The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-12
FREED LABOR.

| To he Eti,tor Of The Charleston Ddgy ae0S:
| II ever there was period in the history "' 'ne
farmer OF South Carolina more noted thsh "''f
other for trials, diiiicuties, perplexes and dISap-
| poin.ments that period has certainly peeh ON
braced within the past two years. lnstilled rom
his youth to manhood. and from manhood 10 ''o
age, with the principles OF systematic ispoi, AT
customed to direct and govern at his own VIII anu
Judgment, he now finds the change from general
and well organized system to loose ana corrupt
structure of the fragments Of its wreck one oi
sore and trying perplexitios that would require
the patience Of JOB to brook.
OF all the elements in the world, <he most all-
compromising and troublesome to conteha WILL
ignorance is the worst. Unable to comprehehu
his own relations and not knowing wle'l' nor wiio
to trust; incompetent to discriminate between HIS
true friends and real enemies, and falilh3 10 "P-
preciate OF recognize justice when II Is hetou o''
10 him; distrustful of his former masters anu cA-
acting to cent, with no tangible means Oh tes'lnE
the proiessed friendship Of Radicallsm, deiuieo
by vain hopes, and blinded by the doctrnas OF de-
siguins men, the black man of the South aiio"s
himself to be tossed upon the waves OF l'a'uca'-
ism, thoughtless of his position, with the
cherished hope of reaching some ha'ei' hot
| far distant OF eternal peace and happiness.
From this condition OF mental excitement phys
ical paralysis ensues, and the black man who' II
he were not embarrassed by their surroundings,
would be quiet and peaceful laborer, ls stirred
up to fancifur expectations which III reahty lac can
never realize Political meetings and Union
Leagues engross his attention, to the detrlieh. VI
his social and domestic interests. He negiectS us
corn and cotton, and will walk from ten 10 h"eeh
| mhes to some public gathering to near poiiticai
harangue, in which he is told that II he does not
vote the Radical ticket he will be put back INTO
slavery or dropped from the roll OF the Breedmsn
Bureau, &c. To all these evil and designing
threats he listens and believes with the most un-
bounded confidence. He returns with q light
heart and buoyant spirit resolved to work as little
| as possible in the interim, fully convinced that
| some great event vet unknown will take place that
will place him above the necessity OF tolllns 10
maintain his existence The idea OF forty IS
| forms nuclSus around which gather all his hopes
| OF future conten.ment, even to the exclusion oi
present comfort, and he is willing to abandon HIM
self to state Of nominal existence until hls goal 10
| reached.
Under these circumstances it is not dlhcuit
matter to perceive the embarrassed condition OF
| our present system Of labor. Some may reduce
these statements ia hyperbols, but they certain!
represent the state of things in tssectlon OF the
wide world. The farmers position, at present. is
any but All enviable one. Each day finds inm an
ayowed advocate of the resolution to quit his pro
| fession. But second thought reflects the TACT,
that an incubus of debt, heavy indeed to be borne
in these hard times restricts him to the necessity
Of adhering to his profession while longer, OF al
least until he can iquidate his creditors CLAIMS
Hhen he hopes 10 discard the freedmen and 1--we
with less trouble upon the profits OF his own labor
As time recedes distance lends enchantment to
| the view" and he almost counts the days TO Janu-
| ary, regarding each day as the harblngef Oh NE
nearer approach to release when he feels sure that
when the end of the year does arrive he will bid
lasting adieu to freedmen. January arrives, how
eye, and instead of being diminished, he finds his
obligations where he left them, the profits OF his
labor having to so for tue beneht OF his factor. u
vbor, he ia indebted for advances made during
the year. Finding himself no better on ana 'he
worse for wear, he concludes to try the Ireeahen
again. III the hope Of ameloratinS HE cohdi'ioh
and making something - pay upon his da't''
Bat this year, like the last Is only cycle OF fecur
ring events of strife, trouble and turmoil, with
little or no improvement in the labor. Thus 1t Is
with the farmer nowadays. Eighteen per celt.
interest two and half cents per pound on cotton
depreciation of real estate, doporapie state VI
mpecuniosity, crippled labor, and generai III
! deb.edness Of the citizens of the State, winch,
when the courts are thrown open for litigation viii
create a dem morsliZation without aprecedent Ill
South Carolina, and contribute to render our future
dark and gloomy indeed rAioAN'
| Lnpr nE EnIsTA