The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-12-30

Conhscation Tint is NOT NV me-, of Co,
sress.
| The South is threatened with famine
that would be classed with that which last
year carried off millions OF the inhabitants of
India. AT least we aIe told so in DISPATCHES
OF constantly increasing horror, and in reports
from army officers in the service of the Freed
mems Bureau. The New York Herald's
travelling correspondent represents that in
the cottol-rasing districts of North and
South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi Alaba-
ma and Louisiana, the negroes are not only at
the point of starvation, but are sadly destitute
OF clothing. He goes on to say that sat most
q the railroad stations many coored children
collect on the arrival of the trains, and enter
into competition with famished swine and
dogs Tor the possession of the bones thrown
by passengers from the trains, while scores OF
| negroes collect about the depots as specta-
| tors" The distress is by no means confined
to the negroes, but thousands of whites have
only small stock of provisions which they
| have no means of replenishing. In the States
just mentioned he estimates that there are
three millions of people who win starre un-
less relief is furnished by fhe government.
This is sad state OF things TOR country that
nature has fitted to become the garden of the
world. But no one expects. that the famine
will actually prevail 10 anything like the ex-
| tent anticipated. The government ,oU af-
ford relief, if necessary; or if on any account
it should fail to do so, private beneyolenee
will not suffer our fellow countrymen to per-
ish for want of food. a
But there is another state of things crow
ing out of the present destitution in the
South that demands more than passing at
tention. The planters are in a situation that is
only less deplorabe than that of their late
chattels. Their estates are mortgaged they
have received from factors advances on crops
which they have failed to raise; they cannot
command capital enough TO satisfy the claims
OF the laborers they hired in anticipation of
plentiful harvest The consequence is that
in spite OF the stay laws that have in some
| instances been passed for their protection,
they are obliged to sell their properly. Hun
dreds are offering their homesteads for
small per cent. OF their value. Land that
was formerly held at $40 per acre is now fee
| ly offered for one fifth of that sum. In rela-
tion to this subject the New Orleans cores
pondent of the New York Times says: some
estate in Mississippi of 1900 acres was lately
bid off at 81 so an acre; another at 81 so an
acre, and one in Alabama, upon which the
improvements were worth $4,000 went for
$1,000. This process must continue until, to
great extent, plantations have changed
hands,. Southern men concede that new
order OF things is inevitable. 1t is coming
to this, that man will only own as much
land as he can manage personally, with
few hands, according to the Northern prac-
tice. The new system of labor, as well as
the poverty Of the people. makes the change
necessary" i 0oaa 'ris fU 579a
At the close of the rebellion it was per-r
ceived at once that the spirit OF caste, the
longing for Southern Confederacy, and all
the unpleasant and dangerous features of
Southern society could be most readily des-
troyed by breaking up the large estates of
the planters, and giving to laborers an equit-
able share of the soil. Andrew johnson
was among the first to discover this, and pro-
claimed it, before the close of the war. He /
could, at that early day, see no safety but in a
complete industrial reorganization of the
South. He would partition the i'm
mense landed estates Of the wealthy
aristocrats among the poor but loyal blacks.
The President has long since recanted, but
Thaddeus Stevens aud few Others of his
class have aimed at republicanizing the South
by confiscation. They have not realized that
the new relations of capital and labor, grow
ing out of the freedom of the blacks, render
impossible the continuance of a landed aris-
tocracy. 1t derived It's only support from the
ownership which capital asserted over labor,
and, that ownership being gone, the planters
would naturally find it impossible to cultivate
their broad domains with hired laborers With
out yearly loss. 1t was to be expected that
the very thing that is now taking place with
respect to the plantations, would happen at an
early day; but the poor crops OF the past
year and the general social disorganization
have caused an unhealthy acceleration of the
change. If the transition from aristocracy to
democracy could have been gradual, it would
have occasioned less suffering and less exas-
peration on the part OF those who see them
selves deposed from their position of petty
despots. Their distress may be commiserat-
ed and their necessities relieved, but there is
cause for congratulation that a great and dan
gerous wrong is in process of eradication oy
the operation of natural causes, without re-
sort to those vindictive measures 10 which
Mr.. Stevens has vainly tried to commit the
Northern people. The mills of God grind
fast enough without undertaking to drive
them by Congressional steam power.