American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-03-01
White and Black.

A colored man, ID. w .Echols by name ,ad-
dresses through the Mobile Register, a card
to the people of his own race, i'm which he
says word against the emigration to Ar
kansas and other States lying West ct the
Mississippi river. He starts out by telling
them that they are at home in Georgia,
having been born and reared on her soil.
Then be says: Land is as plentiful here
as there. and by industry as good a living
can be made here as elsewhere. Let
us remain in Georgia and till the soil, and
by patience, industry and frugality work
our salvation here, where it has pleased
kind Providence to call us.' This is
sensible advice, and it would be well for
the colored people if they could be in
duced to look upon it as such. The blacks
will have to learn sooner or later that the
only genuine road to prosperity is through
industry and frugality. They must learn
that liberty does not mean license, also
that they must work and win the bread
they eat, although they are no longer
slaves. They are free men, but their So
clal condition is not so greatly changed as
they imagined it would be when dream
ing rosy dreams in bondage. As the
world is organized certain men are largely
dependent upon others. Circumstance is
a cruel task master, and if one happens to
be born In poverty he must serve those
who have around them the evidences of
Dor represents capital, and capital has so
many safeguards thrown around it by
legislation that 1t is well nigh impregna-
Bile. Capital gives employment to the la
bOrer, and when the laDOfer refuses the
terms offered by capital, he must either
starve or become a vagabond or a thief.
Though the negro is no longer a chattel.
he is far from being independent in the
strict sense of the word. He must work
for his bread and clothes just as hard, if
not harder than he worked before the war
struck the manaclcs from his hands. 1t
will not answer for him to build himself a
cabin and flatter himself that this is the
are past, even if they ever had any exist
ence outside of the shadows of tradition.
1t is by industry that we thrive. The ne
gro cannot always exc O;it Il miserable
existence by poaching on the hen roost or
the .pig-pen of the planter. He must
work, and work with far greater energy
than when a bonds,nan. He must fight
his way in the world Just as the white
man fights his way in the North. 1t is
sheer folly to expect that the white labor
er will sanction any policy of the
Government which looks to the
maintenance of the black man in
lazy idlene,s. Why should the white
support of his family and give portion
OF his mea"er earnings for the sustenance
of the negro who is able to work, but who
will not work, for the reason that he has
got false idea of freedom Already Tin
reasonable drafts have been honored call
ing for sympathy for the Oppressed
81 We g, TO ask for. for further sympathy is
sooner the Southern negro arms to ap-
preciate this fact the better it will be for
him. This Mr.. Echols, then, is right i'm
advising his brethren to remain i'm Geor-
gla and practice industry and fUgality
There should be no ill-.eeling between the
planter and lis former slave. Those who
attempt to band the colored people against
the whites have the welfare of neither
race at heart. They are working for a
selfish purpose, for the advancement of
their own interests, and they should he
kicked out of the community as chronic
mischief makers. So long as the whites
and blacks are obliged to occupy the same
territory their Interests are in common,
and they should work together i'm schemes
of an industrial character, and, especially.
should harmonic on questions of polit-
lcal nature. To array race against race is
to overthrow the social system which
gives strength and life te the Republic.
In commenting on this letter of EchOls
the Mobile Register remarks that it is ow-
ing to the carpet-bag system-that is, to
the leadership of mere adventurcrs-that
the colorcd people havr been led astray.
The rising generation of boys and girls is
growing Up without habits of industry
and good morals. ''The real negro work
of the South, in city and country, is done
by those who were habituated to work
before the war was over and it is Il grave
question who is to do the work OF the
next generation. For the boys that are
growing up lead, for the most part, vas-
abond life, and the girls seem to be ambi-
tious only to grow up ladlics.'' The adj
ventureI, commonly styled the carpet
Dagger, cared for nothing but votes, and,
by appealing to the preiadiccs of race. he
received the suffrages of those who had
never been taught to think and discrimi-
nate. Caring for nothing but the votes,
he ipaugurated policy which has en-
riched himself, but which has demcrali.ed
the industrial sy:ten. OF tine South, and
made poorer the native people, both white
and black. Judging from the tone of the
letter written by ID. w. Echols, the intel
ligent men of the colored race are begin
ming to see the folly CT tiiis selfish policy
and, We may infer, they are now prepared
to join with the whites in laboring for the
common good of the State. 1t is to be
hoped that their influence will have some
weight. There is plenty of work for the
colorcd people to do in Georgia. The
only question iss win they do it!-1uf
Field and Farm.