The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-09-05
Labor.

Z. II
fl,rnF rfss,ut the South This is not because
our labor system has been overturned.
Tho South raises moro valuable crops now
than when she could rely on the certain
Toll Of slaves. The negro population is
far more efficient In the field at this day
than it was ever supposed wonld be the
case after acknowledgements. White labor
is much more general than was previously
the case, and between the two the South
will probably, in year or two, exceed in
agricultural production any result of that
kind ever obtained in her days of slave
labor. -
|, This fact is being generally recognized
at the North, and hence the great reaction
in politics setting in SO strongly in that
quarter. The South is not beggar. She
is getting twice as rich as she was before,
and wealth always carries respectability
with the majority. The malice of Northern
enemies, who hated the South because of
her prosperity, and hoped to crush her into
permanent ruin through the abolition OF
slavery, has been totally frustrated, and
even resulted in the vast advantage aud
increased prosperity of the Intended VIC
tim. The South has the labor OF her slaves
without the odium, and the manly energy
of her white population freed from the
deadly apathy of slave ownership. Thus
there are two sources Of wealth where there
was but one, the new one being far more
valuable than the old.
Wall street sees all this, and Wall street
regulates Northern politics. In vain a
bowling set of cross road politicians IN
Congress may propose to strangle the hated
section by further and more odious legisa-
ton; the money market of New York
gives growl, and they subside inconti-
nently. New York knows that the national
credit depends on the $500, 100000 coming
into the country every fall and winter from
the cotton crop that bonds, and green
backs, and all, would have smashed up be-
fore now but for this Southern god-send.
All legislation, therefore, that tends to re-
press the cotton culture loses favor in their
eyes they find countless arguments in
favor of liberation, brotherhood, and COM
plete restoration Of the Union. As all their
newspapers and all their legislators are but
paid claqueurs of the moneyed men, of
course the opinions>of those men are soon
reflected in the journals and on the stump,
and public opinion is formed to new
The South need not fear, therefore, for
labor enough to maintain her productive
ness at such point that her wealth and
influence shall be at least respectable. But
men look for more. Each landlaolder says,
"Ai! if ] could only get the labor to till
| my whole estate instead of one-fourth,
my income would be $4,000 for every one
thousand at present" The merchants and
business men of New Orleans will say,
! " But look at tho millions of acres of the
best land in the world unreclaimed and
| idle-lands that would be good for two
bales of cotton or two hogsheads of sugsr
per acre! How immensely all this terri
tory, if put in cultivation, would increase
our business and our proftsm Northern
capital, too, now freely flowing this way for
agricultural investment, would never un-
derstaDd the policy of awaiting gradual
development when the importation of labor
] could nnen-s n-imnaansa- field faH band
some operations.
The South, then, has no absolute need OF
importing labor In order to resume and
maintain her position of respectability in
the nation, but the opportunities OF
amassing private wealth, if labor. can be
commanded, are 50. enticing to the agricul-
turalist, the merchant and the capitalist
that the theory of gradual development
has no chance of popular support 1t may
be argued that country builds up more
solidly prosperous by a slow growth; thai
morals and religion would suffer by the
invasion Of flood of new population,
bound by no ties of patriotism or family
affection; that in case Cinnamon were
) brought, they would overrun the land will
paganism and nameless vices. But whether
these arguments be right or wrong, whethel
they can be answered or not, interest viii
carry the day.
The present labor is productive, bu