The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-04-08
VOLUME XV11.--N0 90.

Ia the public prints TINT the negro 1
dying out, and the fear is expresse,
that IN ths course Of tiine there ma,
not DO enough left 10 till the crop:
but what are your views on this sub
jcct?
!! A. 1t is ono to which [ have mo-
given careful attention. Yet nv oh
servation Of the mertusry records o
| our principal cities satisfies me tina,
the fears expressed is not withou,
foundation. Natuaal causes which
you will readily understand are al
work to produce this result. In OLD
times, under our system, tho health
OF slaves, especially of the young
was a matter OF constant solicitude
Unless on extraordinary occasions
they werc neither overworked MOI
permitted to lounge in idleness. They
were fed on substantial food, comfort.
ably clad, properly amused, and had
no cares. When i'll, the plantation
physician was called in, and all his
Skill applied to the business of resto.
ration. The slave represented money
money in himself and money in
the current years crop. 1t wasn't
profitable to allow him to be sick, and
much less profitable to let him de.
the consequence was, that between
the. year l800-whcn there were on
~ $4,000 slaves in the United States
and in the year 1860, the increase
was upward of four millions, and it
is a grave question, by the way, what
sort of acountry we should have had
in fifty years more at tho same rate
OF negro growth. 1t is another grave
question whether, if Providence in.
tended emancipation to take place at
any time, it did not occur auspicious.
ly in 1863. But TO resume. The con
dition of the freedman is now revers-
cd. With no master. he has no sense
of responsibility. The more igno.
rant among the field hands ure content
to live in squalor and wretchedness
their children suffer from lack of pro-
per food and care, and there Is unques
tionably q diminuition in their mum
bers from natural causes, which in
their present situation cannot be con
trolied. This is especially the case
with tho negroes on tho coast; but
the remark does not apply to the in
tclligent colored man anywhere. Il
is . remarkable fact that the slave in
creased 239 per cent, and the colored
free people only ono per cent. during
the ten years preceding the war. i
l remember rightly, the city rcgistra,
OF Boston reported that during the
five years preceding 1859 the number
of colorcd births was one less than
tho number of marriages, and the
deaths exceeded the births in the
proportion Of nearly two to one. II
Rhode Island and Connecticut, accord
ing to the registries kept, the yearly
deaths Of blacks and mulattocs have
generally exceeded tho yearly births
There is no method of reaching simi
lar results in the South, excep
through the reports of tho heultt
officers Of the different cities, bu
these show startling amount of NOR
tality in the race, and invite quos
tion as to tho ultimate condition
My own impression is, that in q quar-
ter of q century from the presen
time, all the colder regions of tn,
South, from Virginia to Georgia, vii
DO mainly populated by sturdy whit,
emigrants, before whose competing
toll the negro will be obliged to gi;t
way, and that he will seek the low
lands as his final abiding place
These arc but specnlations, yet tn,
fate of the red man is to q very con
siderable, degree typical Of the Law
of nature which has applied to tht
negro In every State in which he ha.
been compelled to work for his sub
eistence, side by side with the white
The South, however, requires all hel
laboring population, and as q people
we deplore any exigency which threat
ems to deprive us of so essential al
aid to our prosperity. Hence it i
that our liberal.minded men,; foresee
ing theEe results, arc prepared b,
wise and humane regulations for thef
enlightenment and moral and socia
Improvement, to make the coloret
people valuable in our agricultura
deyelopetnents, and thus retain then
as an element of practical strength
and usefulness.
1MAIa1ATIoN--ITs IMPORTANCE TO TIL
! Q. The We've you have expressed