New-York tribune., 1871-05-31
THE NEGROES OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SYSTEMS OF PLANTATION LABOR-ARE THE Ne
GRoEs INDUSTRIOUS f-wHY THEY DO NOT
SAVE MONEY-HARMONY WITH THE WHITE
MEN NEEDED-FEARS OF A MASSACRE.

IRON OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBIA, s. c., May 27-One hears so many
different opinions expressed by planters about the prOnt
OF farming with negro labor and about the industry
OF the negroes and the amount Of dependence placed
upon them that is not easy to come to any settled con-
clusions upon these subjects Careful inquiry however
will lead eventually the conclusion that where plant
ers have failed to their expenses a. many CON-
plain to be their experience the fault more with them
selves than with their laborers They have either tried
to exercise the strict authority TO which they were ac
cusomed In the days of Slavery or they have gone to
the other extreme and have left the negroes to cultivate
the land in their way, without instruction or dsci
pne In one case there would always be trouble with
the workmen, and in the other the cultivation would be
carelessy performed and thei crops would be seant
Another cause OF failure apart from the labor ques-
ton, may be found in the fact that little Inn
provement has been made In the old, shiftess
and waseful ways Of farming, which would have been
runous in the days Of Slavery, the planters. had not
then been able make up their deficiencies at the end
OF the year by selling few negroes. Many failures are
to be attributed the attempts made to keep up the old
style of living The planters and their families were n
used TO work, and had wish TO learn. They Kept
retnue OF servants about their houses and tried oye
in the idle extravagat way they thought becoming TO
gentlemen Such men have got deeper In debt every
year. and beginning to realize the disaeeable Truth
that there Is no profit in "gentlemanfarming" Wher-
ever the planters nave EOnt 10 NOIh
have practced the industry and economy that farmers
everywhere practice in the North believe they have
been moderately successful and have had no reason to
complain OF the inefieiency OF the negroes.
very sensible way Of managing negro farmhands Is
that practced by exConfederate General, who is
planting large scale near Edgeheld He divides
them into squads of three and gives TO each squad 20
acres Of land and mule TO work it with The men feed
Themselves provide half the mules feed, and receive
one-half OF the crop. The General stimulates them 10
work by getting up rivalry between different squads
each which endeavors to excel the Others Keep ts
fields free OF weeds and produce the largest crop
II all the squads appear to be growing idle, and do not
get at work until late In the morning. he gets neghbor
to ride the place some day, and talk
to the men somewhat in this way: "How's
this boysi / hear that the weeds are getting
a powerful start on the Generals place, and
that you fellows don't get to hoeing before o'clock
Does look pretty bad, that's fact. The cotton on the
Judges place over there looks heap better Must MT
let 'em beat you that way. boys" Next morning the
negroes will be up with the sun, determined that the
reputation Of the Generals cotton shall not suffer
Speaking Of his success in planting, the General told me
that need have any trouble with his negroes who
would treat them kindly, and praise them when they
did WELL Their love Of expressions OF APPRECIATION he
said, was very great, and they will work we'll If ami
mated by little praise now and then. He had never
had the least difficulty with his hands, and thought
planter have any who understood the right to
manage negroes viz. TO gain their confidence and deal
justly with them.
Another labor system is much practiced in the low
country, and was described TO me by Northern man.
who has plantation the Wando River, in the vcin
ity Of Charleston where he raises Sea Island cotton
He pays his hands 80 cents day. and requires them to
hoe half acre for a daily task This they usually fin
sh by or o'clock occupying the rest of the day in
fishing working in their gardens In idlng about
their cabins The planter said that he never could in
duce them 10 do than task day, although they
would frequently get through by nOon and could as well
earn another half dollar before night not. Ii Is ex
tremely rare that negro plantation laborer has saved
any money during his six years OF freedom. The pre-
vaiing system of working the land for share Of the
crop does not cOnduce economy The laboer can re-
aze nothing until the crop is sold, and in the mean
time he must get debt for food and clothing. His EN-
ployer the planter keeps small stock of funds at huge
prices including bacOn stout CLOTH shoes, and other
necessares and plenty of such cheap jew
ery ribbons and brilliant patterns, which take the
fancy of the negro The laborer must buy OF his
employer, because nobody else would give INN
credit and, as he is able to get what he
wants without money he buys many things he does not
need fashionable bonnet and pair OF CATERS for his
WIFE perhaps, CANDY nectie and orode pin for him.
SELF or other useless articles and when the crop is shared
and sold he finds himself without dollar and in debt
to the planter
property IS OF course they Ignorant and
unthrifty and have been reared in condition OF abso
Lutte dependence upon their white masters, who always
did the thinking and provided for them. The colored
men OF the towns, who work at trades and are much
more Intelligent and sc reliant than the plantation
hands exhibit much thrift white Of the same
degree of intelligence. Many comfortable homes
and have deposits in the Freedmens Savings Bank.
They dress themselves and families well, support
and schools and appear to he as prosperous as
working men generally in Northern towns large
proportion OF this class show more or lees admi1ture of
white blood
manifest and LATEST of the in South Carolina. 1t
takes hut slight exeriOn To support life there. Game,
fish and oysters abound and little scratching of the
the darkey who has a cabin. boat corn-feld. and
garleppach on one OF these fortunate isles An hour
or tw of work M morning will keep the weeds out OF
his little pantation and bring food enough from the sea
for tine DAYS eating. The rest Of the time he lie in
the shade and enjoy, only negro can. the perfect
luxury Of aziness prominent lawyer In Charleston,
told Inc that he relieved the negroes the islands aud
along the coast that they much removed from
the Influence of the white men, would drf back 10
barbarsn were IL not for the mulattoes who form the
connecting link between the negroes and civilization.
They are coutened with little and that little Is easily
obtained M that there IL motive for cNerton because
there s little desr. for The comforts that greater
tion would bring.
In Charleston M rule the coorcd people do as well
the white men Nobody appears Ia lie prospecting In
that dull decayng town, and all classes are affected Dy
tie general depression of business. Poor the negroes
are they .eIdom beg saw not single black beggar
in a Charleston, ard yet there oouht hundreds
that. civ "a IN ha ma lear