Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-30

c0JtOn. IL ne CHdHgco WHlOh Oh0
altered status Of the laborers has
wrought in the conditions under
which cotton is grown in the South
are numerous. In the first place
and this necessarily prevents any
considerable addition to the area
already cultivated-very little land,
as a general rule, is now plowed
before Christmas. The negroes,
who are hired by the year, consider
themselves only interested in that
years crop. They prefer to reserve
to themselves. the privilege OF say
ing at Christmas whether or not
they will remain. They don't
choose to commit themselves in ad-
vance to stay another year, or to
expend labor in preparing for
crop which they may have no hand
in cultivating. Then, the work OF
cultivation at every stage is more
carelessly done than in former
years. The "trash gang" as it is
called, of the plantation, composed
of the younger children of both
sexes, who, in old times, were
made very useful, are now said
to be totally beyond the reach
of control or discipline. The
women are scarcely less
| SO. In fact both of these classes
do far less work in the field than
formerly. Information is to the
effect also that all the younger
hands who have grown up since the
war lack the steadiness and careful
training of the older set; that sick
ness is much more common among
them at all seasons of the year, from
the absence of that compulsory
medical supervision and sanitary
police which the owners formerly
exercised over their property, but
which, it is said, freedom will by no
manner of means submit to. All
this, without taking into considera-
ton the other deficiencies and draw
backs incident to a want of fore
thought and q proper sense OF the
obligation of contracts by the un"
tutored freedmen, sufficiently &C"
counts for that demand for labor oi
a different kind which the proposed
coming of the Chinese may
possibly supply. But of course
this supply must be offered, if at all
in a manner not to conflict with
our law against the coolie trade
That which the South wants is moi
so much cheap labor-though cheap
labor necessarily implies abundant
labor-as it is more labor, and thai
of a sort which can be trustee
and depended upon for that pa
tient, faithful, pains taking, unre
hitting toll which the cultivation o
cotton and the other great staples O
the South require. Emigrants o
every nation can find home and
welcome in the South, but bel
special need is agricultural laborer'
capable of going into the cottor
field, the corn field and the rice field
and performing, under burning
sun, the task which the negroes one
did, but have ceased to do well. L
it be asked what is to become of tn
negro, it may be answered that tn
very competition thus introduces
will have beneficial effect upol
him, in rousing his dormant ener
gies, teaching him the necessity o
industry and application, and max
ing him thus more useful to himsel
and the community. AS the suppl.
of labor increases and greater conf
depce is felt in its quality, more LAM
will be put into cultivation. Thu
the demand will, in turn, be stimu
1, lated by the supply, and the efiec
eventually will be not so much t
cheaper labor as to raise the stand
: ard and improve the quality of Ia
Dor, and with it the condition of tn
labOring man, while adding to tn
production and wealth Of society,