Smyrna times., 1869-07-07

his leisure hour at the grOg-shop in the hear
ing aud singing OF drunken songs. Has not
the negro the superiority?
Our enterprise in cotton failed, and was to US
a dead loss. A host of the army-worm de-
voured the whole cotton crop in two days, and
left us nothing tor our investment and trouble.
Not So, however, our negroes. They had their
full wages and their years living and each /
family was foun1 to have on hand nice little |
sum to start in the world with. The negroes, |
so far as we have observed in our experience, |
are as determined to SGve money and as careful |
of it as any ankees. Their ambition is to buy |
land and own little places of their own and |
certainly this is very wholesome one.
1t is, however, so far as we have observed, |
difficult for them to acquire land. Land owners,
as general thing, are not willing to sell to
them and all sorts of difficulties are thrown
In the way of their acquiring real estate.
Nevertheless, we believe that the best way
Of arrangement, for black and white, would be
that the colored men should own small farms,
here and there, among the whites, and, as
many of the small farmers in New England do,
hire themselves out for days work, cultivating
their own patch of ground in the intervals.
We have known many thriving workingman
in New England who in this way has kept
agoing not only his own farm, but one for some
richer neighbOr.
All modes of farming or planting which re-
quire the negroes to work in masses or droves
are. in our Judgment, unfavorable to their ele-
vation. In this way they herd too much to-
gether, and the influence of the whites over
them Is not strong enough to neutralize their
unfavOrable influence over eachaother, in per-
peLuating their ignorance and barbarism.
| 1t is very difficult under freedom to govern
plantation of negroes. Those who have
tried it with the most benevolent intentions
often find themselves greatly disappointed.
The results of generations of barbarism can
not be done away with bya few months of even
the most enthusiastic and devoted labor And
in our view, the Southern farmer does a per-
manent good for himself when he enables
some steady, honest, respectable negro to buy
land aud settle down near him, and become a
respectable and self respecting farmer.
The negroes must not be made pets of, eth
er physically or morally. While it has been
livery proper that the Government should pro-
vide guardianship and schools, and relief for
them during the transition period, yet the
great object of all should be to bring them in
TO condition where they stand exactly equal
before the laws, and are to be treated simply
and only as human beings, without either
friendly or unfriendly consideration of their
color and history.
Those employers get on best with their hands
who treat them with simple Justice making
them understand the proper modes of doing
business, and teaching them that it is of the
nature of contracts among treemen neither tC
give or take favors, hut to have everything or
a fair, square, commercial basis.
Treated in this way, the negro soon becomes
self respecting, he loses the feeling of pauper
he ceases to beg for small odds aud ends, anC
learns to buy whatever he wants. This is 6
great point gained.
We think soue employers, in the kindness
of their hearts, have injured their negroes BY
helping them too much. Instead Of giUinS
to them cast off articles of clothing or furni
ture, and thus encouraging the pauper feeling
of dependence, it were far better to let then
buy these things at even the most nominal price
: for the sake of encouraging the manly feeling
in them.
We hope to see the day when the colored
, farmer of the South will have as true
feeling of independence on these subjects a
4 the farmer of the North.
> One thing we have remarked, and that i
J that those who have done most for the negroe
D in the way of favors, in giving to them anC
well satisfied with the results as those VIII
n have merely sought to maintain just and hon
E est business relations with them, tempered al
n ways with degree of kindness
e In the department of household service,
[ is at present more difficult to get good help q
the South than at the North. The system O
r slavery was not good one for forming eithe
e manners or morals, or for teaching Household
n thrift and economies. Some heroic SOuther
= women, by help of very great skill and charaC
e ter and industry and perseverance, did succee
in forming some admirable families of servant
: under the disadvantages of their system. Blu
e they were the exception rather than the rule
!, and these servants now command almost an
h price.
We had one woman for brief time in ou
family who was as accomplished a cook an
n laundress as ever we met with anywhere; bT
q she is now getting about forty dollars mont
It boarding houses for winter patients that al
q springing up all over the South absorb abor
e all the well-quali6ed domessics, and pay thel
70 high wages.
The only resource Of the Southern hous,
d keeper is to begin to train young girls hersel
{ ColOred children are generally docile, and e.
hibit no small degree of manual dexterity.
W They are comparatively easy to be trained
4 though the training of any children, black {
white, is no sinecure.
al In our opinion, the Government could in y
,g way make emancipation so popular as by ado
= ing to all its colored schools department II
an the training of yo1tnq girls for household Sc
as vice. A set of well-instructed cooks and chan
% ber-maids turned out into the various taml
ut of the South would not only get good situation
re and good wages, but would 90 farther towal
Id making clear the propriety Of emancpati.c
n n. and making the new order of things popul
ar than any other one thing we could mention.
he On the whole, the negro is pleasant ere
re ture to deal with. There is degree OF jOlll
M and ioyousness, quaint humor and ceasee
good nature, that make them agreeable. The
nc fauIts seem to be wholly thoss of the form
,g, slave system their capacity for virtue is,
,mm IN think, quite equal to that Of average hpmanit
IN. We desire to speak without enthusiast
- neither oyerstating or undertaking the neg
ay character. This letter will, we trust, show
cir who have heard the ridiculous story we ha
he spoken of that we have not altered our view
and that we do not intend to write bo
me- abusing our poor, down.trodden friends; a
ar. If we have spoken coolly for them it is becar
an. we think it will do them more good to spe
md coolly than warmly.