The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-01-23
6 H A r LIE T ON
WEDNESDAY MORNING, JANUARY %, 1857
THE LESSONS OF 1866.

In OUT previous arClclee ou Ile P'esoAe - oeo -
labor we discussed The subject in it's bearings upon
the freedmen. We showed that there Is abundant
room in this State for all her lsborers; plenty OF
work and plenty Of provisions also; and that IL was
our conviction that the negroes will 90 better 70 re-
main here. at or near their old homes, endeavor-
ing TO contribute their quota to the restoration OF
the country to something like it's former prosperi
ty. than to go to Florla or Texas, under the lil
preston that they will there improve their condl
ton; especially when they eEigrete upon them own
account or under government auspices WHICH, 20
the same thing.
Test our colored friends should think that Wo
baye not their interests at heart, and only hold
these views because we need thor labor, we shall
ouote witness, whose testimony will not be con-
s;dered thus interested. In recent number OF tne
New York 11n.es, we 1ind letter from lts Coi'!in-
bia rs c. correspondent, dated January L. el'lns
an account Of General HowARD's recent visit 70
that place he says: ssThe General has Tor several
days boon visiting our colored people, and ascer.
tanning from personal observation their mode OF
living, habits and condition. Two evenings ago
bo ,voa presented to an immense crowd OF negroes
IN tho African Church, and made them grand
speech. His opinions are regarded as quite tenn
norate and &C ciliatory. He advised against their
going to other States, either westward or else
where and took pains to explain to them the dis
advantages Of moving under any circumstances
and the uncertainties attending these efforts to
better their condition, by going to soil OF which
they did not understand the nature or the modes
Of cultivation He urged them to be moral IN
dnstrious and faithful to their contracts; to give
al nossbe attention to educating their children,
and in every way to elevate their social position as
much as possible.
These same views, adverse to the emigration OF
the freedmen, we have reason to believe are en-
tertained also by General ScoTT, the Commissioner
Of the Frcedman's Bureau for this State, and by
every other man Of prominence and of candor, who
has had fair opportunity of becoming acquainted
| With tho nature, habits, character and wants OF
the freedmen living amongst us.
| We silal now dismiss this part Of our subject,
and address ourselves to brief consideration OF
the several plans and systems of labor that were
tried during the two years just passed.
Giving specified pro rata share Of the crops,
in lieu OF wages, seems to have beon the custom
most generally in use throughout the South. This
for the obvious reason that after the universal
ruin-precipitated upon the South BY the sudden
and disastrous close of o long and disastrous
war--very few of the planters could command
sufficient capital, after procuring the most neces
sary provisions, seeds, implements, working ami
mails, etc., to warrant them in obligating them
selves to pay monthly wages in money to their
laborers There was no other plan feasible at tie
time and hence this was generally followed. It
was so again in 1866, comparatively few Only being
able to procure the cessary capital to pay regu
Lar monthly wages.
Some worked their force en- qnasse, as formerly;
others (also working upon shares) thought it bet
ter to separate the laborers in squads families
setting apart small farm, to be cultivated By
each The experience OF planters varies according
to the circumstances of each individual case. AS
a general thing, we bolieve the plan of paying
monthly wages in money has proved most satisfac-
tory. In some cases the working on shares"
may have proved satisfactory; but if 80 we have
never yet heard of thom. If there were no other
drawbacks in the lattor plan, there would ever re-
main tho difficulty Of keeping long and trouble
some accounts and having division Of the crop
at the end of the year; which division, with such
persons as the majority Of negroes may be sup
posed to be, will always involve more or less of
dispute. We may take it for granted, therefore,
that, as far as the various experiments Of hired
negro labor have been fairly made, the plan of
paying wages must DO considered as the one hav-
ing given tho most satisfactory results to all I
parties.
There is, perhaps more money in the country