The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-04-21
VOLUME 5---No. 49,.
The Labor Problem at the South.

| L
We regard it as sign of industrial GONZALES.
cence that the people Of almost every Southern
State are earnestly discussing the auestions Of
production, of emigration, of manufactures and
material recuperation of that section. They
seem to have reached full, albeit ta7dy, re-
alization of the folly of their policy previous
themselves of the opportunity for fuller de-
velopment which has Just been presented to
them by emancipation. They are evidently
beginning to appreciate the true reason why the
North has so steadily outstripped the South in
the race for material prosperity. as well as of
physical power, during the last three-quarters
of century. With infinitely greater attrac-
tions in climatej soil and profitable production,
the South has steadily fallen behind In the
struggle for supremacy in population, terrific
rial development and wealth. Theexplanati0n
of this is to be found in the social aristocracy,
the spirit Of isolation and the degradation of
labor, which were the inevitable results of
slavery. There is no question that but for
these obstacles the South would have absorbed
large share of the emigration and enterprise
which poured into theeWestern States, and
which not only made that section the garden of
the WORLD but has given it the political control
of the whole country.
Emancipation suddenly changed the policy
as well as the requirements of Southern civil
ization, and Notwithstanding it has taken five
years of severe and painful discipline to effect
realization, of the fact, the delay has been
| salutary, and the transition more healthy and
permanent by reason of the delay. The people
have had an opportunity to study out the solu-
| tion of the problem for themselves They have
been mace to appreciate the true dignity and
mission of labor, and to get rid Of the false
notions which they previously entertained.
They see that the presence among them OF
four millions of people suddenly transformed
from slaves to freedmen, required correspond
employed, the blacks would surely become
dangerous social element, but if they were so
employed and speedily, they could readily be
made means of development and wealth even
greater than they were before the war. Two
things were necessary to effect this. The blacks
were to be encouraged to adopt proprietary
| labor, and it was essential that they should be
subjected to sharp competitions in order to pre-
vent them from combining to control. The
first necessity involved the leasing or sale Of
land to the negro in small parcels, and the
second the encouragement of white immigra-
tion.
Both necessities were resisted for long time
after peace was declared, and chiefly from PIE.
judice. But recently ne note d vefy decided
change in that respect. The Southern press
generally invites emigration from the North, as
well as from Europe. Agents have been sent
from most of the States to organize European
migration, and quite a large number of COM
munities have already arrived. A Convention
is to be held at Charleston the Sd of May to
aid the movement of South Carolina {; several
large colonies of Germans have recently set
tied in Alabama, and colony of New Workers
are also on their way there. Fifty-three thou
sand emigrants, black and white, have passed
through Memphis within the last five months,
destined for the Southwest, of whom fifteen
thousand were newly-ariyed foreigners. North
| Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky have each
organized bureaus of immigration, which are
actively at work, and similar efforts are being
made-and with great successs-to tura the
| tide toward Alabama and Mississippi.
All this is but the beginning of the end. It
is destined to go on increasing until the South
shall be filed up with new element of popu-
lation, which will introduce new ideas, bring
its vast extent of unoccupied lands ttnder till
age, and ultimately build up a homogeneous
civilization upon the ruins of that false and
perniciotis system which has hitherto been ON
incubus upon the South, socially, politically
and materially. The result will be that the
sectional animosity which has so long prevail
ed will be gradually obliterated, and that when
the present generation shall have passed aways
it will have disappeared altogether.-zles York
Times.