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

doing so will sink into the common rebel
rank and file aad be used simply for food
for political gunpowder and bayonets, and
not for double stars and major generals
commissions.
THE ADVANCED SUPPLIES TO PLANTERS.
The proposition of the commissioner of
the freedmen's bureau, to advance supplies
to planters at the rate of about $500 for
every twenty hands employed, has been
received by the planters with many ex-
pressiOns Of satisfaction Already many o.
them have visited the city for the purpose
of ayailing themselves of the liberal offer
of the government. For the money comes
from the government, or rather from con-
gress, which represents the republican party
of the United States. Planters who had
grown respondent at the gloomy prospects
before them, now express themselves as
quite hopeful. 1t is we'll known to every
man who is at all acquainted with this
State that considerable number of the
planters have been seriously crippled in
their means by overfows, bad management,
the fall in the price of cotton, and in some
instances possibly by damages inflicted on
the crops by worms. They stand to-day
entirely without resources. Their factors
are unable to advance the means TO pre-
pare for the next crop, or unwilling to DO
so on terms less favorable than nearly ruin
GUS. Not barrel of pork or of meal, not
a dollars worth of supplies of any kind
can be obtained by them in this market or
any other without the cash, which they
must obtain by borrowing. And If any
one would know the rate of interest he
would have to pay let him apply for loan
at one of our banks. No money can be
raised in tails city on the security of lien on
crops not yet planted. Something more
tangible is required. And where credit
can be obtained the planter is obliged to
pay in the end round rate interest for the
money and handsome commission for
purchasing the supplies.
In this condition of affairs the govern
ment steps forward and offers on the COM
pliance Of certain easy conditions to sd-
vance substantial aid free of interest or
charges for commissions. The only precau-
ton taken is that for securing the principal
of the sum advanced. The planters who
are supposed to be familiar with all the de-
tails of the business accept with thanks
the generous offer, and begin to
speak already of brighter days
ahead. But their advisers, the factors,''
assail the arrangement and characterize it
as a sort of financial outrage which the
government proposes to perpetrate upon
the planters. They contemplate the worst
possible side of the picture. That the
crops will tail, that the freedmen will not
work faithfully, but will demand and re-
ceive pay the same as though they did;
that all the planters who receive aid from
the government will fail entirely to have
the necessary amount to pay the debt to
the government and discharge the lien, and |
hence all their movable effects will be |
seized and sold No one but an interested
party would ever have anticipated
such q picture possible, and it is
incredible that any one could have
been found to put auch things to pa
per. Yet we find in the columns of paper
protesting to represent the commercial in
terests of this city column of weakness,
trying to prove that the government has
entered into conspiracy to bankrupt ali
the planters Of the state, ard sell them out.
This paper is, nc doubt, influenced by the
factors, the middle men, whose occupation
is fast departing from them under the i'm
proved labor system. Another paper, so
long as it understood that the propo-
sition to advance supplies orlgina-
ted here, with General Hancock
General Buchanan-was we'll pleased
with the idea. But on subsequently, learn
ing that it emanated from Washington, and
was the result of an order from General
Howard, it recanted and discovered quite
that the scheme was a very bad
one indeed
There is, fortunately, no eompnlsion in
the case. Those planters who may elect to
accept of the offer of the government are
Iree to do 50; while those who are disposed
10 listen to the interested counsel Of their
advisers have still the option Of bor-
rowing money from the factors if they CAP,
pay high rate Of interest, or promise to
10 50, and then obtain their supplies by
paying two and a half per cent commission
10 their " advisers We shall see which
proposition IS the more generally accepted
THE CITY.
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