New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-05


a to vote tho Republican ticket. He say
a The. blacks arc suppressed with the ide
q that the white people wish to reduce thel
TO servitude, and it is not strange that the
: band together.
It's perhaps fortunate that gentlema
so prominently connected with this quet
ton has been called to the witness stand
He testified that he twas nominated 70
the Legislature in 1870 The blacks wer
told that their interests were dependen
upon those of the whites; that they wer
the laborers, and that there should be n
antagonism betw cen the races"
This was exactly the original ground 0
difference between the two parties. Tn
blacks apprehended that s'the white PEG
pie wished to reduce them to servitude.
The whites told the blacks that the interest.
OF the latter were dependent upon those
OF the whites; that the blacks were the
laborers, and that there should be no An.
tagonism between the races.
Let us examine little whether the 40.
prehensions Of the blacks rested alone
upon strangers in the State who had or.
ganized the negroes, not for the public
good, but to secure their election to Off
cial position" Such is the deposition
opinion of Mr.. Moncure.
Immediately after the war it became a
question how the labor element in the
South should be disposed Of 1t was per-
haps natural that those who had owned
this labor should desire to obtain it at
minimum rates. 1t was perhaps reason
able to apprehend that change of system
SO radical would involve serious social
problem. Some of the Southern people
accepted the inevitable. they sought and
readily acquired the confidence and Sc
cured the labor of the freedmen. and
there are instances where freedmen have
remained on or returned to the planta-
tons upon which they had lived before
the war, and now receive wages where
they had lived in servitude. There
were others, however, who took different
view OF the situation. They were Of
opinion that voluntary labor could not be
relied on for the culture of Southern
staples and especially of sugar. They
feared that any political rights accorded
the coloied people would be abused by
them.
VI this latter class were many promi-
nent planters and politicians of Louisiana,
and their policy found expression in the |
Legislature of 1865, introduced by one |
who belonged to both these classes. We're |
'hese Laws Of character to justify the
ears that ''the white people wished to
'educe the colored people to servitude?"
We are compelled to say those laws had
uch IAN awful squirting that way, as to
AVE made it an easy task for strangers or
nybody else to convince the colored
'eople Of the purpose intinated. The
Avs enacted servitude. tperpetuated in
quality. They were not a candid accept
nee OF theact of emancipation. What we're
ne provisions Of the act to .'provide for
no regulate labor contracts for agricui-
aral (not mechanical or other) pursuits?"
1t required the iaborers to make
ontracts for labor for q whole year,
within the first ten days of the month of
anuary in each year. II
The heads of families were to make
1ese contracts, and they were to be
binding on all the minors of the family" '
Die to work. Any violation of this con-
act on the part of the employer might '
redressed on appeal to justice of the t
sace, while the freedman would be held {
Its conditions under penalty of being {
qulred ito labor on roads, levees, and '
her public works without pay"
AS it would be manifestly difficult to t
lforce labor contract by al action for S
images against field hand or house +
rvant who might choose, with or without
use, to violate their bargains, failure C
comply with the law was elevated to p
e rank of misdemeanor, the vagrant il
was amended. A laborer who de- a
ned to labor, might be required by q e
'tlce OF the peace to give bond for good il
havior, and upon failure to do SO might n
hired out to labor on the public works RI
stated, for year. There were other it
IS to punish persons for "tampering W
tn, pursuading or enticing away, har- m
ring, feeding or secreting laborers, SER CT
nts or apprentices. To forbid the b.
'rying of firearms on a plantation with. &C
permission of the planter and to re- W
ire certificates of discharge from service OF
one employer to authorize labor con- tn
ct with another. II is correctly said by Il
Moncure that ''these laws were never ev
ried into practice There were two Sc
sons: 1. The small planters, who
he'd share of the hireling la Dor, were
willing that the large planters should 49,
tinue to monopolize it. They were ~
willing to be arrested for enticing ~
y laborer when they offered him
ter wages than he was receiving. -
The constitution of 1868 subsequently ~
ulled these, with other laws which O.
CHI were not deemed of good public y,
cy. ~
'e do not care to add to the unques-
able reasons for apprehension upon -,
part of people lately in bondage,
they might be RENTED, and re- ~.
lded to the Same condition. We res. '"'
r justification upon the embodiment va =,
law of the policy proposed by the n I>