The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-04-10

versal fact in all this region. The sys-
TEN of cultivation is much as in New
England Each place is worked by its
owner, with the help of one or two
negro hired men, Small neat houses
are being erected, and the internal do
nestle economy of the families resem-
bles that with which we are familiar at
home. Mistress of the house puts her
own hand to the domestic wheel, keep
ing in training young colored girl,
who is gradually being initiated into
domestic economies under her care
Cooking-stoves of improved patterns
and good yeast-bread are beginning to
be universal institutions, and kitchens
are beginning to display that array of
Yankee labol-saving knick-knacks which
come when thoughtful, careful people
put their hand to their own work.
One anecdote which we heard this
morning brings into rather picturesque
contrast the old stratum of society and
the new. A neighbor of ours, vigor-
orous young Orange-planter, from New
York, had an application the other
morning from stout young cracker
fellow to work for him. He said he
didn't generally need to work, but that
he had been off on spree and lost a
good deal by drink and poker" and
should have to take hold and work a
few weeks to make up. He begged that
his WORKING might be kept profound
secret, as he wouldn't for the world his
friends should hear of it. The drink
ing and losing money at poker were
not the discreditablc part of the affair
in his view-the disgrace lay in going
to work. He also stipulated with his
employer that he should be addressed
with politeness, and not spoken to as if
he were negro. His employer was
obliged to explain to him that his habit
was to speak politely to ALL his hands
irrespective to color, so that no particu-
lar preference could be showed to him
on this account.
The young man, however, turned in
and proved a good workman, and it is
to be hoped may learn to look upon
this part of his experience as the most
honorable one of his life.
The Southern newspapers frequently
incidentally notice the new order of
things" For example, in Charleston
paper we noticed an appeal of the
Southern Education Society, society
whose object is to help educate the
children of impoverished families. In
the course of the appeal, the writer
said: Let not any suppose, because of
the late increase of the cotton crop,
that the necessity for such charitable
aid is diminished. The large planters
are little more prosperous than before.
| THE COTTON HAS BEEN MOSTLY RAISED
| ON SMALL FARMS BY MEN WHO DID THE
WORK THEMSELVES. This incidental
tribute to the system of free labor is
quite worth remarking The time will
not be far off when the system which is
felt to be the most profitable will be
the one most universally adopted.
In travelling, one mixes with all
sorts of people, and hears all sorts Of
opinions expressed. Subjects are pre-
sented in all lights, according to
the prejudices and opinions of the
speaker In Savannah, we heard one
man relating that he could not get
hands to work for him-that he had
offered two dollars a day, and could
not get them A wealthy capitalist
who had travelled pretty extensively
over the Southern States with a view
to railroad extension remarked humor-
ously that there were a grea many
white at the South whose only visible
employment seemed to be to run around
declaring that negroes would not work
The same man said afterward to us
that in investing in Southern railroads
where the white population is sparse
capitalists had made their calculation
on the ability Of the negroes to have
money an! to travel, and considered
the prospect sufficiently good to warrant
investment.
There WAS an acrobat performer Wis.
tied Savannah while we were there
and walked on a wire stretched across
the street After his performance, he
came down and held his hat for remu.
neration. -eeing shining throng OF
dark faces, he called out; "I've nc
prejudice against color-a darky's
greenback is just as good as a white
mans" a general guffaw greeted this
sally-the greenbacks came down in
showers.
Now, this acrobat, with the instinct
of genius, hit upon great natural law
that is yet to make many changes.
The solid, solemn truth that darky S
greenback is just as good as white
mans, is destined to produce revolu-
lions in more ways than one. For it
is undeniable that now the darkes are
getting greenbacks, and are in the way
to get more In the city of Charleston,
since the fall of Sumter, ONE colored
Methodist congregation, made up en-
tirely of the working classes, has bought
a square in the city, removed old build.
ings, built church which will seat ff-
teen hundred people, and raised for all
these purposes over seven thousand
| uOlldTS. Ills HAS all Ueeu uOue by
colored pastor, under skilfully arran-
ged system of weekly Sunday contri-
buttons. The church is a joint stock
company; certificates of stock are is
sued from twenty-five cents up to five
or ten dollars, and every Sunday the
congregation goes up to take more
stock by paying in its money and re-
ceiving certificates. Thus congrega-
ton of negro laborers, male and female
washers, ironers, servants, draymen,
portcrs, hotel-waiters, and laboring peo-
pie of every class-have, in very few
years, secured to themselves q hand
some church property without any
charitable aid from without. The
Sunday-school numbers over a thou
sand scholars, and on the Sunday when
we were present, it was announced
that every member was to bring ten
cents toward library Thus by the
little savings of many come great re-
suits.
The time is near at hand when the