New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-17
COnnLING THE BLAChS.


A well-meaning but unwise phllanthropiSt
has started a project which contempates the
ell-being of the Blacks of North Carolina.
To this end he proposes to beg the means OIL
| lnlving a large tract OF cheap land III tnaV
State, which is to be allotted and given out
right in small patches to every poor negro VINO
will settle and build cabin thereon; so that
a good many families may be provided with
hOmesteads at a very small cost.
We hold this scheme perniciOus, and certain
to iniure those it is intended to benefit. Inc
negroes thus supplied with free lands woulu
want implements, teams, furniture, seed, 1000
and clothing, and would desire and expect TO
obtain these on the same easy terms with their
lands. Why not? A beggar has no pride and
no shame; having stopped to the alms-recelv-
ing condition. he would much prefer COM
plete to a partial outfit. Once persuade man
that il is better to live on other mems earnings
than his own, and you have degraded and pau
perized him for life. He is demorallzed, ana
will rarely be good for anything thereafter.
The Southern Blacks ought to own lands ana
live on them Even if they are to work mainly
in other mems fields for a living, each should
own his patch and cabin, so as to work Tor
himself when no one else will pay Tor his
services, and not be subject to ejectment
in case of disagreement with ms land-
lord Nothing else-not even Education-is so
prgent "a this: and we would exhort the Col
ored preachers and other natural leaders OF the
Blacks to call their attention to 1t at once
Land is not so cheap as it was but IL IS sui
very cheap at the South, and sure to grow rap
idly dearer The Blacks should secure lands
ut once, and they can do it if they will. Let
every church be canvassed and all the means
of it's members combined to make purchase.
Anpoint the preacher and two of the shIewdest
and most Trustworthy hearers to look about
for An estate worth buying and intrust them
with all the money wherewith to buy 1t. Al
most any church of one hundred heads OF
families could raise $4,000 when this years
crop is sold; and that sum will buy an
estate of 1000 acres often considerably
| more though it may be eXpedlent 10
| give the money for a much smaller area OF
good land, advantageOusy located. AT all
events, buy all you can pay for, and proceed
at once to cut it up into as many lots as there
are heads of families interested, and. on an APP
pointed day, sell each to the highest bidder
(member OF mott at public auction Allow
money contributed to make the purchase ten
per cent. premium in paying for any tract bid
off at the sale. Use the surplus that will inevi-
! tably be realized from these sales, over and
| above the cost of the original purchase, to make
| the roads already laid out if there be still a
| surplus, build meeting house with it. Now let
| every owner of lot build on and improve it
| lust whenever he shall see fit. If he is work
| ing land on shares, or hired by good man,
he may wisely remain where he is for years.
giving all his spare time to fitting his home
stead for occupancy by clearing off timber and
planting fruit-trees in its stead fencing, ferti-
LIKING, &c. He may thus employ days that
would else be wasted in providing a
home for his old age: if he should never
need it. his children probably will.
| But the greater number would probably prefer
to settle on their own land at once. They
would thus form a compact school district, and
their meeting house would serve for school
house as we'll Having homes. they could
make better terms for their labor; and, if
planters should ever combine to depress wages,
they could work and wait at home. Even though
| they went away three or four miles to work,
it would be well to have home to return to
when the hurTying season was over.
The Southern Blacks have already much
money in their Savings Banks. They will have
great deal more when this years crops are
marketed Much of this will be fooled away
next Christmas for fDery and Injuries that
they were better without, if they realize no
particular use for it. We call upon their
trusted counselors, especially their preachers,
| to induce them to invest it in land.
| We do not suppose there is any present dan
ger from European OF Chinese competition, but
either of these will serve the rapacious as pre-
text for reducing wages and e1acting harder
terms of culture on shares. Let the Blacks
improve their opportunity to buy lands. There
are very few of them 30 poor that, by follow
| ing the course we have outlined, they may not
own cabin and five to ten acres each before
they begin blowing for next years crop. And,
with the ballot in their hands and hOmesteads
of their own, they need nevermore be beggars.
| We greatly honor those who have given
money and service to the cause of Education at
the South. The Blacks and many of the Whites
were greatly in need of this charity and it has
| blest those who gave and those who received.
| The need of it measurably continues; for poor,
| illiterate people, who need every thing and
know almost nothing, cannot be expected to
practice great self denial in order to pay for
their children's schooling, though some have done
| it. But aims can at best but serve as O
crutch, and no cruteh is comparable to a
pair Of sound legs terminating IN feet. Let the
poor of the South White or Black resolve to
have homes of their own for rightly tn will