The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-07-01
The Negro Homestead Bill.

The supplementary homestead bill
which quietly became law, the other
day, viii, if the intentions of its pro-
Jectors are carried out. produce q
more vital change in the condition of
the negro race at the South than even
the transition from slavery to free
dom. The mere abolition of chattel
slavery did not materially change the
stdlus of the negro as laborer. He
was compelled to work in the cotton
fields, before the war, by the will Of
his master, and he still works the
same ground to earn wages upon
which to live. The new homestead
bill, however, aims to make him q
freeholder, and thus break up what
IS left OF the present labor system of
the South 1t is safe to predict that,
IT the designs of the radicals, who
passed this bill, are accomplished, in
two years time, the amount of negro
labor available for cotton cultivation
on large scale will be reduced fully
one-half.
BY the provisions of this bill. as it
passed, all the public lands in the
States of Alabama, Mississippi, Lou
islana, Arkansas and Florida are
thrown open in eighty-acre home
steads to actual settlers only. While
the negroes are permitted to occupy
the land ut once, no poor white, who
favored the rebellion, can secure o
homestead until 1867. AS the bill
passed the House, all rebels were per-
petually excluded, but to this the
Senate would not consent. The COM
promise finally effected is thus ex-
planned by the Washington cores
pondent of the Boston Adre7tiser:
"Ihe managers on the part of the
House IN the conference committee
would not have consented to the limi-
tatlon OF the exclusion of active rebels
from the benefits of the act to the
next six months, but t-for the assur-
ance of the Freedmen's Bureau that
this space of time would be sufficient
to accomplish the object of tho bill
that is, to enable the loyal people tho
negr"nsl of the fiva States 10 enter
land under it. Gen. Howard, rs soon
as the President has signed the bill,
will send out special instructions to
the agents of tho bureau to take every
pains to inform the colored people of
the nature of the act, and to induce
them to exercise the right of selecting
lomesteads on the public lands con-
ferred upon them by it. The Freed
mems Bureau has had no better OPP
portunlty for inestimable usefulness
since its establishment
1t is easy to foretell how this will
end The negroes will become pos
sessed of small freehold; will raise
their corn, squashes, chickens and
pigs; and will work no more in the
cotton, rice and sugar fields. In other
words, their labor will become IN
available for those products which the
world especially needs. The history
OF negro communities proves that
when the blacks can live on the soil.
they will not work as laborers.
The following is the amount of
public land to be donated the negroes:
In Arkansas, 9.29S, ,0l2.7O acres: in
Alabama, G,732, ,05S.OS acres; in Flo
rlda, 1879, ,635.6 81 acres; in Louisi-
ana, C,22s, lO2.45 acres; in Mississip-
pi, 4,76O, 736. O3 acres-in all, 46. OO0.-
39S acres, Of which 10000, 900 are
known to be good arabic land. This
will give nearly 400, 900 homesteads,
and support nearly 100000 people.
The title Of this law ought to have
been GA bill TO get rid of the laboring
class of the South, and make Cutfce n
self-supporting nuisance.
Neao York JturM