The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-05-11

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per |n>h l. Under the present IN
precrdt,cd low price of cotton,
planting. as at the North just now, is
not making a very satisfactory re-
turn. Mach of this seasons planting
is already done. Potatoes, planted
in January, and now in blossom, are
very productive, yielding hundreds Of
bushels to the acre. Sweet potatoes
particularly fine. Corn all planted.
| Much of it is quite high and being
worked. Cotton planting is busily
progressing, and with very favora-
ble season, will soon be finished.
Other crops can be successfully cult
waited here-oats, rye, etc. Gardens
arc we'll advanced, there being two
gardening seasons-s spring gardens
and fall gardens.
Fruit prospects good !; peaches now
90 largo as to be Out of reach of frost
should there be any-whict is not
apprehended. But varied and abnnd-
ant as tho products of this soil might
he, it is hard to divert attention
| from the one great industry. "Cot.
| ton is King" and will likely continue
control as in most cases the moro
profitable labor. The plantation me-
gro's normal condition here is plant
ing and picking cotton, and taken
from this, except for the cultivation
of little corn, bis genius and occu.
patton are gone. The labor question,
until lately so vexatious aud threat
ening, is greatly improved within the
last year Or two. With the radiance
of this region from political adven.
turers, aud with less politics to fer
ment the predjudices and passions
of the colored people, they have
come to realize their dependence and
| interest with their white employers,
and have settled down contcntedly
and calmly to their occupations. The
more worthless, rowing, miscbiefmak-
ing darkies having mostly left, the
industrious and peacefully disposed
have quietly tnrned again to making
a living by labor, and working, as
they generally are, for a share, the
planters can now have some comfort
in calculating upon raising crop.
Since the incoming of the present
parish and State governments-the
government of the intelligent, tax
paying element-there is certainly a
vast improvement on the condition
of things as We saw it five years ago,
in the observance of law and order,
and in the better security of proper
ty and life. Juries can now be found
to convict criminals, and Judges to
punish them, 50 that lawlessness has
largely been suppressed, law reinstat-
ed, and outrages and crimes, which
few years since were 50 frequent, are
now almost as rare here as in the ru-
raj regions Of the North. THIS i'm
proved condition of things is also
largely due, it is said, to the late de-
crease of intcmperance. No doubt
the case. But, from my observation
since coming into the State, and from
the fact that Louisiana invested $45,~
100000 during the last year in wines
and liquors, stranger might be led
to suppose that there is still some
room for improvement here in this
particular. Strong drink is still the
dreadful slavery of this people, both
white and black. Freedom thus far
has made but little change here in
the condition of mutual dependence
between the races. The whites must
still have the labor Of the blacks, and
the blacks mnst still have the direct
ing care and provident oversight Of
the whites. The only way to work
any Improvement in this condition Of
things, and in the life and outcome Of
this country, will be by a plentiful
infusion here Of the live Yankee ele-
ment, with its energy, enterprise, and
thrift. This the completion of the
railroad will doubtless soon accom-.
plish, and will, we trust, before long
more than restore the ante. bellum
glory as it is described to have reign
ed on many of these wealthy plauta-
tons Of the olden time. 1t is said
there is great mortality here among
the blacks. This is not surprising to
one seeing their improvident, thonght-
less, and in most cases wretched way
of living. They certainly "take no
thought for the morrow" This, ad.
ded to their ignorance, and their al.
surd superstition, renders them ready
victims Of disease aud death. Many
of them when taken sick--especially
those who may lately have "got re-
ligion"-believing that "their time
has come," backed by their friends,
persistently resist all means offered
for their recovery. But from the
swarms Of colored people crowding
to the river "a our boat stopped at the
plantation landings-little ones by
tho hundred seeming to pop out Of
tho ground in gronps-thcre appears
to be no danger Of their soon becom.
ing extinct. While III the main they
are kindly cared for by their en-
ployes, their condition of ignorance
and superstition is generally deplora
bic and both for their moral and
physical welfare, "a we'll as for the
interest of the whites, their better
enlightenment is urgently demanded.
During q horseback ride If 13O
miles into the interior through the
parishes Of Natchitoches, DeSoto, aud
Sabine, toward the Texas line, l have
just enjoyed what was a great novelty
toa "Buckeye"-miIes on miles of
vast majestic primeval forest; riding
from fifteen to twenty miles at a
stretch through their unbroken, silent
depths, with scarcely the sight Of a
living creature, man or beast, but on,
with nothing within view but the
grand towering trees, many of them