The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-11-29
Communication.
be Editor Iouisiana Democrat:

of this Parish, and in glancing at the
of sales of the State
Us. the citizens. of Rapides Parish,
was shocked. The crops have not
yielded, per acre to the cotton plant
ed, one fourth the quantity which
was gathered before the negro was
freed, and not more than three
fourths the quantity cultivated. This
was the largest taxpaying Parish IN
the State, save Orleans, previous to
the war, and the taxes were prompt
" collected and paid over, save one
instance. The lands have not deto-
rated, and old planters tel me, the
seasons for the past six years, Will
correspond favorably with that
length of time before the war. when
the war closed, or the armies IN the
field surrendered, there was large
number of plantations unembarassed
and the owners had money and
credit. Now the tax collector is Of
fering the lands for sale, and the
proprietors have not the money to
pay with, nor have they credit to OBJ
tain the money, that is large num-
Der of them. The losses from work
ing the freed negro in the State is as
uniform as are rules generally. This
is a fact which is felt by every one.
propose to enquire the reasons OF
this condition Of affairs from which
there is so much suffering, if not at
present, those who look forward can
not fail to see how the masses OF both
races are to obtain the bare necessl-
ties of life in the future, and if there
is not change in the management
and culture of the soil, to live, those
who can, must leave this country, a
country, but few years since, the
|
most prosperous on this continent.
the soil and climate yielded a great
er diversity of products necessary fol
man and them in greater abund
ance than any portion of the known
earth.
For this condition of things, there
is cause and a remedy. 1t be-
comes us as living and sensible peo'
pie to apply ourselves unitedly te
investigation and relief. This car
be done by interchange Of opinion
and united action. If we are no
convinced, it is time to act, when We
see these advertisements of all the
earthly possessions of so many of.us
when will we be? There is but ont
way to retrieve the past, that is, b.
i. proper use of the present; and pre-
pairing for the future. We are com
PEELED to take things as we find them
to repine and despond is not manly
not inst to- ourselves or our children
Let us reflect, and when convinced
act like living men for ourselves
. Possessed of our soil and climate,
is shameful for us to ever let the con
> viction creep upon us that we al
not independent. If we are not,
is our own fault
I think we owe our bankrupt cor
:, dition to several causes. I presum
it will be admitted on all sides, thG
5 the freed negro has proven failur
It as laborer, used as he has been b
@ the proprietors of the soil since th
war. The fact that nine out of tie
e have lost money by him, and that h
n himself, as a rule, is not so well
y do in the world, as the day he We
y freed is positive proof. The plante
the mechanic, the merchant the Law
y yer, the doctor, the carpet. bagge
IS and all classes jumped at the concl1
d sion that there was a fortune in raj
II ing cotton by using the freed negr
} I regret some among the numb'
e thought to build fortunes by swine
s. ling the poor ignorant creature, tn
II though the exception. yet gave GOO
,e reason for complaint, and filled the
Is. heads with suspicious that all viii
a men would cheat ode niger" TIL
" was seized on by the miscreant ca
d pet-bagger, who filed the poor su
Il picious creature, with false notion
e. and rivited them through by tellir
st him he fought to free him; but new
of once told him that he and his pc
s, pie stole them from from Africa al
OF sold them to his former master.
al To obtain the greatest number
- laborers seems to have been the gre
-, idea of those who engaged in IL
q new enterprise of making forum
is out of the labor of the freed neg,
q. It never seems to have occurred
them; how can we utilise this lab
to our profit and the benefit of t
Il laborer? Untold fortunes were to
. made by cultivating cotton; it W