The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-09-05
HIS FUTURE.

HIS FUTURE.
Nov Orleans Picayune.
The futnre of the negro race in the
United States may be safely predicted
after the most Of those living In 1865
have passed away. Fifteen years ago
all negroes who were then fifteen years
old had been trained to work, and
were in the habit OF working with
such efficiency as to earn a support,
and in addition reasonable income
upon the property on which they were
employed. They were disciplined to
the habit of working. When they
were emancipated and thrown upon
their own responsibilities they found
in labor no hardship, but found that
the habit and art Of working were their
best friends. They were not slow In
understanding that work was their
only means of living, and that the
change in their relations to proprietors
in no degree relieved them from the
necessity Of working. Their subsequent
experience has confirmed this impress
sion, so that at this time nineteen
twentieths of all negro men past thirty
years of age are habitual workers.
1t is found difficult to impose the in
OllSlT1OuS uhOASS "a SfSA1S OASAAAAhAS NHOAA
those born since the beginning of the
war. Parental authority is not suffi-
cient, in many instances, to make ne
gro youths do useful work enough to
pay for their support. Young married
negro women are much inclined to
staying indoors, rather than helping
their husbands in the work that brings
wages. There is remarkable tendency
to increased idleness among negroes of
both sexes under twenty-five years of
age, which neither the counsel nor the
example of the older and working
negroes can check. There is mani
fest disposition among such to do as
little as practicable, and they are
found idle the greater part of the time,
except in times when wages are high.
They arc not inclined to work for the
sake of accumulating, and In a multi
tude of instances dispense with decent
clothes and wholesome fare rather than
earn them.
With the cOlored race in America
labor means discipline, order, civiliza-
ton and progress; but idleness means
disorder, degeneration, vice and pro-
gress toward barbarism. VIII the
negro race slowly lose, from year to
year, the habits Of industry with which
| the war left them? In the far South
ern States especially will the laxative
influence of the climate, joined with q
characteristic unconcern about the fu.
| turc and a hereditary tendency to ease
and repose, make each successive gen.
Grafton less Industrious and therefore
more vicious, Ignorant and disorderly
than its predecessor? If left wholly to
themselves it is commonly accepted
| theory that the race would not i'm
prove but would gradually relapse to
the aboriginal status. With this alb
stract supposition we need not concern
ourselves; but we and they are all in
terested in their future condition as 1t
will be here in a free land, under sta
BILE government, in the full light OF
white civilization, with intelligent ex-
amples all around and among them
and with every advantage and incen.
tive for progress. Will their present
habits be retained, or will they grow
worse? Will habits of industry and
order grow upon them, or will the race
slowly deterioratc and decline toward
savagery?
| If time gives a favorable answer, the
| future of Africo-A Americans is assured
for the better; but if the lapse of an.
other twenty years proves that habits
of idleness and vice are growing upon
| tnCIN, pu1AautuIOpAStS may uSSptaAA VI
their ultimate elevation to the level OF
progressive enlightenment.
This threatened change of industrial
habits towards growing incidence has
a very important bearing upon South
ern production. Without general in
dustry among all classes the Southern
country cannot progress or improve.
Idleness is always the antagonist OF
development and prosperity.
| THE KING OF CANNON.