The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-07-15
ON THE WING.

ment, and there was falsehood. The very truth
itself proved falsehood, or equivalent to it in its
effect, because portion only Of the truth was re.
ported; mere denial to rent or sell to negroes,
without giving the causes operating as prohibi-
tives. 1t may not, perhaps, be generally known
that the contrary was tried in many cases during
the past year; that planters rented out lands to
freedmen, the rent to be paid in stipulated share
of the crop. But the results were not encourag-
ing. The freedmen, unaccustomed to exercise
control over themselves or their families, in many
cases did not work steadily. Others, gagain, being
in too great haste to get rich, and never having
had to exercise their judgments before in planning
work, they undertook too much, and too many
things, and the natural consequence was that the
crop suffered. A total want Of capital, however,
is the great drawback to all such efforts. They
lack almost everything. II by dint Of industry
they should have accumulated, or il their former
owners should loan them sufficient sum to enable
them to purchase the most indispensable imple-
ments, and perhaps, also, mule, or broken down
plow or dray horse, they are without the necessa-
ry provisions to support themselves and animals
during the winter, spring and summer months.
Perseverance is not marked characteristic of the
negro race, and many cases where they have been
battling with these difficulties, before the crop
was half made, they would be discouraged, and
not unfrequently abandon the whole enterprise.
In some cases, which came to my cognizance
it is but fair to say, negroes, working on rented
land were successful, paid their rent and had the
satisfaction upon settling, to find something on
the credit side of the balance sheet. These, how
ever, are the exceptions. The greatest difficulty,
perhaps, in this whole matter is the want Of conf
dence of the planter in the freedman, knowing
him, as he does, to be in most cases altogether
unreliable. If the freedmen will show that they
are alive to the binding force of a contract, and
will work as steadily and faithfully on their own
account, as under the direction and control Of
the overseer, this difficulty will be in great
measure removed. There will be kindness and
mutual confidence, redonnding to the advan-
tage Of both, and q good understanding be-
tween the two races, which will cement-a bond
Of perpetual union and peace.
The planters up here are getting somewhat res
tive under tho overdose Of lecturing, which has
been administered to them by newspaper men and
public speakers. They think they understand
"the situation" !" and more than that they are
quite willing to "accept' it. They are fully alive
to the fact that The day for large plantations is
past" and that, ."land should be cultivated in
small tracts.n' And in fact there are few who are
not willing to sell part Of their land, if pur-
chaser can be found. This is precisely as any
sen iible man, knowing the circumstances Of the
case, would conclude. Many Of our people are
heavily in debt and have large landed possessions,
yielding them little or no return ); what more
natural, therefore, than that they should endea-
yor to diminish their debts and increase their
peace and comfort by selling part Of their landed
estate to small settlers, and thus by the mere in
crease Of population in sny given space Of country
enhance the value OF the remainder of their lands
very considerably. i,.{.
So with regard TO the renting Of land. There
ore few who would not be- willing to rent out .
portion of. their lands II they could find persons
Who in the exercise Of ordinary prudence, they
could be led to think would work the land to any
advantage, and pay the rent. The parties who
offer, as rule, both black and white, are either
unskilled, known TO be poor managers, and devoid
nike Of Intelligence and enterprise. And in the
few cases where these disabilities do not obtain,
they are still without the necessary capital small
even though that may be rated. This is indeed
tho .one great drawback to the execution Of oil
such schemcs. The operatives have neither
capital nor credit, and the planter, from the very
nature Of the case, can have no security for the
payment of his rent; and barely able to help him
SELF he is not in condition celtaihlS notat this
time, to make advances Of money, or even lend his
credit to his "clients." - 3 - Z /.
| The eonditionsof the country, social, political
and more especially financial for the present, at
least, prevent the carrying into effect Of any ex-
tended scheme OF colonization. The land here is
usually in large plantations, with only one set Of
buildings or improvements, as they are usually
called. Now, if portion at one Of the distal ex-
tremities is rented cut to a laborer or small far
mer, there is neither house, barn or stable. The
landowner is too much reduced in means at pre-
sent to undertake such task himself. Even if he
saw that, by adopting such course, his land
would be certainly remuneratiye in few years,
the low state Of his exchequer would be positive
veto to any such wise and benevolent enterprise.
For not only would this outlay yield no immediate
return such an enterprise would moreover ne
cessitate considerable additional annual outlay
for several years to come.
Very few purchasers have offered, who have any
means whatever. Plenty Of freedmen can be
found, willing to buy on credit, and Of course un-
able to give security for even the eventual pay
ment Of the purchase money. ~
There is, therefore, little, encouragement thus
far for the parceling out Of lands, the turning OF
large plantations into small farms. We have no
doubt, whatever, that in time this will come to
pass, but it must necessarily be measure OF slow
and gradual progress. The freedman, like the
laboring population of the North and OF other
countries must learn industry and economy be-
fore he can step into the dignity Of landed pro-
prietorship. He must endeavor, by frugality and
thrift, first to lay by little money and get
"start," otherwise his too sanguine hopes OF sue
cess as an independent agricuturist will Come to
naught.
There is, in my opinion, entirely too much i'm
portance attached by the freedmen to the posses
sion of land. Man never is, but always to be
blessed. It is hence natural for the landless to
desire strip Of soil in their own right, and they
expect advantages from such proprietorship which
can be realized in but very few cases. In coun-
tries like France, Belgium and Western Germany,
where land is divided and suhdiVided, and land
lords can be found owning an eighth. OF ON acre
only, the laboring classes and small proprietors
(here one and the same) find it perhaps more
difficult to live than the peasantry OF any other
country in Europe. They contract debts, mort
gage their little land and unable to redeem it, as
must necessarily happen in very many instances,
they are soon without land again, and much more
vexed in spirit than if they had never owned any.
A few speculato1s and money lenders in this man
ner can soon purchase whole province, district
or State.
But suppose, with view Of preventing this un-
desirable result, the Legislature enacts home
stead-la law, cxempting from execution a certain
minimum of land. This will exercise no influence
upon the ndolent or thriftless laborer, and make
him industrious or economical. The only certain