, Turkey
nd the world, to find a parallel to the above
and severe taxation" And this
axation, too, without representation! "What
I'LL the rising generations say of your boosted
your justice, and your consistency,
hen they read the Declaration of Indepen-
ence of '76 and the dennlciation Of taxation
yithout representation, British stamp acts,
&C., by our Patriot Fathersp
Now, Messrs. Editors, it is easy to presume
rom the above picture which l have drawn,
nat shall abandon my cotton raising pro-
ct, and only plant enough to pay my rent.
have eonversed with many of my neigh
ors within the last few days, and find the
entiment unanimous, TO curtail the cotton
rop. These aremy reasons for the assertion,
nat one half the crop anticipated is all that