Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-02-19

relief The Freedmon's Bureau was the only
change; but this does not seem to. have been
created for the benefit Of the white man, and
u he Is almost certain to be involved in costs, il
i not insulted, if he makes an attempt for re-
lief in that quarter. But in my desperation,
lT'did once make the attempt and without
success, for I was kindly advised, that as
was SO unfortunate as to make my contracts
for the whole year, it would be useless to
bring any charges. unless I could fully. sub
stantiate them by evidence the most conclu-
sive ;ibot' where was my evidence to come
from? The negro has sworn in his League,
if not q his heart, not 70 divulge anything
derogatary to bis own race in favor of the
white man.. and the only evidence L could
have obtained was my colored headmau, and
he has since told me that he was afraid to
! inform against nyidelirquent for fear of his
life. Besides this, could I have been sue.
cessfuf IN obtaining evidence; it would have
involved delay in my whole operations upon
the plantation, Tor at least three days. if not
longer, to attend the trial, together with much
expense, and this, too, perhaps at a season
when such ., cessation, of labor would have
abeen rninous to the crop. j even went SO far
; as to ask. permission of the Bureau to dis
chargessom Of the hands, four or five months
before the year was Out, being willing to pay
the wages contracted for the whole year, but
| I was Informed that if I did SO, I would like
y be Subjected to. prosecution for house
rent and rations for the remainder of the
year ;3thus4 Iwas compelled to submit to my
fate, feeling very much like the traveller may
be supposed to feel when stopped by'robbers
ION hehighway, and compelled. with his hands
tied Behind him, to submit to the riAing of
| his pockets.
As. 10 the disastrous failure of the rice and
long staple cotton crops in the vicinity of the
coast being solely attributable to "uufcreseen
and unavoidable causes, beyond the control
of human power" 1 am reluctantly COM
'pelledto doubt the statement, unless can
see mEdetal, endorsed by competent and re-
Iiablesp planters, statement of all the circum-
stancas of the case, including the number Of
acresEplanted, the number of hands employed
and The yield of former years compared with
the pfst, and in this opinion, I am not singu-
lar,f Int can have nay views endorsed by hun
dreJs Of other reliable men, who are too
hohofable to "hoodwipk" negro, and too
ACUTE to be hoodwinked by them.
Tie imputation cast upon the honesty of
the gouthern planter is your Circular when
yeusay "The freed people cannot much lon
gerb hoodwinked and imposed upon. They
are thpidly learning the worth Of money, and
alEpersons who have in any manner over
rescsed them, may depend upon it, that even
taeM they will find that they cannot procure
lasas asa till their plantations" is simply ab-
surd, and gross SANDER upon the character
of cur planters in general not that contend
there are no dishonest men among the South
ern farmers and planters, as there are the
world over among all classes of men; but
my long and thorough knowledge, both of
the character of the Southern planter and the
negro, satisfies me, that there are very few
men among the former, who would defraud o
laborer, much less negro laborer, OF his
Just dues. Nhat:confrms me in this belief
is, that have had many instances Of so.
called injustice and dishonesty on the part
Of employees reported to me by the freeducn
and upon thorough Investigation Of the
case, as stated by themselves, l have found
the truth 10 be, that The instances of actual
and Intentional fraud have been exceedingly
rare. The truth is, the negro:is.a q very i'm
provide 1t creature, and one of the most lux.
uriously inclined beings on earth and what
is due to his own improvidence and extrava-
gance he attri. ties to the dishonesty Of
others.
think have shown conclusively that the
reports which you have received from the
central districts of the State in regard to tho
amount of the crops made and the working oil
freedmen generally, have been incorrect, and
must have originated with persons who either
do not know how we'll freedman ought to
work, or are prejudiced informers, or have
fallen upon such combination of fortuitous
circumstances as few planters can ever hope
to attain.
The apportonment of the gross proceeds
which you recommend, when freedmen work
for share OF the crops, is, in my opinion,
just and fair; to wit: To the land onc-third,
to the laborer oneth;rd the capital, consist
ing of work animals and their feed, impli-
ments and fertilizers, one third"
The subject of the employment of Physi-
clans to attend the freedmen, to which you
allude, is highly important one, both to
the planter and freedman, and should, in my
opinion, command special attention, as it is
to the interest of both parties, that the freed.
men should be sick as seldom, and for as
short time as possible; for in the one case,
the crop may be lost or seriously injured tor
want of work, on account of sickness, and in
The other, the freedman will lose his wages
while sick. AS suggested by yourself, a
clause should be inserted in all contracts with
freedmen who work on plantations; authori-
zing the employment of a Physician at cer'
tain pro rata, per capitum, and to be deducted
from the wages Of the laborer. The planter,
however, should be made responsible to the
Physician for his pay, as it is impossible for
the Doctor to be always present to check the
payments and advances of the planter to the