The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1869-07-14
Chinese Laborers.

While the large mass Southern journals are most
emphatic in their approval Of Chinese immigration,
there are some who fearful Of the consequences Of
flooding the country with such population. And
when the violent antipathy Of Californians 10 this
class taken into might suppose that these
objections to their Introduction into the South not
wholly without But it may be, after all, that
Caifornians are opposed Chinese laboFers because
they come in competition with white labor. The DIFF
ference in the products Of the South and those Of Cali
forna might render this kd of labor desirable in the
former and Objectionable in the latter Be this as it
may, and however might prefer abcrers with less
repusve habits of life it is Hobsons choice with
While would prefer the negroes in some respects,
in other respects much may justly be urged against
them While seems to be the universal verdict that
they are working better than at any time since the
war; and while free to confess it, vet there is
still very great room for improvement Simply plo"
ing and hoeing scarcely hardship to them, that is in
good weather. and desire to make something for
themselves will induce them to make this compare
lively triHng sacrifice of comfort, but let bad day
come or any subject Of excitement introduced into the
neghborhood, and they are very apt to neglect field
work for their cabins to congregate at cross-road
stores or villages In short. they cannot be induced
to labor unless it be about convenient for them to
do not And the greatest difficulty with the ne
groes is to make them keep up the fencing and to
gather cotton crops. They have not sufficient fore
sight understand that the former be of any adj
vantage to hem and the latter labor is extremely dis
tasteful.
Our ruined finances and the rapid increase of BRAN.
bles and broom sedge in the fields smiling with
plenty admonish US that son".1ing must be done to
restore our wasted places. TIE momentous question
then is, will the present Africsn labor suffice? We
fear not. Even now every year witnesses material
subtraction from the supply which be made avail
able Infanticde, disease and neglect of each other
in sickness STAY thousands the as and penitentares
Of the country contain tot few the field is becoming
more and disasetul female laborers, until in
deed, very shortly it will be thing to wo-
man working in the fields; railroads and stealth
boats absorb hosts of the very pick of the plantation
force; the love of novelty and sight seeing induce
crowds to throng and hang about every town and vii
lage, where many die from disease and negi"ct the
ambition TO get up Tor themselves rapidly transforms
black operatlves-a these causes when combined,
swiftly aud surely exhausting the supply of African
labor.
We have never had any faith in German, Scotch or
any other European in migrants as labortre III our cot
ton fields for wages. They are intelligent and at the
close of the first year of their service would not be
slow to perceive that with the patry savings Of
that brief period with the pioneers axe, they may
enter the Wilderness and carve out home and indie
pedence for themselves. The Southern planter, after
all his pnins and outlay therefore. to secure foreign
white labor fuds himself defeated the very thresh
hold Of his enterprise. H. simply becomes success
ful immigrant agent aid the adv image to be reaped
is remote and merel, j. cidntaI
How, then can the South contintrsto produce the
great staples and exist agricultural people From
the lights before US, the only solution to this problem
is to be found in the importation OF dpntured Asatics.
This being the logical cuson of premises that
cannot be successfully derd, it beooves the South
to lend every energy towards the contamination of
end SO desirable.