The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-05-22
Notes On the South,

interest:
If an election of any kind were to be
held in the South within the next three
months, there is no reasonable doubt that
three-fourths Of the negro vote would be
cast with the Southern white vote. There
is perfect accord between the larger por'
,ion uF the freedmen and the white pOpu-
lation. This is but natural. The negroes
were as ardent enemies Of the North as
their masters during the war. They had
no theories to sustain, and no special care
as to what questions Nereinvolvcd in the
contest They sympathized with the
people who surrounded them and If the
oath of allegiance were distinctly under
stood by the freedmen when 1t is admin
istercd to them, nine-tenths of them
would be unable to say that they had not
lent willing aid and comfort to the rebel
lion. Having stood firmly by their
masters in the trials of the war, they are
stili likely to stand by them in all public
questions. II seems to be from know
ledge and appreciation oftAese facts, that
the men who are seeking to use the negro
vote for partisan purposes find it ncceS-
saryto delude the poor fellows with
promises of division OF the lands among
them. The serious question for tAefreed-
men now ought to be how to establish
regular and permanent system Of paid
labor, and how to fix the rate Of payment
so as to approximate as nearly as may be
to the old rate--namely, support for
the Iaborer and his family, in sickness
and health, childhood and old age. But
the interference ofpoliticianS is operating
to prevent the determination Of these
questions, and postpone the day of calm
settling down. 1t isimpossible to regard
the speech missions Of Northern
politicians to the Southern negroes as
anything but Injurious to them. 1t is,
in fact, adding the final blow to their
rnin as a people. Unless they settle
down to work, and take the position Of
laborers whose labor is necessary, and
must be cherished and cared for, they
: vii! rapidly perish. The suffrage is in
danger approving. the destruction Of the
race. 1t would ordinarily take genera
tion to learn the requirements ofthe new
order of things. Where the interests Of
employers are 50 deeply involved in the
education of the employed, the process
or accommodation to the new system
might be much more rapid. But the
temptations to idleness which political
speakers are offering them, are too strong
to be resisted by their feeble intellects,
and they are easily led to ruin. They
would go much faster if the promises
were fulfilled. If the lands were divided
among them, and they made to depend
,on their own labor for the product OF
their owa farms, the race would melt
away IN two or three generations.
The Southern negro is very much like
hot house plant. He needs constant
care and advice. Exposure is dangerous.
It is astonishing to observe how many Of
them seem to be i'll, how few are free from
coughs and indications of disease. They
know nothing about taking care Of them
selves. They require advice, watching
and constant help. These are the gene
raj truths, while the exceptions serve by
contrast to make the common rule more
visible.
The future, therefore, looks doubtful to
the Southern people. There is reason to
fear that the negro race will disappear.
Already it is plain that it will not be able
TO supply the demands for labor which is
sure to be made within few years. The
indications are that they will diminish
from year to year, while the demand will
increase in more rapid ratio. If these
questions were left to the management Of
Southern men, they would be considered
with great care, and the utmost attention
would be paid to the comfort and we'll
being of the feedmen. The best friends
they have in the world are Southern en-
pioyers, and their worst enemies are those
who, however honestly, are seeking to di-
vert their attention from the primary
question of bread, and clothing, and shell
ter, to the work of governing great
nation. Unfit at present to govern them
selves, they ought to be spared the mise
rable delusion of thinking they are fit to
make laws for the world or the greatest
nation in it. The direction ofther minds
towards such subjects results in their
absolute destruction, physical as we'll as
moral.
There are many reasons for believing
that the tendency Of fittings in the South
is toward the breaking up Of the old sys-
tenn of large plantations employing many
hands These will continue in some
sections, because no other system can be
made to work successfully. But it will
not be strange if the general rule shall
hereafter be more likely at the North,
requiring but few hands. Here comes
in, however, the question Of emigration
whether it can be turned to the South,
and how. The worlds history has shown
that emigration does not tend to warm
climates. But here are inducements
such as were never before offered. 4
land once tceming with abundance, rich
soil which rewards labor ten-fold, the
prospects Of crops which are more valu-
able than mines of gold, the certainty
that the soil will yield support to the Ia
borer and his family from the time that
the seed grows--thcse and other reasons
may tempt the emlgrant.
But the people of the South must do
something to induce immigration, and
one of the first things necessary is to
persuade their railway companies to es
tablish second, class through rates of fare
at low tariff. The present rates are
only local, and very high. When we
compare the cost ofgoing from New York
to St. Louis or Chicago with the cost Of
going as far Southwark We see the
reasons why the cmigran: cannot be in
duced TO try the latter.
There are fine openings for the organ
ization of emigrant companies in the