New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-02-06
TEXAS.
Preparations for the Ne"
Freedmen and Their "ases-su"
ments Abess the Negrsr~-The L"s's
0usstion-The Social stai"s-Want o.
Iahorcr.-The Convention.


Laborers-The Csnvennsn'
| From Our Special Correspondent
BRAzOs Co, TeIas Jan. rs. 1900
rbrouohont this and the adjoining counties
along the Brazos, Colorado Caney ana oyster oIoeA'
which are the great cotton growing secuons % VIC
s,o, active ooeratons are going for planting. The
weather has been most inviting anu Tue p"""'"" -
evorvvbere busy breaking up" and preparing the
ground for early planting. from the hist 10 'he doe
% FEBRUARY and even so late the middle Of March,
is tho planting season for cotton Corn "hich taree
months goo could have been bought for % cents specie
EVERYTHING here is done on specie basis-has risen
TO 70 cents and 81 per bushe and IS likely to continue
high But bacon bacon sides and hams plenty, and
can be bought at from 10 to Is cents 2 10 The large
number who have and viii have to buy for plantation
supplies will keep provisions at their present prices
possibly send them up There Is, however, full sup.
ply in the country both of meat and corn.
FREE LABoE.
Despite evil predictions OF interested and preuliced
parties, the freedmen have generally gone TO work
upon the plantations according 10 agreements, and
are contentedy working. In most cases they have
changed places preferrng to get away from the old
plantation with which slavery and lis accursed memo
res have been long associated and have found new
homes where they could, under new employers To
receive average $40 per month Specie under
Stood though not spulaed) which at present rates IS
good ala or SIS in currency, beside rations and
quarters. This is higher than is paid in any Of the
States to the north OF US and yet there 10 lack Oh
labor.
MANY planters Who ran away from the "vandals"
when we occupied The Mississippi Valley. have re-
turned thither, carrying the hands ard mules back
with them. The freedmen generally go back TO their
old homes voluntarily, for they have left their Old
mothers, fathers and in cases their sweethearts
behind them Were our freedmen carried TO Cuba !
can scarcely credit the rumor, but have heard II
stated that shortly after the surrender. one or more
cargOes Of blacks plt board OF sailing vessels
the mouth Of the BIazos. under pretense OF taking
tHem North and were carried 70 Cuba and sold or
transferred TO plantations newly purchased there by
Texan planters.
As such a kidnapping transaction would be almost
certain 20 be made pubic and TO bring retrbuion upon
the guilty-for the United States Government would
certainly institute Investigations where the liberty OF
its citizens was thus concerned-it may well be cues
toned whether any subject Of Spain would knowingly
embark in such an enterprise What our own slave
holders would do, If opportunity offered, II IS unneces
saTy % speculate upon.
The statement was made TO acquaintance Of mine
by planter and merchant who prolessed to know the
fact Rnuors Of these transactions were current In
New Orleans three months ago and rere geEr1Hy BE-
Heced give the statement without voucbing for its
correctness.
That il would he possible 10 transfer to interior
sugar plantation OF Cuba hundreds Of blacks from the
BRACES bottoms and keep them there IN ignorance Of
the country and Of the results Of the which brought
them freedom. who doubts
To return 20 the labor question. have heard that
in few cases the freedmen failed TO come 10 time on
the Ist Of January They had made aud had witnessed
contracts 10 engage In plating for the year bug DID
not make their appearance ana my ihofmer eoud CIV
40 explanation THE phenomenon
To account for such !rTegu ariies Your correspond
cit has sought information where be could best obair
il. and while he would be careful 70 nothing eI'
tenuate down augh In malice, ne duty Is 10 al
here TO the truth. wherever IL may las' him.
There is class-not the largest hope-who con,
slider cottonrasing the sole prerogatiyc and special
privilege Of Texans and they regard Northern men and
CAPITALISTS who have come here 10 plant rs inicropcrs
They have no objections 20 their merchandidng-hng
the country with goods of Northern manufacture which
they can buy a. a ldrg, disc0nf but they DO not wish
10 see the yankees" engaged alongside OF them IN
The ancient and honorable occupation OF planter
IL Il not the better class who say this but the less
discreet talk u openly 10 accompl'h fher ends they
have two chief weapons-one TO deceive and dsheaI,en
the labOrer. Ono device for instance. succeeded in
driving of one whole plantation Of laborers. In the
guse OF friends they came and Informed the hands that
i wasa Government plantation they were working
on and they would get no pay Now. 10 The ignorant
freedman one Government IL the same as another
They know TO their that they have worked under
the Confederate Government for years without pay.
and these stories have their effect
They tell them We are 20 have war with Mexico.
get whipped and they go back again under The yoke
These and other mischeyons stories have the effect 10
nrduce doubt and misgivug in the mind of the abOrer
which are unfayoreble 10 persistent work They viii
sooner or later learn 10 disregard iLeD and ind out
who are their true friends
In fey auces the less discreet aud moro violent
among the reconstructed" have threatened violence.
They bold out 10 the cheerful prospect OF some night
losing our Yankee scalp" As they win lot carry out
these pious designs upon cspuis until the troops
ali gone il i not best 10 borrow trouble this
count Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof
Cases Of shooting and whipping OF freedmen are fall
inc off visbly TbeIe were At first some very absurd
notions among the planters who Of oourse, held all the
corn that they would compel the negro 10 como and
bow down to them for corn Joseps brethren did IN
a.. kal nll hQ food nd Inca
famine among the freedmen. IL was very nice
rangemeHt but before the famine began 10 pinch the
negro the planters began TO get pnched for labor and
those who bOased that they Wold ask Niger
10 work for them we're the fret to break away from
the famine combination, which was actually formed,
and to 90 in search Of laborers
They made appeals TO the Bureau 10 assist them 10
procure the necessary bone and muscle TO work their
farms They discovered there was no surplus Of labor
the boot was tother leg Finally. tho scramble for
hands has become urgent that the planters are
bidding one another and getting away each Others
help and there il nice little fight a. " stands In many
heretofore peaceful neighborhood. One man, hearing
that his neghbor had seduced away some OF his hands
by an offer Of higher wages determined he wond not
be outbid or outwtted and after consulting his better
BALI which Henry Clay once said he always did with
profit went and bought barrel OF whisky hired three
fddlers and got up grand barbecue and dance on
his plantation TO which he and his wife personally lent
the charm of their society. They had high old time;
the freedmen were thoroughly won over to their eu
poyer and his designing neighbor walked mp the next
morning TO find himself fanfed.
| These disputes have become so common among EN-.
MISUNDERSTANDING out Of competition for abor-that the
freedmen's Bureau has been urgently appealed to to
regulate the matter by nstituting pains and penalties
for engaging in this Underground Railroad business
To all such appeals Gen. Greeoryhss INFORMALLY
swered; Hands of, gentlemen that is your own at
iair my business is 10 protect the freedmen. not TO
settle disputes between planters" As matters now
stand in quarters. they far likely TO get
each others scaps than they are TO take the Yankees
As soon the Convention assemblies. some legislation
will no doubt he blocked out TO meet this and I'M
| looked for state Of things
One thing is certain: there is almost universal tes
tmony among the planters that but for the assistance
Of the Freedmens Bureau they could not have planted