The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-10-23
What Will be the Result.

From the n. @. PlcaJnne.
The newspapers from the interior bring US renewed
ly the information that the freedmen are becoming
and ayerse to work, and generally declare
that they will make contracts to labor for the COM
ing year
With the present aspect Of things, political and ma
tcrial it Is to be hoped that they will continue to thh
thus and act accordingly There are two classes OF
persons who need learn by such lesson, the freed
men themselves and the white people.
We trust the former will i'll way make llVlng.
They get work by the day to great extent, and
can obtain land to work if they give sufficient
guaranty that they will act the part Of good tenants
Such as really desire to be useful to themselves
and families will do well to buy lands and open farms
of their own. Lands are abundantly cheap, and the
who cultivates ten we'll, thoroughly and at
tentvey, will find his hands and those OF his family,
though half grown abundantly full and his idle hours
very few.
If the others do not choose to work for their sold
masters" let them work for any else. But work,
their friend Banks told them, is the heritage of all,
and if they fail to work they will either starVe the
pltering and stealing to which so many OF them are
addicted already, will become so nsupportable to all
the industrious and honest among themselves and
among the whites that their further enjoyment of the
status Of citizens will be extremely doubtful.
great deal has been said about the best friends"
of the black Really, his best friends are person
al industry integrity and economy. They are the best
friends of anyIhan. Without them will have few,
If anynone at least who have either respect for him.
or desire for his prosperity.
But our white population will learn lesson from
such determination of the freedmen not to work for
them 1t will be that of giving up all reliance other
labor than their own and especially Of at once aband
oning extensive cotton planting. We have always in
sisted that white labor in the Southern fields
beautifully and efficiently negroes. We have so
insisted because have known them so to labor, and
with much success. When negro labor plentiful,
there little need Of this that it was easy to per
euade men that the white man could not bear the heat
of the sum- the morning dews. Now necessity will
compel even the thick woods farmers to do their
work.
The absence Of the negro from the field will compel
the employment Of abor-saving machinery, and more
careful cultivation. 1t will also render it necessary to
diversity crops and to take in the raising
Of animals etc. The very vices which are increasing
ly manifest in the negro will make this the more need
full, and economy and watchulness will become habit
ual where heretofore good natured profusenesS and
Indifference had been the characteristic OF the
lanters.
The result of all this will be either that the freed
man becomes himself an industrious farmer tenant
owner, or that after years attempt to suck living
from the air steal it from those who do work, he
will find it necessary to accept employment at its cur
rent value and to work faithfully when employed
while the employer abandoning the prccarious culture
of large crops with contract labor which is always
wretched, will only give employment to such as work
faithfully and for only such time as he actually needs
tnclT SERVICES ii he ulakcS COuIFdctS Hc VIII Dc
tu to stipuatc for faithful labor and the privilege to
discharge the laborer if such be not his service. He
will pay with cash in hand, weekly monthly as he
may hire his men, He will settle the amount of ra-
tons pound by pound In short, either side there
will be the most definite aud complete understanding
of the rights and duties of each.
Thus with snug and compact system OF agriculture
and thorough freedom from any dependence the
laborer the latter will find it his necessity to be faith
full, and this alone will make him So while the
Southern planter farmer will become what he has
never yet been-an independent man.