Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-12
Cotton may not be King,

In the Scnse IN Whlcn tne term WAS originally usc
hut the "hub Of the universe" has come to the
conclusion that it parsonage Of vast importance.
The Boston Board Of Trade, rs well rs Boston
psp-rs has become extremely socitous about the
crop Of the present year. and urges the importance
IT settling the labor question in the Suuth with q
view to irrsuring yield Of the staple sufficient to
meet the New England demand and to regulate
'Ae balance Of trade with foreign powers. When
the labor question was settled the radicals would
not let it stay settled and now that the negro can
70 longer be forced 70 work for his master, they
RE raekirs their brains for the means Of making
him work for the Yankees, indirectly. Great
wrongs never fail to be Avenged, and the abolition
lists are beginning already, 10 pay the penalty for
Their lswless aggression upon Southern rights and
their barbArous destruction Of Southern property.
Already they perceive that, without large sup
Ply Of cotton, the national debt can never be paid
indeed, that without It, national bankruptcy
must be the consequence. And, seeing this they
arc invoking the aid Of the government to adjust
the system Of labor in the South, with as much
rarnes,ness md more honesty than they once in.
osed its aid to destroy that labor. But they will
find It Is easier to pull down than to build up. A
system Of labor, that dates back beyond the eIis.
l.nce of the government not be overthrown,
and successful substitute found in day; and be-
sirc it Is found and made effective, the shoddy
Aristocracy will bleed freely through the pocket.
But how is the government to aid the abolition.
ss in their anxious efforts to procure labor for the
cotton felds2 Ia it by ruling the South as q con.
suerad province7 Saeh condition of vassalage
will prove a poor incentive to energy, but an ad.
mirnbe nursery for the propagation of sectional
bate aud de,estaton Of party that disasms the
Constitution Of al! power to protect and invests the
government wta 10 other attribute than the da-
hslicsl power TO insult and oppresss Do they
want peace, Industry harmony and prosperity I
Then let them restore the South to its place in the
Uuiop, and recognze'its States as co-equal SOW
erigatics. Do they want the negro to work for
thrm7 Then let them withdraw their black
troops, aud close up their Frcedmens Bureau. As
long as these soldiers remain here, obviously for
seir protection the freed negroes will continue to
H. inflated with e1,rayagant notions Of their vas,
importance iu the scale of humanity, and out Of
this unfortunate eonccii grow idleness, arrogance
r1d instability OF purpose. lnsensb'y, perhaps, to
themselves the idea suggests itself that, as their
brethren in arms arc !ordng i, over the whites, it
is beueath their dignity to hire themselves, BY the
month year. TO the inferior race Of pale faces
The Bureau, too, inculca,cs by its mere presence,
the saline thoughts and feelings. 1t presents itself
as n constant reminder, to the negro, that he 10
va,Isr the especial protection Of the North, whose
agents are here to protect him against the violence
oi his former master, and to secure 10 him some
uniehned advantage position that ill raise
him above the necessity Of toll, and invest him
Hith imaginary privileges that are to make him
,rarscendantly happy.
But, it is not upon the negro, alone, shat this
department. produces evil effects The white man
sees in it, evidences Of unmerited distrust and an
unwarrantable interior, nee with private contracts
a. d domestic relations. No matter how upright
my be the intent ns Of the government, nor how
honorable and conciliating the conduct Of its
AGENT the fact still appears that the white man is
4,alt with as though he were kuave, and the me-
gro is, incidentally, imbued with the same suspi-
cicn, instead Of being taught that his lot ia cast
with tina, Of bis former master who is, and has al.
>'Ays has been his only true friend. In the ab-
srnce Of these influences the negro would soon
learn that he must DO industrious 10 order TO live
in comforts that he must be honest and faithful tc
win confidence, and that he must be respectful In
order to enlist the kindly feelings Of those upon
w',cn, he must be dependent for the means Of sup
por, SO long MS hi, reliance is upon bis daily labor.
In the South, this question of labor Is domestic
one rnd federal Intervention smacks too strongly OF
dcsrolism to be paatablc to the people, and con-
forss too little to human nature to be effective in
Ne operations. And unless this system is to be
perpetual, the sooner it is abolished the better for
both races, in the South, and for the national
treasury and for the whole country. This is our
opinion, based upon what We have seen and read,
and we think few will dissent from it who have
studied the book Of human nature, bound in
black
We see that some Of the Southern journals are
apprehensve that there will be too mnch cotton
raised, the present season and some estimate the