The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-11-28
NO.48.


prejudice or not is immaterial to the view I
take) do not regard the negro as their equal.
He is not allowed the right nf su&fage The
North insists that this prejudice of the South
does cruel wrong to the African Amongus
they are very poor and few of them have &C
quired local attachments by owneship of
land. The results Of emancipation andswar
have made the whites poor also; and the
uncertain condition of our federal relations
prevents the influx of capital or population.
Enterprise is paralyzed. Few are able TO
employ laborers and pay them liberally. On
the other hand, the dominant States are rich.
In all of them the wages of labor are much
greater than we can pay. In many OF them
are pubic lands of great fertility which the
laws give to the actual settler sts nominal
price. In one of these Statesa portion Of
the people has given substantial earnest
of the principles they profess BY electing
two Africans as members of their State Leg
islature. Everything seems to invite their
emigration to the dominant States; but
most of them are too poor to pay the ex-
penses of moving. This difficulty mar be
overcome by diverting the appropriation
made to sustain the Freedmens Bureau, 70
,defraying the travelling expenses Of those
who may choose to move allowing euch one
to choose the State or Territory to which be
would 90. When thus left free and aided to
60 where they may think their condition will
be bettered no ground will be left for furth-
er sectional strife as to their government.
Who, that would avoid the rock on which
our ship of State is threatened with wreck
will object to this scheme of reconciliation9
+ 1t is clear that the Northern States willnot
object to it. 1t will place the negroes, vol-
unfairly emigrating to them, under their inn
mediate guardianship, where they can look
after their personal protection, and, mental
and moral culture, much more discreetly
than they can by Freedmen's Bureau, or
any other machinery, while they remain here.
am sure North Carolina will not object
to this scheme. If it be objected that the
emigration would be so universal as to leave
US for time, without a sufficiency, of labor
ers, and it be conceded that this would be
the result, who would not prefer to perform
servile labor until other labor could be pro-
cured, to the ihquietude and humilation to
which we are now subjected 2 But such
would not be the result h-Csrelins
means to treat her freedmen with justice
and humanity. Very many of them retain
the feelings of kindness and confidence
which they formerly felt towards their mas
tiers, and these reciprocate the feeling and
pay them fair wages and give them every
reasonable aid to better their condition al
though We may be unable to perceive any
thing to encourage our efforts in the past
history of the race
respectfully recommend that you propose
this plan of national reconciliation to tho
Congress of the United States.
Whether this suggestion be carried out or
not, it behooves US to consider what the well
fare of the State requires Us to do. in special
reference to the African race among us. The
task, which the sudden emancipation of 90
many slaves imposes, if we were allowed, to
undertake it without interference, would be
most difficult one. We Haust face it as il
is, and do the best we can for the common
veal of the white and black.
The most prominent subjects. demanding
new legislation, are crime and pauperism.-
Our Courts have been SO occupied with the
criminal side of the dockets, that little at.
tention could be given to civil suits, and our
jails are still crowded. Stealing, formerly re-
garded as the meanest of crimes, and of in
frequent occurrence in this State, from the
manner in which the late war was conducted
and other causes, is to be regarded as rather
variable offence The action Of our courts
has done much to check it. It is still fright
fully common. Negroes compose much the
larger class of these offenders Much the
larger number of convicts, of all colars, are
insolvent, and the expenses of their prosecu-
ton and Imprisonment swell largely tho
frghtful burthen Of taxation under which
our impoverished people are laboring. This
evil must be remedied, if possible. gass
Under our existing laws, recently enacted,
power is conferred on the justices of the
peace to erect workhouses, for their respect
i've counties, in which insolvent convicts
should work out the fines imposed, aud the
costs of prosecution. The erection Of pro-
per buildings will cost much. Counties
cannot bear the expense of erecting around
them sufficient walls to prevent the escape
OF the prisoners. The salary Of the superin-
tendent ana other employees must be Coz
siderable. How can the convict be CON-
pelled to labori What is he TO work 1t
lfa mechanic, is il contemplated to supply
each county work house with the necessary
tools and materialsa Is leather to be pro-
vided for the shoemaker and saddiler, coal.
anvil, hammer and bellows for the black.
smith planks and planes for the carpenteri
&c. If not, what is he to work ata Ger.
tainly not at farming. This would re-
qulre the keeping of mules and ihoryes.
with uncertainty whether sny.. or how
many convicts would be. sent to the
workhouse. The superintendent could not
pitch his crop in uncertainty whether be
would have any hands, or how many he
would have, and almost certainty that
when he put his convict in the field TO work.
he would run away.
submit whether it would not BE- better
to keep up our highways by taxation. and
to compel insolyent vagrants and others con.
victed Of misdemeanors, to work with ball
and chain on the highways or other public
work OF the counties, allowing them, a. pro-
vided in our county workhouse act, TO raise
the fine and costs by apprenticing them
selves ~, - u s /.
RRNlTENTIARY.
As to convicts for the higher grades Of
crime, think penitentiary siiould be
erected. This mode of punishment nasbeen
in long use in most of the states. Il has
never been discontinued, SO far as am in
formed in any state which has adopted Il
and regard this experience as decisive in
favor of this place. Il
II this recommendation be approved, /
further recommend that provision Be made
for employing convict labor, as far q prsc-
ticable, in the construction Of the ueceessry
buildings; and that proper comnission be
constituted to carry ont the design in ths
best manner. y
| va PAUPHRIsu. ~ 4tssif
" The number dependent for subsistsnce ON
| public charity is vastly greater than n eter
/ was in any past sueriod az our hietorv