The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1867-11-02
NUMBER 81.

told them, Is the heritage OF all,
and if they fail to work they viii.
either starve, or the pilfering and
stealing to which SO many of them
are addicted already will become
so insupportable to all the indus
trious and honest among them
selves and among the whites, that
their further enjoyment of the
status of citizens will be extreme
Iy doubtful. ea
A great deal has been said
about the 'sbest friends of the
black man. Really, his best friends
are personal industry, integrity
and economy. They are the best
friends ofany man. Without them
one will have few, ifany-none at
least who have either respect for
him, or desire for his prosperity.
But our white population win
learn a lesson from such determi.
nation Of the freedmen not to
work for them. Tt will be that Of
| giving up all reliance on other
labor than their own, and especial
ly ofat once abandoning extensive
cotton planting. We avealways
insisted that white men can labor
in Southern fields as beautifully
and efficiently as negroes. We
have so insisted because we have
known them to SO labor, and with
much success. When negro labor
was plentiful, there was SO little
need of this that it was easy to
persuade men that the white man
L 4 4 =
could not bear the heat of the
sun, nor the morning dews. Now
necessitT viii compel even the
thick woods farmers to do their
own work. -, -
The absence of the negro from
the field viii compel the employ
ment of labor-saving machinery,
and more careful cultivation. 1t
will also render it necessary to
diversity crops, and to take more
care In the raising of animals, etc.
The very vices which are increas-
ingly manifest in the negro win
make this the more needful, and
economy and watchfullness will
become habitual where heretofore
good natured profuseness and in
difference had been the character
istic of the planters.
The result of all of this win be
4 either that the freedman becomes
himself an industrious farmer as
tenant or owner, or that after a
years attempt to suck a aliving
from the air or steal it from those
who do work, he win find it nee
essary to accept employment at
it's current value, and to work
faithfully when employed; while
I the employer, abandoning the pre-
| carious culture of large crops,
with contract labor, which is al
ways wretched, win only give em
ployment to such as work faith
: fully and for only such time as ht
: actually needs their services. /
he makes contracts, he will bt
careful tc stipulate for faithful Ia
Dor, and the privilege to discharge
Q the laborer if such be not his ser
8 vice. He win pay. with cash il
i, hand, weekly or monthly, as b,
may hire his men. He viii SETTLE
0 the amount of rations pound b.
s pound. In short, on either sid
|. there will be the most definite ant
complete understanding Of tn
L rights and duties of each.
|, Thus, with a snug and c0mpac
Il system Of agriculture and thorough
. freedom from any dependence o.
. the laborer, the latter will find i
L his necessity to be faithful, an
3 this alone will ever make him 81
while the Southern planter or fal
mer will become what he has neV
% er vet been--an independent mar
> I-[New Orleans Picayune.