The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-03-16
Is the Negro .aFailure,
augusta Chroniclc.l
SLATE Rock. COLUMBIA Co., GA,
February 27, 1866.

CulloRs CdhoSlCLE - ouT lctLeT OI
the oath inst. received. You call my
attention to the letter Of Prof. H. G.
White, occupying the chair of chemistry
and agricultural science at the Univer-
sity Of Georgia, as set forth in an I'D
dress before the State farmers in Colum-
bus Ga. and in an interview with the
Chronicle, in Augusta. Prof. White, it
appears, has made up his mind that the
negro is failure, and what the South or
Georgia most needs is an intelligent
peasantry-scientific and skilled labor
ers. In your first question you say
81 would ask you for your opinion
abou: the negro as a laborer, and Of the
race as pcasantry for the South. Do
you believe that We must look for new
class to supply his place on
the farm, and are scientific and
intensive farming and Northern and
foreign immigration the best substitutes
for the present labor system in the
South ?'
/ answer emphatically l do not, and
base my answer upon fifty years, ex-
perience, Prof. White to the contrary
notwithstanding. The negro is lazy, so
is the white man Of course. we see hon
orable exceptions in both races, oftener
in the white race because they have
more pride Of character and more sense.
The negro sees and feels this hence his
willingness to to be guided and directed
by the white man. 1t is wrong, think,
to blame the negro for his failure on the
farm where the land owner rents to him
and turns him loose to shift for himself
He is broken when he begins, and but
few white or black men rise. So rare is
it, that when one succeeds it is apt to be
noised about that somebody has suffered.
The negro as laborer on the farm,
since freedom, deserves credit instead Of
censure. The change from slavery to
freedom was very great. 1t actually
killed good many before they found
out that freedom would not do to eat.
Then the franchise was extended to
them when they were profoundly igno-
rant Of what it meant. But what race,
nation or tribe would have behaved as
we'll under similar circumstance No
sir the negro is not failure on the
farm. Take any county in Georgia, and
where you find the most negroes there
you find the most cotton made, and that
is the trouble and has done more to
cripple the farming interest than bad
labor. would not be understood to
say that our labor system is good one,
but do say it is the best we can get,
and with concert Of action among the
farmers, could be made the best labor
for tie South to be hsd. either from the
old or new worlds. The negro is easily
satisfied. He can stand the sun. God
Almighty has put sweat pad upon his
head which saves him from stroke,
and has given him a constitution in
every way suitable to the South. Upon
the subject Of education, 7 would say
first educate him to speak the truth and
try to teach him that in the great future
crime will be punished and virtue re-
wardcd, and that good character is
worth something, even in this world.
Secondly, educate him in the use Of tools.
the plow, the hoe, the axe. This,
think is our duty. When it comes to
books let him win his spurs and wear
them; = man is always better helped
who helps himself. An ecclesiastical
politician has said that there are seven
millions Of negroes here to stay, and
most of them hnedueated and will re-
main so unless they get help. 1t may
be safely said that there are fourteen
millions of people of our own
race here to stay, who are uneducated
and will remain SO unless they get
helped. am disposed to stick to our
to our own race and help them if we
can help at all. until they get out Of the
meshes Of igronance, and then, with
better grace and stouter heart. help the
negro il he still needs help. / think it
was Moses's idea to stick to his own
race when he slew the Egyptian. not be-,
cause Moses had been imposed upon,
but because the Egyptian had imposed
on one of Moses race. Georgia, when
it was first settled, was known and
called and asylum for the. poor.
would not, if l could, prevent the poor,
but honest and industrious emigrant