Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-06
a WORD ABOUT SERVANTS AND La,
RRRERS.

One of the greatest difficulties with which
our farmers have TO contend is the necessity
which now exist for self control in the
management of the laborers. Accustomed
trem time immemorial to implicit obedi.
'eRce, it is hard for the farmers in our lati-
sude to brook any opposition to their win,
or to put up with the least appearance OF
idleness or carelessness on the part of their
employees. They become irritable; show
bad temper, hastily conclude that the labor
of the country is worthless and that all
efforts TO improve it are futile. And yet a
little reflection ought to convince any one
that much allowance should be made for
the short comings of the negro. His free
dom was the result Of war, devastation and
revolution. dis greatest boon came
without exertion on his part, and
bis untdtored mind naturally led him
TO believe that wealth and position
would probably come in the same way.
In the meantime his employer has been far
iess tolerant Of his little peccadllos than he
ought to have been. What class of laborers
are there that has not some habits that are
distasteful to the employer? As a servant
simply, we rather think, owing partly to
habit and partly to an evolutionary process
of mind, the negro has no equal. His will
is usually weak; his attachments strong;
his physical powers great; and, when d.
rected and supported by the intelligence of
another, capable of great endurance. Al
loWsnce should be made for his weaknesses.
They should be accepted as a part of his
normal character. If he has honest inten-
tions and kind heart, he should be treated
kindly, and in all dealings with him the
superior should act with prudence and tenn
per. He should
''Be to their faults little blind,
Be to their virtues very kind"
The best manager of negroes that we
have ever known would never come upon
them, at work, unawares, but would always
give some signal before coming in sight so
that all might be industriously employed.
The principle was a good one. We never
knew manager who would lie around the
fields, in the woods, for the purpose of
watching his hands that was ever success
full in the management Of a plantation.
They forfeit the respect Of the laborers, and
are looked upon not as a fair, open, candid
man, but much in the same manner as an
eavesdropper. Such man becomes inva-
riably irritable; he always sees something
going on he does not like. He expects it
or he would not resort to such expedieuts,
and in expecting it he always finds it.
There is an eternal fitness in all things.
We are so constituted that we always
get just what we labor for: If for the
i'll will, or good will of employees,
we get it. No man can speak kindly when
be has been watching from covert his
hired men wasting their time. No man
will be irritable, if when he comes in full
view Of his hands, he finds them all work
ing with viii. And just here lies the diff
ference in management on a farm. One
employer finds something to to be pleased
at; another finds something to condemn.
One preserves his temper, is pleasant, kind
and agreeable, but firm, commanding the
respect Of all about him; the other is mo-
rose, bad-tempered, disagreeable, peevish,
quick TO detect errors and prompt to punish
they Jut slow to acknowledge any excel
leneies in his employees. We have kindly
feeling for those who think well of us. We
do more to retain their good will than
we would to appease another's i'll will.
It is human nature to do so.
We must take our servants as we find them,
and adopting the sentiment of a writer in
FrdSer'S Magazine we must no more be
surprised or angry at certain short comings
in them, tEan we should think of getting in
a rage if we find a piece of lead to be
savy or down TO be light. These things
= are what we should count on. If servants
were everything we wish them to be, they
would quickly rise above the position of
servants. These very deficiencies compel
hem to retain their position of servftude
If man finds his servants are lazy, care
less, forgelful and improvident, he should
not get angry and fly into a passion for
every exhibition of these characteristics.
He should rather ascribe these exhibitions
to the same great law that enables him TO
have a servant.