, 1875-03-03
LAND IN THE SOUTH.

To tht Editor a. Tie Chicu9a Tribune:
CHICAGO, Fab. 2G.-1a your tissue Of the 18th
Inst. there appeared m editorial article headed
"Land In tho South," which tnust havo been
written without actual knowledge OF tho coudi-
tion Of the landed aEairs in many OF tho South
cru States. ! have resided several years In
Southern States and can speAk from actual
knowledge as TO the disposition Ut tho land
onn6ts.
First, no all agree with you that IT "a for tho
good Of our country thAt those large tracts
onncd by individuals should be divided Into
emall farma and occupied BY 'trosho!dors." +"
strong that il would b difficult to dnd : shou-
sand men in tho entire sonth who Will not ad-
yocate 1t most heartily. uofore tic War no lad
landed md slave arissocracy; and : mans
.'atanding" vas then r.toa hy tho puna-
for which DO could. show titIo-loeds:
Goth e!emonts Of our arlssocracy; for. At tho
olonn OF tho War, all those largo planters were
aud tulltfons Of acrea Wera forfeited to tho State
for taxes. Again, ths only thing tho people Of
that section saved from total w1eck Nas land.
All the 1ess Of their property WAS swallowed In
the vortex Of War; aud. while ne find largs
tsacts .ownol by individuals, II is comparatively
duceH nothing but taxuo."
nut now como to your orrur. Tloro Ia uni
yersll doslre to sel thslr lands, aud at very low
liquors. Throughout Arkausas, btishlsaippl,
Louisiana, aud Tosas, thcro Il scarcely plantn-
tlon that Is not for aale. Tho result Ii, that land
that would bc worth iu Illinois from $50 to 9l1O
per aero can 70 bought IN tho South for from 95
10 s20. And they are not particular ~ to ths
color Of tho buyers, Il thsy can get oven small
payment down. and they will give easy torn.s.
Only they want buyers. ! tlars in my hands over
fpo hundred plantations. Mhoso ownotn would be
glad to cut item up into 40 OF 3D. aero tr&cN ana
gell them 10 anybody uho Wilt buy and pay for
them.
Tho difficulty Is not with tho land. d.ovners, but
1t Ia for vsnt of buyers. The most OF the Labor
ike to onu "lo acres and i mnle," nlae-tonths
Of thom lack ths requisites to acquire enough to
nuschass Or to s.r.'n" .nali A.. plantation BY
furnish teams. sl1pplios. seed, aud ~ tho sub
slstanco for tho year; and, unloss this III tione,
our ''colored brothren" hso hike chalarou.
Time aud again has this been tried, aud
Obliged 10 conc In aud doclaro that 10 could not
keep the land, and ho has resumed hls "tent-
lug again. Nearly all tho efforts that havs
beon uauo In this direction have failed mot
to want Of foresight and thrift in the laboEeti.
They must hare soMe ons to look to and rely
upon for bread aud clothlug; aad, II 1t is not
the landowner, It will be tho merchant
Csgs on slair growing osoia 70 secure
his outlay. Tue Eoau!t il, that IL uine cases out
Of ton, tie aborat does not como out eyen 1t tho
close Of the year, but IL in debt. II La 1uys ha
land ou long tsaas. hs finds nothing left as tho
Tor tas land. Tue planters OF Arkansas would
gladly. Welcome my class Of buyers who would
take their large trscls on their hands, eyen in
value tbs lsud sold for III Anto-bellum days.
Let the homeless lsborsrs Of tho North, uho
dread tho tsrrib!e winters Al,a auuersuga ot .ha
Northern aud Western Tstritorios, turn thoir
presented in our Southland. They viii ijul no
difficulty IN. purchasing small tract4 at low
figures, and In country where thsy will have
N easy I'D cheap communication with