New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-02-16
mi. - pnRpnMpr WnRKa

denounced as unletteFed and poor.
Brought into being, as all other men are.
without any consent or consultation on
their part they are deR,unced because OF
their complexion. Enthralled during for
mer years ina state of sersitude against
their will, they are now denounced because
Of their previous condition. And whatever
Of ribaldry and seeming can be brought to
| point and poison these attacks, is freely
used.
1 But as If such appeals to preJadlce
were not SUFFICIENT for political purposes,
and with an evident sense that the exigen-
cies Of Democratic politics require q plen-
tiful employment Of misrepresentation, we
are constantly told that the freedmen do
not and will not work. Go to Canal street
on sunny day and inquire of the knots Of
young idlers who pass their time in smok-
ing cigarettes and casting libidinous
chances at modest women, and they will
tell you the freedmen will not work. Pass
up st. Charles and talk with the 'sporting
men,'' those tiger-lilies Of the field, who
toll not, neither do they spin, yet Solomon
in all his glory was not arrayed like one Of
these, and they will tell You, the while
their diamonds twinkle in your view, that
the freedmen will rot work. Go to the
drinking saloons and inquire Of the interest
| ing creatures who mainly exist by gorging
themselves with free lunches, or go to the
baser sort Of grOgshops and take the
opinion Of the wretohed lOafers who pass
their time in guzzling and blasphemy, or TO
made long story short, call mass-meet-
ing II you will of the thieves and burglars,
the harlots and pimps who infest the city,
and let it be presided over by those other
professionally professional politi-
clans Of Parlor P-put the question to the
assembly, and they will decide by tre-
mendous majority that the freedmen will
not work. From the haunts of dissipated
dandyism, from the abodes of lazy and
heartless gentility, and from those gloomier
vaults Of vice which everywhere underlie
society in modern times the same cry goes
up. c9ia
1t is Of little use to argue with such peO-
pie. 1t Is q waste of time and jewelry to
cast pearls before swine. But 10 honest
and sober men the real facts of this i'm
pOrtant issue possess decided interest.
What are some of these facts
The year 1850 was one Of decided ma
terial prosperity. The country had been
for long time in state Of profound
peace. The system Of slavery was in full
and powerful operation. Order reigned in
the Warsaw Of American serfdOm; the
season was very favorable; no worms, no
overflow, and 3,2O4,SI3 slaves toiled that
year upon the crops Of the South. The
total cotton crop for the year ending Sep.
TENDER i, 1850, was 2,O96,7o6 bales.
The commercial year ending September
1, 1856, was very different. War had ragged
through the South with every element Of
strife and destruction. The system Of
slavery had been shattered, lands laid
waste. stock destroyed, fences burned.
Hundreds Of thousands Of the ireedmen, the
most able-bodied, were enlisted in the
army and scattered abroad. Thousands
died from the exposures and the casualties
Of war.
Thousands went North with officers and
soldiers, by whom they had been employed;
thousands more came to the cities of the
South for safety. It Is probable that the
elective force Of agricultural labor in the
South il 1865 was but little larger il |
any than 10 1860, and The condition Of the
country for the purposes Of agriculture
was much worse than Ia 1850. The worm |
ahd the overflow also did their destructive /
work. Yet The crop OF cotton WAS larger
than IN 1s4g-6o. The crop Of 1866 was
2;2i4, 476 bales, and Il was cultivated and
gathered By freedmen. They plowed the
ground; planted the sDod. h9sd the rows,
picksa tie crop, einhsd Il, pressed Il.
rolled Il o. sleanboass, and rolled i Of,
OF courso tkeFs were white men who |
worked wish them, hus Il IL perlactly fair |
y aay lhat Ire hnllk Of the labor, The heavy |
toll ich comes with the tug Of the mus
de and shesWest 81 the brow was per |
formed BY the freedmen.
The commeioEaa gear ending September,
1867. Ras 10 seme respects more prosper
Gus, 10 aihsrs Lees. Thecondision Of peace
was more decided, but ihe worm and he
Overflow were, perhaps, more destructive.
Il IS doubtful Il ne eneetlve fsfce Of labor
was larger and he facilities Of production
greasaf lnthe cotton siatea than in 1850.
The crop u cotton was ,07e, zsg bales, and /
Again i was The uaaeubted result Of the
honest, patient toll ofthe freedmen.
~ to tie eoeaneroIal year ending Sep
TENDER, 1854, the calculations Of those best
Verssa il TIE n.ailer ara thhk he CROP IF
eot.sa viii 20 ehonf asao,00o bales,
Or 100000 msEe than The crop 81
1el9~so ana thia IL spite 81
worms which have been ~ n az ssdg
I've. aad overaeW which haa hssn onIls *
tanzira. The cfos has Decn lsads. ma Is /
On Is Sng % ulzskal now. Ii eAlda nay
~ ahls Stated &C fpm eI5o, 200 .oos & /
10000. WAC dld 10 eefk ppon Is ! /
ss1ntn Eophoze slzalhine muscles
d nre ala We iadebidd 81
lrs I'D inn lie cfoalion q
f.'e And Il lhsss
Aals isslA - DASH Fih jaslly and