New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-07
THROUGH THE SOUTH.
THE CONDITION OF THE BLACKS.

classes to the condition. conduct and prospects of
the Freedmen throughout the Gulf States The
substance of the testimony thus elected ! sum up
as follows:
The planters who were formerly shareholders have
uniformly assured that their slaves are work
ing better than they expected and better this year
than ever before cannot recolleet single dissent
from this averment. Most of the old plantation
hands either rent lands, paying much Cotton per
acre. or they work them on shares-say, half the
crop when they find their own team and seed, ard
one-tbird when these are found by the landowner
And it has been found far more satisfactory 20
divide the crop at the Clubhouse or on the dock.
letting each market for himself, than to have tho
landowner sell it in bulk and account TO the cult
vator for his share of the proceeds. The Gegocs,
| keeping accounts and not very careful IN Their
habits, usually found on settlement, that tey Lad
eaten up their crop while it was growing, and were
often in debt after it had been sold and accounted
| for. No doubt, they sometimes cheated; but
even when they were not they supposed they were.
Especially when, as in 1866, the crop a failure,
and their share of it did not repay the landowner his
advances they could not understand that, while
"old master" had all there was they had less than
nothing The system was bad, so its results were
evil 1t is far better where they have no credit no
advances, and struggle through the year they
can, so that their share Of the crop. large
OF small is all their own when II is
ready for sale. On the crop of 1859, those who
worked on this basis generally made money on that
of 1870 which sold much lower, tley made little
| nothing this year, | am assured, they generally
grow Corn as well as Cotton. hoping 10 make their
own bread and meat, and leave their Cotton clear.
| Some will succeed in this Others will tail /; but,
taken in the average, Judge that the Freedmen Of
| the Cotton States are this day in as coed cifcum-
| Al, Il. L.. oil, Il
any European country And am confident that
the plantation laborers are rarely or never in want
of employment of homes. If there proficate,
idle pilfering fellows among them. they have
drfted away to the cities, to some other country
than this There is place for such on plantations
and very few of them could stay there if they would
The old Shareholders on whose testimony | have
mainly relied thus far add flat the Black women
are not doing 80 well as the men, but mainly in
| tent on finery and idleness. The children the
planters add rule their parents, aud Do little OF
| nothing: 50 that when this generation of field
hands trained TO steady work as slaves, shall have
| died off matters will have changed for the worse
In opposition to this, proier the testimony Of my
eyes, To say that ! have seen Tany more Black
women tlan White persons plowing and hOeing in
the Corn, Cotton and Cane-feIds of Louisiana and
Texas, would be saying little; am sure saw half
as many Black women as Black men working tie
crops; and in many cases father, mother and one OF
two children were at work together On The whole
must regard the question "Wil free niggors
work ?" satisfactorily answered The -Four AMI
Quarter Million bales of Cotton grown in tie United
States in 1870 are not TO be gainsaycd.
On another point the testimony Of the old mast 'rs
is less assuring They tell me that their oX-sayCs
spend their earnings unwisely, improydently, often
squandeTine in month the hard earnings Of year.
One planter instanced the case of "hoy' who
recently bought at once Serenteen Shoot y' boxes
price 81 each, their aggegate contents ueng worth
perhaps IS, and consisting Of candies and SNOWY
knck- knacks, with silver hall-dollar perhaps in
every fifth box. The evidence TO this eject is so
positive and consistent that i cannot doubt lts gen
eral truth. The ex-slave ignorant and simple, find
ing himself for the first second time possessed OF
500 to $780, the price of his crop too ant to fool
| away in purchases that wisdom would shun and
| reason must condemn.
| The Blacks themselves though such as have in
terrogated, give far more cheering testimony. They
| admit that fools rs well as roguos found
| among them, as among other cos but they insist
that the great majority are saving as well ms
| ing They assure me that many are buying lands;
others accumulating money in the FIeedmeBs
| Savings Bank with intent TO own homes nj 10 dis.
tant day, and that nearly all doing better fIcm
year TO year They say that most of those v no own
no lands own mules and plOws, and are steaCiy
learning to spend their money wisely OF save It care
| fully. | have conyersed with no Black who not
hopeful and confident as to tire future a his race
The caIpet-baggers," so called, of cOuTse confirm
| the testimony Of the Blacks. Some Of these are
| good and true men; Others aim 10 be particularly
good 10 themselves At the worst, il may be fairly
urged in their behalf that the blind obstnacy and
logged refusal If the planters TO recognize accom-.
plished facts rendered them necessary evil.
| The ancient aristocTacy I'd. ,ar south umnd me
forcibly of the Federal sqUlrearcny = our country
after JeifeIsons election as Presiden, Instead OF
| studying the new situation and sCekn to master
IT, they content themselves with endless and hult-
| less complainings. They lament the sway ct the
carpet-baggers" over their late slaves out take no
effective measures 10 cOunterac' It. bcgucs as me
of the "carpet-baggers" are, they are all jealous
| for the education of the Blacks, while the sui
| merged arstocracy gruCge every penny assessed
| on them for building sciool-houses and paying
teachers as though we've TO be thrown INTO thehoa
| The nobest prrest most intelligent w,men # New.
England, who have come down b'rc 10 teach Back
children are stunned and banned ly the ais;oc.ay
as though they were clmp-fOliow"Ts OF Sheima's
army. and. being thus doomed to associate only win
| Blacks and live with them, are actra ly charged
with this as betrayal of low tastes Wien vas the
dictate of stern necessity. | arp.ehcLd that iie
landowners will in time be mreH.d by thsif maze
| of "carpet -baggeTs' to change thcir IN s. au.
| seek a cordial understanding with the Tackhj i"t
tbev are not vet in the mood. and the longer ihey
hold of the more difficult Ia task viii prove. H. O.
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON.
IT'S CHARACTERISTICS TIE COTTON TRADE-
| MANUFACTURES OF PHOSPHATE SOCIAL oS-