New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-08-14


working under a free labor system, were desirons
| Of getting rid Of them aud during the summer of
1 1866, judiCiOus bureau and military officers did
much towards restoring order and harmony and
! inducing the people of the South to resume the
| cultivation OF Their plantations by employing the
\ freedmen. Before the close Of 1866, there was an
/ entire revolution in the sentiments of the people
| OF the South with regard 10 negro labor. A feel
ing OF kindness sprung up towards the freedmen,
4 resulting perhaps mainly from the conviction that
! his labor was desirable and profitable, and the
only labor to be had. The necessity of the bureau
! there ceased Since then, while it has been hene-
fetal in some localities, it has been productive in
the aggregate of more harm than good. 1t has
occasIoned and will perpetuate discord so long as
| it exists, though administered by the wisest men
! of the nation.
The freedmen regard its presence as evidence
| that they would be unsafe without it; and the
white people consider it an imputation upon their
integrity, an espionage upon the official action of
all their courts and magistrates, as well as upon
the private conduct OF their citizens Both races
are thus made suspicious and bitter by an agency
| WINCH in the present disOrganized condition of
Gyll government and society in the Southern
either.
s The :, best protection the freedmen has in the
South IS the value of his labor in the market; and
if he is left free to dispose of this at all times 10
the highest bidder, unshocked by contracts made
for him by bureau officers, no apprehensions need
be felt for his safety or his success If the freed
man could at this moment demand the wages
which the high price of the products of the South
would Justify, one dollar per day and board would
be the ruling wages instead of ten or twelve dol
lars per month, the prices now paid. But they
cannot take advantage of the demand for their
labor.
They are bound by contracts and euslaved for
twelve months, through the agency and influence
of the freedmen's bureau, The hands on the Mis-
sssippi river steamboats, were not required to
make contracts, and they are getting $40 per
month and their board far less eXactng than that
of plantation negro. The negroes on the Ogc-
chez and Savannah rivers are gettinT on the rice
plantations, from SO to SIS per MONTH under CON
tract for the year, while the laborers employed on
the Georgia Central railroad which runs between
the streams, are getting 81 SO per day.
Some complaints were made to US by the plan
tiers on the Savannah river, that their labOrers
We're disconnected, and did not work as required
by their contracts One of the planters, a prac-
teal and liberal minded man, explained the cause
OF this conduct to be the low wages at which the
negroes were hired. He said, 80 | can get hands
| enough, and good work done, too, by paying a
| dollar day and rations and l am paying that and
expect to pay even more. | can pay three dollars
| a day and make money. The negro is going to
to do sou
The enghtenedp policy advocated by that gentle
mana policy strongly in accordance with Justice
and sound political economy-is defeated by the
contract system inaugurated and forced into praC-
teal operation by the officers Of the freedmens
bureau.
We met with instances of freedmen working for
ten dollars month and rations, under yearly con-
tracts sanctioned by the bureau. While in the
same field doing the same work other freedmen
not under contracts, were getting one dollar day
and ratiOns in all of the large towns of the Missis
sippi valley and during the months of May and of
June the planters were offering one dollar a day
and rations for freedmen. While under the sane
ton of the government, given by the officers and
agents of the bureau, thousands of freedmen
were working under contract for ten dollars per
month
If the freedmen are left free to contract the de-
mand for their labor and competition among EN-
ployers will secure them good wages and kind
treatment. They will not contract with men who
treat them harshly or fail to pay them, as is album
dainty proven by the fact that many planters who
treated their former slaves cruelty are now unable
to hire freedmen to work for them and have been
obliged to sell or lease their plantations. We are
unable to discover why the simple rules which
regulate and control the relations of labor and
capital in the Northern States should not obtain
as well in the South, or why the national govern
ment should permit the laborng man to sell his
labor to the highest bidder in one section of the
country, and appoint an agent to sell it for him in
another section 1t is undoubtedly true that if the
freedmen Of the South were not bound by con.
tract, they would be at least fifty per cent higher
at this time than they are, and there would be
less discomfort among the freedmen than now
exists and far less duty for the agents and bureau
to perform. Almost the only disaffection existing
at this time amongst the freedmen arises from the
le6n
hired under the influence and with the
approval of the agents of the bureau |
This discomfort makes the freedmen unwilling
towork, and their Incidence provokes the planter
who not untrequenty resorts to violence to en-.
force his contract, and this makes business for
the officer who sanctioned the contract Investi-
cation follows, resulting generally in finding the
freedmen at fault for refusing to labor according
to their contracts, and they required to return
to the plantation, while the planter is admonished
to curb his temper. In some cases of this nature |
the contract is declared forfeited by conduct of
the planter, who goes away from the bureau feel |
ing that a decision has been made that the freed. |
men are not bound to fulfill their agreements. |
The difficulty is in the contract which has been
unjusty forced upon the poor freedmen.
1t must not be inferred from what we have |
written that we are opposed to the freedmen con. |
tracing with the planter. By no means. We be- |
lieVe the very best thing they can do is to make
contracts for a share of the crops-iberal wages |
but we are opposed to agents of the national gov
eminent assuming to hire them out, prescribing |
the times of service, and STIMULATING for the wages
to be paid them. They are not free so long as |
any such contract is exercised over them; nor can
they ever receive just reward for their labor while
they are compelled to hire within a given time for
specified term.
In Mississippi and other States, freedmen were
compelled, by orders from officers of the bureau |
to enter into contracts within limited periods,
which enabled all who wanted hands to get them |
at low wages, While if the freedmen had not been
intertered with, the demand for labor would have |
enabled them to secure just remuneration.
1t is great error TO suppose that the freedmen |
are not competent to enter into contracts for |
themselves. They are sharp at bargain; know
well what government contract is and are bet |
ter collectors than white people.
In the opinion of the commissioners the system |
of contracts now existing in the South, and en- /
forced by the bureau, is simply slavery in a new
FORM and practical defeat of President Lincons |
emancipation proclamation.
They say in conclusion that if the freedman
leaves North to seek employmentat better wages, |
ne is arrested as Vagrant by order of the |
freedmen bureau, and put to labor on the roads
with ball and chain, as is provided by an order |
recently issued by General Scott, assistant com
missioner for North Carolina. If fatigued from |
over work he desires to rest for a day, if he |
leaves the plantation to visit relative or friend |
it is made penal otfense and fine of $50 is i'm
posed, if he refuses to contract he is arrested by
the bureau provost marshal and sold for a few |
dollars to the nearest planter The coerciye |
policy adopted by the bureau in this and other
respects, has been made a justification for the |
discriminating legislation of some of the South
ern States.
The only remedy against white man for
breach of contract is a suit for damages, and we
can see no reason why the same remedy should
not be applied and conceded in the case Of the
black man. The freedman has nothing to sell but
his labor, and we are strongly of the opinion that
ne ought to be permitted to obtain for it the
highest price it will bring If it is neither lust
nor lawful for any person to assume control of
him, it is certainly not any more Just or lawful for
officer Of tho IL -. H.