The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-01-26
COLUMBIA.
Saturday Morning, January 26, 1867
The Negro Exodus.

from the numbers OF tins class which
come down the Charlotte Railroad
almost daily. The Augusta Constitu-
tiCaa};st states that, if n correct
census could be taken of the negro
population Of that State, q startling
exhibit Of decrease would be made
manifest, and accounts for this state
Of things from various causes, the
chief of which are cpidemical dis
eases and migration to the West and
Southwest. Slovcnly habits, intem-
perance and thriftless exposure pro-
duced the onc-hish wages and su-
perior Establishments the other.
In a long article on this subject,
the ConstitniiOnniSt SAYS:
"While striving to the best of our
means and ability to introduce diff
ferent class of labor, we must not be
blinded to the fact that heightened
period must elapse before such labor
can be made available, and, in the
meantime, our grand dependence is
upon our former slaves. This stub
born truth cannot be evaded, and it
would be the height Of folly to repel
the only labor we have, without ade-
quate prospects. for better substi-
tute. The negro may be all that is
claimed against him, but here he is,
and we must make the best of him
and his muscle If he leave us in
great numbers and abruptly, our
agricultural interests must perish. II
he be persuaded to remain, time will
be allowed for other experiments,
and capital banked to make those
experiments of some vital Importance
and use"
There is much truth in the follow
ing paragraphs:
"The negro race will perish soon
enough, in spite Of Congress and all
its works. There is no serious dan
ger of its ruthlessly pushing the
white race from power, influence or
prosperity. But, while we have this
people with us we must make them q
benefaction to themselves and to us,
by kindness, consistency and true
humanitarian policies and practices. :"
The prospect for the raising of the
next crop is becoming truly alarming,
and unless some measures be adopted
to check this large exodus of the
only labor We have, thcrc must be
much suffering and wait in the fu-
turc. Legislation, We fear, could do
nothing 10 improve matters, and the
subject should at once engage the
serious attention OF the planters.
Our ootemrorary is panied to hear
that many planters have not como
up promptly to the consilmmation of
last years contracts. This condition
of things has i~~n probably brought
abont i'll consequence OF serious
losses, through nc!cmcnt and unpro-
pitious seasons, but il the labor we
have is worth anything it is worth
even personal sacrifices to retain.
Just at this "nfo.tl,natc junctr.re the
planters step il and, working upon
the discouraged feelings Of the freed
men, draw 3 bright picture of Yves
tern tiilage ana offer wages which
prove irresistible.
But in addition TO all this, it would
appear, from the following extracts
of a letter, written by a Northern
man to the pittsfeld tS,tn, that ne
farious trade has sprung up, which
draws off our labor, and is cruel to
the poor deluded freedmen:
'"There is one thing at the South
that has come under my notice, that
is horrible. A class of men, called
negro brokers, who pursue a traffic
which is the slave trade in a bad
form, and which could not be carried
on without the completely Of the Off
GERS of the Freedmen's Bureau. They
represent themselves as being plant
ers in the West of Mississippi, Ar
kansas, or some other region, and
offer negroes large wages to go with
them, and they, like the human race
generally, wishing to better their con-
dition, become the dupes of the
broker. The latter gets fifty or
hundred blacks, as the case may be,
puts them on the train, and, after
getting them well away from their
homes, meets an accomplice, and, in
l..