The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-09-11

State. The result to the present laborcr
would be tho same because if immi-
grants arc invited to the State on ac.
count of the induccmcnt of the lands
at cheap rate, tho majority would
come prepared with cash sufficient to
buy small tract and carry on farm
themselves. These immigrants would
not hire the laborcrs that arc already
horo, because they havo ncvor been
accustomed to pay rs high wages as is
generally given here, and secondly,
because they would not need any moro
laborcrs than they would bring with
them, and which they get att cheaper
ratio than our laborcrs work at.
twill thus be seen then, that con.
iiscation in any shape proposed, is no
benefit to tho colorcd laborcr of the
South, on tho contrary, the oolorcd
people arc cmincntly Interested in the
matter remaining just where it now
stands, unless they were. prepared to
compete with immigrants who would
flock to the State in case the lands were
open to tho market. Suppose that
onc-half the lands of our pcoplc wcrc
now on The market for sale ut one
third thc original cost, not ono in a
thousand blacks could buy for cash,
but tho immigrants who would be in
duccd to como llcrc could buy, and
these would be class of people who
arc accustomed to work and would do
their own plowing and hocing.
Now if this one-half Of our lands
we're bought up by immigrants and
worked 10y them, labor would become
much cheaper and the scarcity of
good farming lands in the State would
drive majority Of our freed blacks
from.t thc country, for many of them
arc now working land which without
tax or rent would not moro than sup
port them by cultiyating it. 1t is
clear therefore, that in amy point of
view, 50 far as our black people arc
concerned they have nothing to gain
and all to loose by conliscation, direct
ly or indirectly. The true policy for
tho blacks, it strikes us, is to cult
vato friendly relations with the
whites, to be faithful in carrying out
their contracts exercise honesty and in
dustry, that land owners may feel salts
fled to risk selling them lands on timo.
Let tho land owner once SEQ that a
colorcd man is honest and Industrious
and he will havo no difficulty in buy
ing good land Mt reasonable price
and OH long credit. At tho same
time it is tho duty Of tho whites, to
offer proper Inducements to the blacks
to labor honestly and faithfully, by
giving them fair wages. They should
DC treated kindly, humanity and with
all proper Difference that they may be
inspired with pride of character.
And we do believe if tho land owners
would consider it q duty and soil on
credit small tracts to honest luboring
blacks, it would have most bcncii-
cial effect upon all classes. Such a
system would induce others to omu
late tic examples of those to whom
lands arc rarcclcd out, and instead of
idle droncs, many Of our black people
would soon become honest, industri-
Gus and thrifty citizens,
We by no means, wish to DO under
stood to convey tho idea, that We
are opposed to immigrants settling
amongst us, for we arc we'll aware
that numbers Of our citizens, some the
most cntcrprising, arc not native
: South Carolinians but We do wish to
be understood as being opposed to
Confscation in any shape and opposed
to the encouragement Of Immigration
| by robbing the old citizens to enrich
new comcrs.
We may alludc to this subject
again, as it is one in which all arc in
torcstcd.