The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-25
A BUREAU STATEMENT.
Condition of the BLACKS ia the Cotton
Growing States.

sioner OF the Freedmen's Bureau in Mississippi
has addressed a letter to General Ord, the Com
mander of the Fourth Military District, giving
detailed statement of The present condition OF tn
freedmen and the planters in that section, and o
their prospect for the future. He says:
At the close Of tho war cotton, heretofore tn,
great staple of the South, commanded what wa
regarded an enormous price, say from forty u
sixty cents per pound, the result of which was u
cause q large amount of capital from the North t.
be invested III the production OF cotton. LaDol
Of course, commanded q price comparatively be
yond what had hitherto been known in the plant
ing and farming districts, ranging from s15 to 81
per month, with %ratlons, for f~rst-class field. hands
The short crop of 1866 dispeled the Illusion enter
tanned by many capitalists of rapidly accommodating
O fortune, and in many cases utterly ruined plant
ers and Adventures, Tho had invested their all II
a single crop. Yet there was q sufficient numbel
who regarded their losses as the result OF an ex'
c~eptional season, added to the number OF land
holders who determined to risk the result OF ano,
Their wears planting to maintain the high rate Of
wages of the previous year, and the contracts,
where the wages were the consideration. ranged
from So to $50 per month, and where the land was
titled on shares the planter agreed to furnish the
land, animals, utensils, and, IN many cases, 1or-
,ge, the freedmen furnishing the labor. In most
Of these cases, the laborer having no subsistence
and no credit, the planters agreed to become
responsible for the supplies necessary Tor TIE
laborsr and his family, the amount to be deducted
| from the share OF the laborer when the crops were
gathered.
In consequence Of the dry weather and worms
| the crop OF 1867 has not exceeded half OF what was
| regarded as an average crop, and that has not
commanded but one-half of the price OF the pre-
vious year, thus reducing the proceeds to one
fourth of what was anticipated by the planter ana
freedman as the proceeds Of the years labor,
| The result is the financial ruin OF the planter and
capitalist and discomfort of the laborer.
In cases where laborers worked for stated wages
| there is but little complaint or discomfort on the
part OF the freedmen, remuneration having gen.
| orally been received by the laborer either in money
| or supplies, or if not paid the claim can be easily
| established or adjudicated, and If the planter has
| the means the claim Cal. be collected. Where the
| laborer has worked for a share OF the crop endless
| litigation has been the consequence, The laoorer,
being without means, has generally been furnlsneu
| the necessary supplies by the planter or on his Sc
curity. On gathering the crop it has IN a majority
of cases been ascertained that the share OF the Ia
| borer does not pay his indebtedness for supplies
advanced, and instead o. receiving q dividend ne
is in debt. This causes great discomfort and q
| conviction, perhaps well foundedin some instances,
of dishonesty and false accounts on the part OF
| planters; but this cannot generally be the case.
Instances have occurred where the planters nave
entirely abandoned the crop to the laborers, losing
their time, the use Of their animals and lmple-
ments, and the supplies advanced. Cases have
| been brought to my attention OF planting where
| not only the entire crop has been turned over to
the laborers to satisfy their claims, but also the
mules and implements used in its production. The
| result of this ondition of affairs is the almost uni
| versal determination OF planters to abandon the
| culture of cotton, and even if they wished to prose-
cute it another year, it would, / apprehend, be I'M
possible for them to procure further advance OF the
necessary supplies from any merchant, so preva-
lent is the conviction that cotton cannot be pro-
duced at the present prices. .
The next year the land in cultivation will be
almost entirely devoted TO corn, which requires
IL L-A 800 ~ ~c H. 1A- dawn n1al ~ n
ton; therefore four-fifths of the laborers required
last year will be thrown out OF employment, and
of course there will be O corresponding decrease or
wages. This the freedmen do not appreciate, con-
sidering it the result OF q combination TO defraud
them Of what they consider just wages. The con-
sequence is they almost universally decline entering
into contracts for the year 1865 on the terms offered
by planters.
Tho crop of 1867 having been gathered, the freed
men are now idle, and without, i'll q great majority
Of instances, the means OF support. The result IS
great complaints from every section OF the State or
depredations being copmitted on live stock, hogs,
sheep and cattle. This is now the condition of
affairs in the State of Mississippi.
Planters are without means, having little lett
them except their lands. Capitalists beyond the
limits of the State refuse to make advances from
the unsettled condition OF affairs. The freedmen
being to a great extent discontinued, retuso to
enter into contracts for the coming year. The
remedy to BIZ applied demands most thorough and
immediate considerations; Tor the military, either
through the commanders OF troops or agents OF
the Bureau to reach all sections OF the State, to
see that all persons able to earn their support are
compelled to do so, and that all those who do labor
receive compensation for the same, is simply I'M
possible. The care Of the poor and the duty OF
seeing that contracts are faithfully executed prop
erly devolves upon the local magistrates and
higher courts.
How far it is safe, under the peculiar condition
of affairs existing IN this State, to trust the civil
authorities with this duty it is for you, to whom
the act creating this District intIusts " the securi-
by OF life and property" tojudge. 10 empower the
local magistrates to arrest as Migrants all per-
sons without visible means of support would no
doubt lead to acts Of injustice ; but the civil au-
t~horlties, being recognized and intrusted with
the execution of the civil law, collection Of taxes
and the care Of the poor, it would seem to be a
necessary consequence that, as c protection to the
community, they should have authority to compel
all who are able 10 support themselves, and thus
prevent them from becoming q burden upon the
community. To deny tho civil authorities the ex-
ercise CT this right Is to place the freedmen above
the recognized government OF the State.
1t is q matter of very grave doubt whether, IN
the present condition OF affairs, the civil authorl-
ties. unaided by the military, will be able to MAN.
tain order and execute the law. Civil process can
only be served III the ordinary manner where Of
tenders are the exception and the law is sustained
by public opinion; but in the present ruined con-
dition of labor IN this State thousands are without
labor and must subsist, consequently, depreciation
is the rule and honesty the exception, while, on
the other hand, to treat as Migrants four-ifths OF
the community is simply impractlcable.
But these are matters for your consideration
and Of the law-making power rather than TOR me,
whose functions are entirely executive, and to you
I submit the case, merely with the surmlse that 1t
will be impossible to inaugurate any system for
the relief OF the blacks which is unanimously ap-
proved by the whites.
There is another subject worthy Of attention in
this connection. There seems to be a widespread
belief, which is daily increasing among the freed
men, that the land in this State is to be divided
and distributed among them, and IN some sections
OF the State this allusion is assuming a practical
form by the freedmen refusing to contract for the
next year, or to leave the promises they have Gull
tlvated this year.
1t is to be feared that this course, induced by
ovil-disposed advisors, may lead to collisions, the
extent and result Of which it is difficult to surmlse.
I receive almost daily petitions and memorials
asserting the existence of organized companies of
freedmen, and asking the presence aud protection
of troops, and although / I'm satisfied that thes'
representations are generally the result OF fear and
exaggerated rumors, yet the existence OF sucn or
CARNATIONS in some sections OF the State is Ger
tain. Commanders of troops and agents OF the
Bureau have been instructed to urge upon the
freedmen the absolute necessity OF abstalnlng from
armed they will be protected
in all their rights, but TINT they must lot seek re-
dress by force or violence.
In order to avoid as far as possible bringing the
races in collision with each other, : have advised
that whenever practicable the posse"
to assist in an arrest shall be Of the same race as
the person Arrested.
1 am, General, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
ALVAN C. GILLEM,
Brevet Major-General, Commissioner.
The Ogcechoe Didsculty.