Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-18

trouble in believing that there is another
side to this Savannah story. The rude
sense of justice among Ignorant laborers,
who believe themselves defrauded Of their
earnings, has often prompted them to
talk about seizing their employers crops
TO secure their wages. If at last some OF
them have really done this, the act may
| be very illegal, but it cannot seem very
unnatural, very surprising, or very unlike
the acts of many white men and faithful
Democrats at the North under similar
circumstances.
The animus Of the Tribune is rarely
much concealed. Without knowing any
thing Of the facts, it takes for granted
that the planters are wrong altogether,
and Withholding the just wages of labor.
This is absolutely, if not wholly false.
We doubt whether dozen instances can
be produced in the whole South, Of ne
groes being refused all they earned.
And for every such one, a thousand can
be shown, in which they have been
largely overpaid. Notwithstanding it is
true that mapy instances of complaint
by negroes exist, and many vexatious
suits are brought by them. The reason
is that they are too ignorant to keep their
accounts, and having now to pay for
what they eat and wear, like white peo-
pie, they find themselves not SO well
off at the end of the year as they
expected. They have not so much
money as they used to have when
they were slaves. Thinking freedom
from labor part oftheir present heritage,
and not comprehending that by the sweat
of the brow alone can men eat bread,
they look for more in their present con-
dition than their labor will buy. And
hence they are disappointed, dissatisfied
and complaining, when nothing more is
given them than was contracted for.
This is the whole matter. To affirm as
the Tribune chooses-without inquiry
to do, that the negroes are sys-
tematically defrauded of their earn
ings, is an infamous SANDER on the
Southern planters, which may be believed
and suit the Tribune readers for aught
we know, but is none the less false and
base for all that.
The following extract is in full keep |
ing with the slanderous disposition
shown in the previous paragraph. 1t is
not true that "the civil officers could |
make no arrests" or that offenders could |
not be punished when arrested and
proved guilty. 1t is not true that the
citizens of Arkansas would protect the
And hence it is not true
that there was nothing left the Governor
but to call out the militia" The civil
law could be enforced, and the citizens
we're anxious for its enforcement. But
the Governor preferred to call out the
militia and punish the innocent, whom
he hated, rather than the guilty, against
whom he had not so great grudge That
is the true story:
The letter of our Little Rock cores
pondent, printed elsewhere, more than
confirms all the Tribune has said as to
he origin and nature of the troubles in
Arkansas The rebel euerrillas, known
as Ku-KIuk, Knights ofthe White Came
liza, and by other aliases, pould murder.
The civil officers could make no arrests
The citizens would pass fine resolutions
deploring the assassinations, and would
then protect the assassins. There was
nothing left the Governor but to call out
the militia. The guilty parties some
times resisted still, aud got shot. That
is the whole story.