New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-16
THE DECLINING NEGRO"

/ NAAS
THE DECLINING NEGRO"
| Why any friend of Louisiana should
take pleasure to note the "declinins
negro any more than ''the waning Ores
cent City we can not imagine. Yet il
has pleased Mr.. Daniel bennett to adopt
this theme of correspondence with the
Picayme, and to amplify the text by ex
amples Of individual improvidence Mr.
bennett has compiled very excellent
| guide book for Louisiana. He announces
it for sale, is traversing the State for that
| object, and has published his intention to
visit the Northern States with the view OF
attracting immigration here. Mr.. Den
nett publishes the alleged decline of the
negro, who we find is described as q
petty thief, famished with hunger, i'm
provident and wasteful, scarcely ever be-
coming useful and worthy citizen.
The rising generation will be far in
ferior to the present. The white man
taken away, he will become barbarian
Such is the Industrial status of the negro
after thirteen years Of freedom, accord
ing to Mr.. bennett. In comment upon
this discouraging picture we find in Mr..
Dement'S book that the sugar crop Of
Louisiana has increased from Is, 070 hogs
heads in 1865 to 116,SG7 in 1S74 esti-
mated, we believe, at 100, 900 hogsheads
in 1875. The rice crop, according to the
same authority, was, in 1861, 1l6, SIT bar
rels. 1t is estimated in 1875 at 16O, 600
barrels. We would like much to know
what would be gained by confirming the
deplorable and exceptional picture drawn
by Mr.. bennett? In what he will by such
publication attract the white laborers
with whom he proposes to ''settle up the
waste places" Of Louisiana? To inform
the public that before this paradise OF the
continent" can be constituted it will be
necessary to clean out this pandemonium
of theft, destitution and idleness which he
describes, with the pleasing prospect that
these attractions will be enhanced by sue
ceeding generations of depraved negroes.
We might supply some other induce
ments which Mr.. bennett has omitted ex-
cept by implication. We would suggest
that if those white laborers should come
to Louisiana they might stumble over the
graves of hundreds who have preceded
them. Those other white laborers had not
taken the precaution to be vaccinated
with Democracy before venturing into
region the physical health Of which is as
Mr.. bennett states it to be, but which is
subject to political pestilence fatal to all |
PERSONS unacclimated to keep their
mouths shut or to profess popular
opinions When some Immigrant white |
aborer, who has already tired ''the para
lise Of the continent" and escaped by
he skin of his teeth, shall come to file |
lis account Of the Coushatta assassins, |
he regulators Of Clinton, or the BULLDOG
rs of Feliciana-when it shall come to
,e suggested that however idle and disso-
ute the negroes may be, to their labor is
lue the large and increasing crops to
which we have adverted, the distant pub
ic will be puzzled. The civilized world
7ould form an unfavorable idea of the
hrift and industry Of those whites which,
ather than work themselves, will accept
UGH labor as Mr.. bennett represents
nat of the negro to be. When the
tatus Of both races shall be repre-
ented to the white laborer at the North,
e should suppose he would take his
hances on either fork Of the Big Horn,
ather'than in 'the paradise of the con-
nent." The proposal to "settle up"
ouisiana under this social programme
ould be like canvassing for people to
Ike their families into the pestilential
vamps of Brazil or Central America
here is fertility; there is never ceasing
INNER; there are the tropical crops
ringing spontaneously: there are lus-
GUS fruits and gorgeous flowers, but
ere are fevers that waste, serpents
lat sting, savages who slay, q climate
at enervates-there are no churches,
schools, no newspapers, no safety for
70 or property, SO that these several
stricts in the paradise of our con- 6
aent remain to be ''settled up" S
the present day. Nay, such is c
e discount on these gift lots in this para !
Sc that colonies of Confederate citizens, /
wing expatriated themselves to ESCAPE +
e federal government, have deliberately 2
nounced their head rights in Brazil and t
exico, and returned to become content Q
jewellers in the land of their fathers. 2
rtility does not counteract the social fl
which the communication Il
which we refer enumerates, and this s.
~ honest emissary who visits New Eng e
I'd with such testimonials of the degra- "
ton of labor, will find that he has half tt
Feated his own work. Those who re- p
It the social condition of tho whites al
u have done the other half.
But if we admit the decline of the ne ii
to the extent apparently so gratifying k