The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-12-09

that Society, which represents the tru
men and the noble women of, the State
Carolina, by the presence here of many o
her most patriotic and distinguished son
and delegates, extends to her sister, Geor
gia, her warmest sympathy, her hearties
cooperation and: her most cordial goo,
wishes. s.;.s .iis
I have ventured to throw cut these
crude suggestions, for they are nothing
more, for Your consideration; the field il
too vast, the theme. too comprehensive
for me to do more. There are, however
one or two topics to which beg to cal
your special attention, as deserving all tht
care and thought you can bestow on them
and as tending to that grand result we al
have in view, the prosperity of the South
We are essentially an agricultural people
and we must look to this great interest as
the basis upon which to build up the per
manent welfare Of our country. To dc
this we mnst use all the means which ex
perienceg guided by science, has placed al
our. disposal. How shall this best be
done2 The two points which present
themselves most prominently in this con
nection, are first, the labor by which we
cultivate our lands :Jand second, the man.
ner. of cultivation. The negro is un'
doubtedly. better fitted from his long
training, his physical confguration and
his daptability to all the diversities OF
our climate, to make more efficient Ia
borer than any other Especially is this
true when the, labor is to be performed in
the more malarial, portions of our coun,
try. q: Our object; then, should be to de-
velop to the utmost. his capacity as la
borer. To do:this time is requisite, and
we shall have to exercise great forbear-
anee, constant prudence and steady kind
ness. We must make him. feel that his
interests are indissolubly bound up with
ours !; that high prices for our products
insure high wages for him that we have
no animosity toward him; but, on the
contrary, that we cherish the kind feel
ings engendered by early associations and
old memories Let us be scrupulously
Just in our dealings with him let.us assist
him in his aspirations for knowledge and
aid him in its acquisition. Try to elevate
him in the scale of true manhood, oficiyili-
cation and of christianity, so that he may
be better fitted for the grave duties and
high responsibilities forced upon him, by
his new position. In o word, convince
him that we are his best, if not his only
friends, and when we shall have done
this, we shall not only have placed our Ia
bor on sound footing, but we shall have
gained in the laborer u strong and Jealous
ally. On this subject l speak not from
theory but experience, which has taught
me that the kindest relations can exist
between the planter and his former slaves,
resulting in mutual advantage to both
parties Myaod slaves arc caltivating
the land on which they have lived for
years, and there has been q constant and
marked improvement in their industry
in each year since their emancipation,
though they have not yet attained the
same efficiency as laborers as they for
merIy possessed. l have promised to put
up for them q school house and church,
and 10 pay a portion of the salaries OF
their teachers. Such system, if gener-
ally adopted, would tend greatly TO fix
the laborers to the soil, and would, by
adding to their content and enjoyment,
result in vast ultimate benefit to the land
lord. That. kind treatment, just dealing
and sincere efforts to improve their con-
ditiop are not without effect upon them is
proved by the fact, gratifying to- myself,
that Fam now on my way to Mississippi
by theareduest of hundreds of negroes,
besides NV own laborers, to advise them
what course TO pursue in the approaching
election there. i am not of those who
believe that the nero possession OF the
rudiments of education makes people
stronger, better or. happier; "a little
learning is dangerous thing" and un.i
less moral education goes hand-in-hand
with intellectual, the seeds of knowledge
will be sown on barren soil, or will pro-
duce but thorns and thistlcs but | do be-
live, that in proportion as you make all
labor, other than compulsory, intelligent,
you render it profitable. If this is true,
we should educate the mind, tho heart
and the soul OF the negro, looking at the
question only in its material aspect and
leaving out of consideration altogether
tnOse nlSher anu hooior inot,'oo "nio"
would prompt us to do so. A longer ex-
perience of his newly acquired freedom,
and his acquisition of observation-disclosures,
will teach him, not only his dependence
on the whites of the South, but the great
truth which no laws can change,
Gin every soil,
That those who think must govern those who toll. ;"
Il is our duty to assist him in qualifying
himself for his changed condition; time
alone can show whether that change has
been for his benefit. The South will look
with profound interest to the next eensus
to see how freedom has affected thenum-
bers of his race for we can tell with ab-
soute certainty what those numbers
would have been had no convufsion shaken
our entire system. SeveraI years ago |
had occasion to collect some data bearing
80, ,L;o nnooi;on and thev Oive 4 he follow.