The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-10-23

Both these facts involve consequences which
it Is of the first Importance to promptly com.
prehend and conform ourselves to.
The sudden emancipation of 100000 slaves
not only involves radical changes, rs affecting
the command of labor, the kind of crops to be
raised the methods of cultivation, the quantity
of land that may be successfully managed, and
the question ofprotits, all (which may classified
as the practical or financial bearings of that
event; but also pregnant with the most impor-
tant consequences to the organization and well.
being of society itself.
| The transition from bondage to freedom OF
our former slaves has converted the owner OF
| laborinto competitive hirer in the common
market and has subjected all employers to the
uncertainties springing from the varying impul-
ses and movements of servile race suddenly
left to their own volition and subject to the in
ilucnces surrounding newly acquired and i'm
perfectly understood citizenship
| 1t is obvious that with an enforced system OF
labor, the proprietor would be practically limi-
| ted in the extent of his former plantation only
by his ability to purchase hands, and could more
safely venture upon an extensive cultivation
OF crops that are subject to critical periods in
their maturing, than when the dependence is
upon hirelings whose views of their own inter-
est, whether just or capricious, would place
their employers, in great measure, at their
mercy.
The direct effect of emancipation has been to
destroy the clement ofpermanence and certain
dependence in negro labor which enabled the
agriculturist of the slave States hitherto to cal.
cuiate with precision on the amount, contmu.
business and cost of his hands and the greater
| uncertainty III commanding, as needed, the SER
vices OF the freedman, as compared with his for.
| mer condition, has been aggravated by the in.
disposition to work which some of his class
| have NANTES cd their congregation in thc
| cities and towns, and in their migration other
wise from their former places of residence.
| These circumstances have combined to render
| LABOR scarce, unreliable and expensive.
Not to dilatc further in this connection, the
plain indications, as it seems TO me, in those
| sections formerly titled by slave labor, are the
subdivision of our farms and the acquisition OF
| more laborcrs who will both till our ground and
| buy our surplus lands.
Let us, then as soon as practicable, dispose of
| our farms in excess of what we can thoroughly
and readily cultivate.
How TO get these laborcrs and these purcha-
| sers Is an important question. The very sub
division OF our estates will of itself tend to bring
| us buyers and population, because, as you re-
| ducc the size of the farms TO be sold you come
| within the means of Il greater number of people.
| The sources of this increased labor and purchas.
| ing population is two fold. Our cntcrprsing fell
| ow-citzens of the North, who are accustomed
| to small farms, and have learned from necessity
| how to make the most OF 4 few acres. and who
| are looking for chances of investment and loca-
| ton in our less crowded section and more gc-
! NAL cline, constitute one of the means of sup.
| ply The other source, is, obviously, cmigra.
| ton from abroad. This latter means of addi-
| tion to our population we have not awaited of,
in comparison with the Western portion of the
| country; largely, no doubt, from some inherent
| advantages over us, but to a considerable eX-
| tent because we have not iudiciously and syste-
| matically invited settlement among us, and have
not sufficiently realized the necessity Of provi-
| ding parcels of land within the compass of the
| means of those seeking home on our shores,
| and more available in size for the character of
husbandry to which they are accustomed and in
which they excel.
| To succeed in securing the advantages of en-
| igration for our section, two things are rcquis-
| tic; first, an earnest, organized effort on the
| part of our citizens, and, secondly, n iudicious
and liberal cooperation on the part of the State.
| Neither will fully answer, perhaps, without the
| other; but of the two, the former is the more
| Indispensable. The first practical step in this
| direction is to form societies for the express
| purpose of inducing cmigrants to remain with
| us. BY means of such societies effective agen-
| ces can be put to work to enlist the attention
! of the cmgrant, and the nature, quantity, price
and other particulars of the lands offered for
| sale can be readily placed before him. More
| over you will thus establish the most effective
instrumentality by which the aid of the Legisla-
| ture can be enlisted in this behalf Such as
| sociations might readily he organized within
your Agricultural Societies; or, those societies
| themselves might take special charge of the
| subject. Concerted and methodical action in
| this direction would disseminate information
valuable among ourselves well as to strangers
| TURNING to the effects of omancination in the
| other relations Indicated among its consenuen
| ccs to individuals and society are those which
| follow from entoilinp upon former propric.
| tors and their families the necessity of them
| selves engaging in much of the manual labor
| heretofore performed by their slaves.
In past times the life of the actual tiller of the
| the soil has been unfavorablc to mental culture
| of q high order, and not conducive to the &C.
| ouirement of TINT knowleduc and The deyeIope.
| nnnt If those sentiments flat would fit him to
| mosterond illustrate thn nrncinlcs of individu.
| al indcncndcncc and of free government In
other words the mere ncasont has GENERALLY
| becn n drud1c and practically. n ynssaI And
| such also tLo nrocticol farmer would fond to
| become wifi us hnt far causes to which I shall
| nrosnntIv oilude
| So long os The nurs,it of opriculture remain.
al n bor 10 mental cnliobtrnment and nhvsicnl
| den,omJs ,ynro such os 70 onnrcsS md StiGe ITO
| mohIor ;nstincts Of tho sor1 II wos n fnrtnnoto
| orronunmcnt that dcvolvcI mon one nortion Of
| tbn n9mmmnit, tbc hnrdcm Of chicdv nnrfnrn
| inc It's manual labor aud loft tho other free to
| lnrot, ;tsa1r 20 tho ,o,nis;t;o, ,f l,ro,,lolro
ond to cvltirotiam az thoan ns,rntion, that
| iirt n,r tho rooo '
| In tbis osnect in tbo oorIicr dovs of orr M.
| tionoI tnncn When institutions If Io"rrimn
| ,yoro sonrco ava hut fn,,, could commond tLo
80, o,,1 orror,uui,;o. oooos,or,, g.. - Ill
adnnt;o Xxx onnIoomt Of So aoi
| Lon,tons ;,.n ,,Inntnt ions ;noidont tLorotn rn
| nishod to tbr nronrintors of tbn Snnth u'o
| monns IF sonJng thn;r soms 70 +hn snor,n onJ
n;sfam+ nolInmns AND tbn osrro 70 ,b"m,
.nirou 70 the study and "nnIicotion of thnno
nrinnirios ,yIicS nsvc "' ~ o ne,v or,d ne
| pohiott n,.th,itiaS ~ oo,,titrt;o,l no''rii o
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az do',, onnrtmni,, Ear nontni Iip ANY
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