Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-09
I'LL LAnoR arEsrInN.

The selma. lAla) Hssag, ofthe 5th
inst SAYS
" We regret Co. learn that the freedmen
in uhis section have not generally made en-
gagement- for the new wear. Many lead
ing planters have not yet secured labor for
another c-Op. Many uegrOeS, homeless
and pennies, barely gaining from day 90
dav a precarious subsistence, having spent
the remaining proceeds Of their contracts
for the past season during the HOLIDAYS for
"s.op-shop clothes and brass jeweiry, are
refusing liberal offers and insisting on a
patch 80 cultivate on shares. The planters
know that IN almost every case these terms
would be in reality to furnish freedmen
with homes, food, and fuel, without any re-
turn whatever, either for subsistence fur
uished or the use Of the land. Good wages
are offered, either in money or a share Of
the crop, and refused 50 far by more than
half the laborers in this portion Of the
! State. We fear the result will he that
/ much productive land will not becuitiyated
/ at all, though we trust that a little expert
I ence on the part of the unemployed will
induce them 10 60 10 work before il is too
late
Similar complaints are made in other
/ portions Of the South. and fears are cz-
pressed that the planters viii not be able
to secure the labor necessary to cultivate
/ their land, As a general thing, the
! freedmen appear to have worked better
the past year than was anticipated at the
opening Of the season, but the experience
of many planters has been such as to de,
ter them from attempting to raise cotton
the present year with negro labor Il
seems, however, that many who are vii.
ling to give the experiment another trial
find it dilicult 10 make contracts with tn,
negroes, arising from a Discrimination on
the part Of the latter to obligate themselves
to work Tor the season. While this will
result in greatinconyenience to the plant
ers il will in the end prove a serious
drawback to the freedmen Where tn,
b negroes manifest Discrimination 10 work
their places win be supplied as rapidly a
p possible with white laborers, and thu
, gradually the negro viii be supplanted
OF course, this will result to his injury
p but he will have himself to blame for II
The negro has been looked to to suppl,
the vast amount Of labor required in th
South, and his failure to do so win no
! only result in temporary inconvenience t
2 the planters, but permanent injury t
himself The past year did little toward
e solving the labor problem in the South
+ and the present year opens about as IN
I iayorably in this respect as did the last
It Men who were thoroughly acquainte
g with the negro character, took the posi-
zion Immediately after the close Of tn
# war that as a freedman, he would no
), make a reliable laborer, and it must D
q confessed that the drift of events ha
rather tended to establish this theory
IS The negroes were given fair trial las
year, and although they worked better il
some localities than employers had beef
q led to hope they would, still the result
2 was not satisfactory and this year open
with a repetition of the annoyances ex
perionced by planters at the opening O
last year It is evident that experience
has taught the negro but little as to hi
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