New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-14
EMPLOYEES AND LAB0RERs.

icans can stand and feel themselves at
home. There is rather too much of pat
ronizing air in the proposition
There is great reason why the congen-
lal relations between capital and labor
should be restored in the South. CAPITAL
requires good returns in agriculture and
commerce. Labor requires good wages,
permanent employment, and protection in
sickness, injury and old age. Every per-
son, white and black, must see that, as they
have always dwelt and must always dwell
IN this country, that it is the imperative in
terest and duty of each to make and main
tam cordial agreement with each other.
This Is the sentiment spreading from Vir-
ginia to Savannah.
For we interpret all this to mean that
the negroes, although admitted in the Ian
guage of the Picayune to equal political,
legal and educational rights with those
who were once their masters" yet they
are expected to continue to be laborers all
their lives, while only those who were
once their masters shall aspire to the dig
ni'y Of being the capitalists. We have
for the colored race. We hope that at
least a fair proportion Of them may be
admitted to that highly extolled class Of
people denominated capitalists, and if cir
cumstances will have it SO, to give even
such of their old masters or their descend
ants as have fallen in fortune, either by
bad luck or bad management, employment
and protection from want. With the equal
educational and legal rights conceded to
them, they will very soon be in a
condition TO enter the field as cap
italists. And why not? What law
of nature or necessity Of political
economy requires lis to suppose that the
colored man shall not be permitted to
reap the advantage of his own enterprise?
That his destiny is merely to waste his
strength as a laborer for the enrichment of
capitalists, and become pensioner upon
his charitable employer in his old age? This
condition would be but one step removed
from slavery itself. Already we see evil
dences that our colored people do not in
tend to travel that gate. They are saving
their money. They are customers of our
savings banks to an extent that surpasses
the laboring classes among the whites The
manager of one of these institutions informs
us that while his deposits are steadily in
creasing, large sums are drawn out every
month to pay for Investments in real es-
tate And this is done by colored men
and women. The fathers and mothers
are working for future homes for them
selves and children. while the latter go
to school to fit themselves for the duties of
citizenship, so that while we concede that
''labor requires good wages and perma-
nent employment, We are not prepared to
admit the apparent assumption that the
whites are to remain the exclusive capital
lists. and the colored people to remain IT,
borers and wards to be looked after by
their employers. The fact is, the colo1ed
people are citizens i'll every sense of the
term. They are an important part of the
people, and as such entitled to fair
showing at the hands of the people pa
per-" And when orr neighbor sets up the
claim to he All organ of the people,
it assumes the corresponding obliga-
ton to give all its clients their right
full place. There can be no sheep
and goat business about it; no sepa-
ration of privileges, or positions on &C
count Of color. The laboring classes have
a very deep interest in public affairs, as
they bear their proportion of the public
burden, and perhaps more.
Furthermore, it is not necessarily true that
the colored people must always dwell in
this country" That very many of them will
do SO, is quite likely, but they are as free
to go to other parts of the country as any
other race. They may go as laborers,
agricuituralists, mechanics,
professors, teachers, preachers, pleasure
seekers, or adventures, just the same as
anybody else, each according to his ability,
inclination or capacity. And as there can
not be any permanent division into labor
ing classes and capitalists on account of
color, it is not necessary to put upon that
ground the necessity for keeping up the
cordial agreement that is SO imperatively
and dutiful.
There should be no antagonism between
,apital and labor, and there probably never
will be any of very serious character I'M
ess the attempt is made to place barrier
the two 50 that men may not |
moose for themselves to which class they |
hall belong. He would be rash man who |
should undertake to say that any laborer of |
o-day who is frugal and industrious may |
lot in time become a capitalist able to
i've his children an education and leave
hem a fortune. And any assumption
BASED upon theory of the inferiority of
me race or the other, or that one must rise
o the surface while the other shall sink
md become mud-sills is fallacious and per-
ncious.
But We are glad that the Picayune is
Wiling to concede to the colored people
'qual, legal, political and educational
lights. With the full enjoyment of these,
my race or any people is capable of secur-
ng for itself a proper recognition.
AN INSIDIOUS APPEAL