Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-04-16
VOLUME TX VI.


Six Months 4 w w 80
Three Months .'... z w w
One Month. e 70
TERMS OF ADVERTISING.
Ono square, of eight lines dollar for the first nserton
IA twenty-iYe cents for each subsequent Liberal
terms made with yearly advertisers. -
Marriage Notices and exceeding hfe hes' WI"
All Communications personal character, win be charg
Al. commucatsns must be accompanied by the of
authors rejected cannot be returned
THE FREEDMEN AS FARM LABoRERs. We
COPY from the Lyochburg Virgnian the follow
ing letter from a farmer oflarge experience and
observation. It is gloomy and desponding;-
too much so, we still hope IF the idle negroes
could be driven from the cities, they would be
forced to work With patience and persever
ance, the South will yet regain her prosperity:
Nv farm, containing 250 acres of cleared
land, low grounds and high land, occupied by
ffv freedmen as tenants-torty Of the number
efficient hands, twenty men and twenty women,
the rest children l furnish, at fair market
rates everything can with convenience. They
are to occupy the land for twelve months from
10Th November, 1865 to 18th November, 1866,
paying me one-half of the products of.the land,
furnishing them wood, houses and garden
spots free OF charge-without any control over
them in any way, except TO advise, which they
can use or not as they choose---noW the Sth day
of April, corn planting time; the land all not
quite fallowed up. and that which is done,
badly done, no bitches cleaned out or manure
grubs 1t is to be understood that these slaves
were formerly my own, and well trained They
are exceedingly kind and obedient to me, but
their prospect ahead cannot be doubted From
very close observation, no farmer could afford
to furnish them with more than their clothes
and provisions; great want of starvation ISL
evitable. My farm accommodates, perhaps
more than any other farm on James River as
the system suits them Other farms are with
out hands, except by the month, rarely to re
main longer-moying very sluggishly, worth but
little more than the provisions furnished them.
If this be fair specimen, and the testimony
[ hear corroborates it, in the valley of James
River the best farming lands OF the State,
what hope have we in the future, with such la
borers? And the discouragipg prospects Of
our rights being established in the Union,
makes our prospects a dark picture. The peo-
pie OF Virginia are not as hopeful now as they
were some months ago. The laborer has PROV
ed failure, without credit or money with
Federal and State taxes to pay The ultimate
result must be, the property changing hands,
by sale or otherwise and the sooner the better.
If capital could be induced to come in and set
tie down In land of paupers, and unless we
can get emlgrants OF means, the pauper labor
ers are rather drawback than otherwise
Such as we have tried has proved a failure
We consider the Freeamen's Bureau Of no
value 10 the slave or nd-holders If that
subject could be withdrawn and the laws OF the
State alone to operate, it would have a saluta-
ry effect on the freedmen. 1t holds ont hopes
to the freedmen for something in reserve
They should know at once they have only to
rely on their own exertions. AS long as there
is hope from any other source they will not
stir until Starvation is upon them.
Fyou think this is worthy Of publication, I
may trouble you with other evidences Of our
prospects as the year advances. Respectfully,
MAYO CABELL
"Union Hill,' April s, 1865.
The WAY 1T WoRKs.-The Washington
Star says Notwithstanding the fact that
there is>great need of labor throughout. the
couotry, North as we'll as South, and that extra
inducements are held out to the swarm of con
trabands now at the seat of Government to
employ themselves at good wages, yet it is
with great difficulty that they can be prevailed
upon to accept the offers made for their SER
vices. They prefer to loaf about Washington,
: trusting to the chance OF being supported but
mainly, as late evidence has shown. with the
idea that Congress will speedily give them the
right of suffrage in this District whereby they
expect to derive some great advantages and be
placed above the necessity Of earning their
bread by the sweat of their brow. This idea,
however acquired, is fully fixed in their minds,
and no efforts Of even the Government agen,s,
in whose word they have confidence, are able
to dispel it. ;,
The Richmond Times says That female
energy and devotion which bought the grave
of Washington, which once erected statue to
Henry Clay, which, by deeds of mercy and
kindness, lined the darkest clouds Of our war
with CLEANS of holy light, that wonderful
strength and love of woman, so beautiful in
selt-sacri6cing charity-are. now being iet
throughout the Southern country. This is a
great and powerful element. Its a gigantic
agent of benevolence 1t is, by means of fairs
and other agencies, public and private, raising
the funds to rebuild and repair our destroyed
and desecrated churches; to found orphan
= asylums; to furnish poor MANNED soldiers with
legs and arms; TO feed, clothe, shelter and ed
ucate destitute children and widows; to re-
lleve suffering and poverty caused by the war
wherever they can find it-theSe are the noble,
lovely and immortal aims Of that active sym
pathy and charity which now emanate, in rays
of holy effulgence all over the South, under
the magic invocation of woman influence.
MISS j. McGRAW
Would respectfully inform her customers and
the public generally, that she has received her