The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-07-01
Is THE NEGRO A FAILURE?
A Very Strong md Thoughtful Letter.
Ropeu Cobb in Augusta Chronicle.

Ho,cen Cobb IN augusta Chronicle.
A short while before bis death Alexan-
der II. Stephens asserted that the South
had grown poorer since the war. This
provoked much criticism. When, how
ever, it was known he referred to the
agricultural interest, the foundation OF
stable prosperity, many who first disputed
concurred in his opinion. The fact that
this interest is prostrated and suffering
from protracted depression will now be
conceded. In Georgia, whatever stats.
tics may show, no intelligent observer
will contend that the condition of the
farmers as a class has improved.
All the fault does not lie at the door of
the negro. The former Shareholder did
not fully realize Immediately after the war
his serious loss. The negro's presence
still as laborer blinded him. / recall,
in 1S65-66, many declaring they were
better off-they no longer had the negro
to support. The high prices for cotton
helped to fasten upon us the system of
all cotton. These two causes deluded us
into continuing the life of luxurious ease
and extravaganza engendered by slavery.
Emancipation crippled the individual
owner, but did not impoverish the South.
The productive power remained undis'
turbed other than as affected by the con.
fusion incident to the change. The land
and the negro, serving as the labor,
wrought what prosperity we have had
since the war. The free negro, then, has
not proven an utter failure. AS in slave
ry, he enriched, by his increase and profit
of his labor, his master directly and the
whole South indirectly, so as free
laborer he has by the sweat of his brow
materially aided in the rehabilitation OF
the South.
Can it be said, then, that the negro is
not to be depended upon as permanent,
and reliable laborer, or that he is untitled
to be the land tenantry of the South? ?
To answer this question fully and intelli-
gently we must consider the influence of
the negro upon our material development
before and since the war-the effect of
his presence upon our progress, both as
slave and freeman. Did his presence
impede our full development before the
war? None will deny that slavery was
injurious to the ye.holding and
labor class of whites in the South.
presume that it will not be claimed
that slavery developed either economy,
thrift or industry in the slave.holding
class. Slavery eneryated the slave hold
er even to dependence upon the slave,
hindered the progress of the non slave.
holder, and made the South as a section
dependent upon the North. Before the
war T. r. r. Cobb, addressing the Alum
nj Society of the Georgia University,
recognized this dependence. He declared
the North furnished our teachers and
literature. Not text book was written
or printed South. The North supplied
our fabrics, machinery, what little we
needed, our household goods, our garden
and agricultural implements, down to
the axe -helye used by the negro upon
the plantation. He deplored this depen..
dence, and urged our people to arouse from
their lethargy.
After the war B. H. Hill, addressing
the same society, deplored the still exist
ing and ever increasing dependence. He
never uttered more absolute truth than
when he declared the defence of slavery
had enslaved the South, hampered her
mind, contracted her resources, dwarfed
her material development and.aisolated
her from sympathetic contact with the
world. His utterance provoked criticism
but, as often with Mr.. Hill, he but
anticipated public opinion.
Has twenty years of negro free labor
altered our status of dependence? In
truth it is worse. In the main, We are
still dependent upon the North for our
books, fabrics, machinery and implements
of trade and agriculture. Before the
war we did make support first, and
cotton as a surplus crop. Now, after
twenty years of free negro labor, we are
literally dependent upon the North for
bread and meat The testimony of all
who work the negro is that he is growing
more unreliable as a laborer.
The tutelage of The time of slavery
benefited the negro solely through his
faculty of imitation. He now contemns
the white mans opinion and example.
1t is true he is Of cheerful spirit and
easily contented. A little seems to con-
tent the negro-a full stomach and no
work saYe when hunger impels him.
This tends to make him unreliable as q
laborer-improyident and thriftless.
The negro thus, at present, untitled to be
a reliable laborer, is slowly becoming an
independent tiller of our lands. He is
gaining this position neither by merit,
nor with tho voluntary consent of the
landowners.
After twenty years of struggle to work
the negro under intelligent control,
which is best alike for landowner and
negro, the former, exhausted in devices,
patience and purse, is in despair gradual
iy yielding his land to negro tenants.
This lie does, not from choice, but coer-
cion of circumstance as stated, with the
firm conviction that the negro tenant will
impoyerish the land, as he has in many
instances already bankrupted the owner.
The evil is great and q speedy remedy
imperative. The nest hopeful | have
seen suggested is white immigration, both
of farmers able to buy aud cultivate the
lands and intelligent laborers.
ATCluClal luCIeaSe VI Wnitc tlilcia VI
the soil will overcome the present dis
proportion in numbers of the negro, and
natural increase of same, which threat.
ems disaster to our agricultural interests.
Every inducement should be offered
advertise our advantages of climate and
soil, pure water, health and cheap lands
adapted to varied culture. The State
should open its treasury to this end; an
efficient bureau OF immigration should be
Immediately and permanently established.
The landowners should cooperate in the
way of easy purchase of lands-both as
to price anu time of payment. If it
could be constitutionally done, the State
could we'll afford to buy the lands aud
donate them to bona ide setters-title
conditioned upon certain period of occu.
paucy and improvement thereon. In q