The Van Buren press., 1866-03-31
SATURDAY, MARCH 81, 1865.
Labor

esttO the people OF the South. at this time.
From the wreck of slavery, we are now called
upon to build mp Il system of labor that will
fully meet the necessities of the country.
Whether the labor ofthe Negro can be made
available, or not, is a problem now in process
of solution. The experiments Of the present
year will probably settle the question. We
confess a great want of confidence in the
availability of this spccirs Of labor, under the
present regime. That this matter must De fl
nally left to the States, is almost a tOregonc
conclusion. 1t part of the internal frame
work of State. and each State must have the
control of the entire matter. We hear much
said Of the injustice that Southern men will
be guilty of towards the negro if the control of
his labor be left to them. This, we believe, to
bealtogcther gratutouS, and, In point of fact,
Untrue Men are governed by their interests.
Passion may at times interfere and blind us
To our Interests, but this is generally in indi-
yidual cases, and not apt to be true Of an ell
tirecommunity or State. 1t is to the interest
of the Southern States to make the labor of
the negro rs useful as possible; and the ques-
tion only remains how can this be accomp-
lishcd? Certainly not by abusing the negro.
nor by practicing injustice towards him. Not
by denying to him the exercise of those
rights which naturally, by the very structure
of society, belong to him-tlc right to ac-
qlire property, and. rs necessary sequence,
the rightto protect his property by a resort to
thciudicial tribunals Of thccountry and to teS-
tity therein. II is no concession 10 the negro.
nor is il an infringement the rights or priv
ilcgeS ofthc white man to secure to The negro
these rights-itis duty we owe him as part
of our community. These belong to the cat
alogue of natural rights. Of perfect rights"
to use the language Of paley, They should
be guaranteed TO the African ana we feel sure
that all Southern States will feel it incumbent
upon them TO do 50. After this is done, the
problem is partly solved, and then comes the
question of the regulationof labor as it per-
tains to all laborcrs. The present system gov
ening the labor of the freedmen, is. in our
humble opinion, radically defective. Those
who inaugurated this system did so without
acknowledge of the character and tempcra-
ment of the negro. They also started out
with tie false premises that the Southern peo-
pie are hostile to the negroes as a race. This
Is the corner stone of the entire superstruc-
ture of legislation, and is known, by all who
know the southern people, to be defective
The foundation is rotten, the ground d-work un-
sound, and the whole ediice will totter and
tall. Starting with this false proposition, the
conclusion to which they legitimately arrived
Is false, The people of the South are not hos
tile to the Africans, who have lived among
them for years long gone by. They have nurs-
ed us and our chiidren--they have shared our
boyhood sports and their affection is entwn-
cd IN Tho tondeSt memories. We do not en-
tertain feeling Of hostility towards them
ana the assumption that we do, is only an
Qtller OF those malicious falsehoodS which
have been woven into the network of fanati-
clsm and bigotry, that now tcttcYs the limbs
of our Republic. With this feeling, thoscwho
legisated for the negro, in his newly acquired
state OF freedman, were SO fully impressed
with the vital importance f"hedging around"
the labor of the negro, that they have really
made it practically unavailable. Man was
originally created to life Of ease and phvsi-
cal indocncc--and labor is curse pronounc-
ed upon him by his Maker. No man will
work without an incentive. Pride makes some
labor-Want makes Others Labor and desire
for gain is almost the ruling and chief mo-
tive power The negro has no pridc-has not
yet felt the pinchings Of hungerand wantand
Is by no means NariciouS. If thew can pro-
vide for each day as it comes. the general feel
Ing among them is, to consider that amply
sufficient They are sadly deficient in fore
sight. They have never been called upon 10
provide for themselves and cannot feel and APP
preclate the absolute necessity of providing
for the future. They live in the present only
1.-The future is something they never consider
II this be true-and we appeal to the entire
people of the South, for they ought 70 know
them best, for the vcricatiou of it--thcn some
other motive power must be brought TO bear
some other incentive. in order a. induce th'
negro to labor. This can only bcdonc by th'
Legislatures of the several States. These an
the proper regulators OF the matter and thei
action being subject, in some measure, to
supervisionary control of the courts, the ne
gro will surely be protected from oppression
or unjust treatment. We hope this suhiec
win be fully and calmly discussed by tn
press throughout the state and the enth
South and the public mind thoron Uhly i'm