Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1868-01-18
CIRCULAR LETTER.
Headq'rs. Asst. Commissioner,

/! + P
Headq'rs. Asst Commissioner,
BUREAU REFUdEEs, Il. Il ABANDONED L.,
District of South Carolina.
CIARLEsToN, s. c., Jan. l, 1868.
AS the representative of the Government in
behalf of the interests Of the frccdpeople, 1
deem it not Inappropriate for me at tho com
mcucemcnt of another planting season to make
a tow comments upon the results of tho past
years labors, and offer few suggestions as to
the nature Of contracts for tho coming year
It is with feelings of regret that i rcyiow
the disastrous failure of tho Rice aud long
staple Cotton crops in the vicinity of tho
coast Up to the first Of last July the pros.
peot of a roqa$Slnaratiyo return for the labor
and capital invested was aattering, but owing
tounayoidablc and unforeseen causes, boyond
tho control of human power, the end of the
year finds both the planter and laborer, upon
the coast country, in an embarrassed and suf.
foring condition. I should not be justified in
dwelling further upon this topic SO we'll un.
derstood by all parties Interested suffice it
for mo to say that the general failure Of the
Rice and long staple Cotton crops cannot be
attributed to want Of care and expense on tho
part of tho planter, or lack Of labor and attcn.
tion from the freed people,
In some districts in the central and uppcr
portions of tho State, very fair crops Of short
staple cotton and corn have beon harvested.
but owing to the depressed condition Of the
cotton market, the planter finds that tho pro-
ceeds of the sale of that staple will not re,
imbursc him for tho cost of production.
The general testimony from these sections
is that the freed people have worked faithful
ly and well, some say "ncver better; this
may be partially accounted for, by the fact
that, the small planters or farmers of the intc-
rior arc accustomed to labor themselves, and
by giving their entire personal attention to
their planting interests they have thereby en- !
scouraged the freed people to emulate tho ex-
ample thus set them. Ihave, however, been
informed that owing to the scarcity Of proyis-
ions, at the commencement Of the past plant
ing season, many freed people wcrc compelled
to enter into contracts which were either not
liberal in their nature, or did not provide suf-
ficiently rcmunerative wages, consequently
they find themselves at tho end Of the year,
penniess, or in debt, and feel dissatisfied and
aggrieyed without confidence. in tlleir EN-.
ploycrs aud indisposcd TO contract for another
year. No State in tho Union is moro best
with g diversity Of climate and natural pro.
duction than South Carolina the staple crops
of the more temperate regions which arc there
found so profitable to tho farmer, arc equally
adapted, to this latitude, and the same indus
try and care exerted here will be attended by
equal success. No valid reason exists to pre-.
ventrthis State from being entirely sclfsup.
porting; more Importance should be attached
TO the general farming intorost of the coun-
try, at least two thirds of tho tillablc land
should be devoted to the prodno.;on Of pro.
vision crops, .the.cultivation Of Cotton should,
in my opinion be. made secondary to that Of
cereals, as anincrcased production Of the latter,
would place all classes of community beyond
he:reach Of that pressing want, which now
thteatens starvation, unless again relieved by
the donations Of tho charitable. .is.
It certainly must be apparent to every prao.
Gcal man that free colored labor can never be
assuccess in this State unless liberal and fair
s >oohtracts are entered into and observed tho
freed people cannot much longer bo hood.
winked' ahdimpossd upon, they are rapidly
learning the wortRof money, aud all persons
who have itl any f,anrssr oyerreaohed yhern
: may depend upon 1t that eventually they W.,
find that they cannot procure labor to till their
plantations; whilo planters who have, ,by a