Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-02-04
F q L T II I @ ~ {
Frem the Columbia South Cnrolinisn. |
Foreign Er,isration.

At The late session Of the Lcwislature
South Carolina pledged herself tn the cncour.
agcment of Foruign Iinigrntion. Several
Thousand dollars were appropriated expert
mentally, and provision WAS made for the an.
pont'ncnt OF Il Commissioners and sub-agents,
and for the speedy employment Of those who
may land upon our shores
The subject is, especially at this time. all
Important The interior Of South Carolina
is being rapidly drcimatel Thirty-scvcn
Thousand negroes are already estimated by a
United States official to have sought homes
ont of the State. Florida, and tho garden
spots of the South west. are attracting large
numbers every week and as fast MS these pro-
pie can accumulate money enough for travel.
or come under the tempting influence of agents
from other srctous, they arc abandoning their
old homes and their labor is lost to us forever.
The contract system Of employment. in the
majority of instances, has Lrrn found to br
unsatisfactory, il not uuproiitablc' to bntl,
parties; and yet, the payment of wages will
not in all instances, bc consistent with the
means of onr people. Money is still scarce
in the State. The receipts Of the last crop
is we'll nigh exhausted in thu payment Of out
standing claims, and credit is not easy to Oh
tain in the present disordcrcd condition Of pc
litical affairs.
Recognizing these facts, and what is the
n'anifrsts duty of planters? Certainty not to
sit with idle hands until the evil assumes the
proportions OF an avalanche that cannot be
controlled nor to depend on that broken re,
negro labor; nor on the other hand to fol-
low tho tide that carries in its flow 80 much Of
tho material with which our resources have
been hitherto developed.
We must meet these disheartine circum.
stances with brave, bold front. The hatus
nade by departed negroes must be filled by
drafts upon white labor, and for this purpose
the world is open to orr demand 1t needs
but persistent, we'll applied, intelligent effort
to create the supply. Upon the Commission
or OF Emigration, therefore, whoever he may
he-will dcvolvc the gravest responsibility.
Ihe agent of every planter in the State, hol-
ding. MS it were, the rcins Of her prosperity.
the intermediary through whose hands must
pass the health currency of the Old World,
to be cngrafted in the blood Of the New, the
duties Of his office will compel tho employ
ment OF the best energies, sagacity, prudence,
foresight, watchfullncss and activity.
His will be the task to collect statistics, and
present them in the most favorable light to the
moving communities of England, Ireland
Scotland, Germany and France to prepare
the,mind Of emigrant before he leaves the old
country for the favorable changes he may OK
poet in this; to publish the inducements which
South Carolina offers to the stranger WHO may
come hithcr to take in our progress to estab-
lish his agencies at Queenstown, and Liver.
pool, and Hamburg, and all other ports of de-
parturo, through which by tho distribution of
circulars he may continue tho exercise Of tho
favorable influences; to employ men Of VA.
rious .nationalitics in Now \ ork city who shall
meet every cargo Of omigrants on their arri-
Tal and forward ssoh as may be destined for