Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1883-09-22
From the Southern World. +t..,
ON LABOR, OR ANY OTHER SUB
JECT.
Remarks Before the State Agricultural
Convention, of Georgia, by DR.. S.
w. Zealand, Of Gainesville.
(coNrINUEp TRoM nAgr wEEK.l

SOuullf Will VIC III Sliubo VI lhC NOIlu,
who stole or destroyed everything they
could find. After our flag was folded
they invaded us with their accumula-
ted stock Of goods-pinchbeck jewelry,
patent medicine, and every conceivable
trash that would tempt the extrava-
gance of women, or administer to the
appetite of man, until they had gath
cred the proceeds of all the cotton they
failed to find. No wonder they had a
contempt for US, and bemeaned Us, and
reconstructed us, and retroverted us,
and made us swear with a mental reso.
lution) to honor and obey that once
grand old Constitution" after they
had defled it with patches, and per.
fumed it with the aroma Of Africa. We
have the finest country in the world,
and it will be our own fault if we do
not become thegreatest and richest peo-
pie that the sun ever shown upon.
We have all the clements of success
right here in our midst, and could be,
if we chose, independent of the world.
All men of capital and skill are well
come to join us, but do not believe in
begging them to come; make it to
their interest and they will flock in
fast enough. l, for one, do not want for
eign laborers in our fields. We have the
best laborers for our purpose right here
amongus. Five millions of negroes are
scattered over our country; they were
born upon our soil, and grew up under
our influence ; he is so constituted that
the summer sun at MONDAY does not
affect him, and he fattens upon the
miasma of the swamps; he can live
upon the coarsest of food and wear the
shabbiest of clothes, without falling in
the esteem of his fellows. On the bare
floor, with his blanket around his head
and his head to the fire, he can sleep
through the coolest night, and wake up
refreshed for his daily toll; he has no
thought for tomorrow and no aspira.
tions for the future he is deficient, il
is true, in gratitude, but he has very
little revenge; he is negro now, and
will be negro always, for the Ethio
plan can never change his skin. We
needed them as slaves, we need them
as freedmen, for | contend that for the
successful planting of cotton, rice and
cane the negro and mule are SINE quo
non, the one was created and the other
invented especially to suit the necessi
ties Of the Southern culture. 1t is non
sense to talk of their idleness call you
the making of seven millions of bales o
cotton last year not working? UncOn
trolled the negro is nuisance prop
orally managed he is a blessing to tn,
South. 1t is not only on account o
their value to us as laborers that
want them here; it is because they
stand between us and the desires of GU
enemies-that we should lose our char
actic as Southerners, by commingliny
our blood with ali the white vagabond
of the earth and become like them il
thrift and meanness.
We have nearly five hundred thou
sand negroes in Georgia, the best kint
of hired labor for our soil and climate
They are finding out that the Southern
land owners are the only friends the,
have on earth. They are unable t
take care of themselves. We nee,
their Drawn and muscle and they nee,
our brains. Always treat them kind,
and justly. Do not find too nue.
fault with their thriftlessness and judg
ment, for it is owing to these traits tina
they are and always will be hlrelings
Remember the suddenness with whicl
these people were changed from slave
to citizens. 1t took England five hun
bred years to abolish white slavery i
her government. The great Creator @
the universe, when He determined
take the Jews out of Egyptian bondage
with high hand and outstretche
arm, kept them out of Palestine fo
forty years, until all but two of the Of
slaves were dead, knowing that the
would not be fit for freedom or citizen
ship. Our government made citizen
of our negro slaves by proclamation