The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1867-12-21
Condition and Wants Of the
Freedmen.
From the Springfield Republican, tRep.)

From the Springfield Republican, tRep.)
Optimism is the most delightful OF phi.
losophies, and an excellent tonic and
stimulant, when taken in proper quaint,
ties. But it ought not to make US bllnd
to facts, nor hopeful of success In course
that tends only to disaster. 1t is very
pleasant to say that the negroes OF the
south are behaving admirably, that they
are vindicating the free-labor system
and proving their capacity for politics
by voting for our side. There is partial
truth in this, as to some of the freedmen.
But the exceptional facts are so many as
to indicate that the negroes yet need
much training and experience before
they will achieve creditable position,
industrially or politically. The Southern
crops, this year according to the best
testimony, are at least one-third less
than they might have been, on account
of the irregular industry of the freedmen,
and their refusal to work at just those
times when work was most essential.
But weather and insects must have pre-
vented full crop, but cultivation at the
right time and in the right way would
have made it much larger than it is.
This is the declared opinion of the best
friends of the freedmen in the South.
The Northern men who have cultivated
plantations make the same complaints
asdo the old planters. Giving the negroes
an interest in the crops, as a general
fact, made no difference; they would
not work in the morning, nor in unpleas-
ant weather; they preferred present
ease and comfort to any promised ad-
vantage lying SO far as six months in the
future. A letter from Mississippi says
that the consequences of this failure are
likely to be very serious. The planters
have not paid expenses, and are more in
debt that they were last fall, and the
negroes have neither provisions nor
clothing for the winter in the majority
of cases, and will be dependent upon
charity. Many farmers are SO disheart-
ened that they will not make contracts
for another year, but say they will culti
vate only so much as they can with their
own hands. This may not be quite so
bad in other States as in Mississippi, but
throughout the South it is the general
report that the negroes have not earned
enough to carry them through the year,
and that the planters have made little or
nothing. A letter from Virginia, by
Northern friend of the blacks, says that
very few of the negroes labor steadily ;
they work by snatehes; earn a little
money, and then spend it in idleness and
dissipation, and in consequence are de-
generating in morals as well as manners.
When first emancipated, they manifest
ed general desire for education and
Improvement, but in. most cases it did
not last, and very small fraction of the
colOred people now interest themselves
in any such matters.
These retrogade tendencies of the
freedmen are attributed to various causes
chief of which are, their natural idleness
and improvidence, and the false promises
made to them by their demagogue lead
ers, that they are soon to be put in pos
session of the property of the South,
when they expect to realize fully their
dream of freedom, which is, no work,
and plenty of pork and hoecake. 1t was
said before suffrage was conferred upon
them, that they must acquire their politi-
cal education by exercising it, but they
evidently have not made the best be-
ginning. Their first lessons have been
faulty, and there will be needed much
correction and discipline to make intelli-
gent aud reliable voters of them. 1t is a
fact greatly in their favor that they mean
to vote for their friends, but they have
not yet learned to discriminate the true
from the false, and in submitting to be
marched to the polls and supplied with
tickets that they must vote, and in mob
bing such of their number as dared to
have an opinion of their own, they mani
tested very imperfect idea of the rights
!. and duties Of free and independent voters.
Too many of them, if questioned even as
to the names for whom they vote, would
be obliged to confess, with an old Savan-
nah negro, 81 'clar to God, / can't tell
dey give me ticket, and I put it in;
'clar to God don't know what was on
it,
For their own welfare, and that of the
South and the nation, the freedmen
must in some way be saved from idle
ness, intemperance, and prohigacy, anG
be educated and be made capable of The
intelligent exercise of citizenship. W.
have thrust these mOmentous responsi
bilities upon them, before they were fitted
for them, and it is our imperative duty
to save them from the consequences O
oilr own and their mistake, SO far as tha
is possible, Circumstances are not aus
picious, but we must not be eovermastered
by circumstances. Mistakes are not ir
retrievable; victory can be organized
out Of error and disaster, If we act Witl
fidelity and courage. The three millions
of negroes are to be permanent elemen
of our population and our politics. 1t i
our work to educate them that they vii
not beaa source OF perplexity and danger
but contribute to the wealth of the coun
try and the security of the Government
This work we have scarcely commenced
- 80 ss
ADVERTISING AND CASH BUSINESS
Merchants of every description who hav,
suffered from losses which they incurred
by too much credit in 1866, are now natu
rally anxious to do cash business. Il
fact, ''pay DOWN. is the dictate of safet.
and wisdom, because the financial ant
political affairs OF the country are just il
that shape where the thoughtful mai
feels the necessity of holding his resour
ces in hand. Now it is concession Q
all traders-eyen those who do not ad