Year: 1867

We observe some feeling expressed in the
newspapers to the effect that the colored
population are refusing to make contracts
for the present year with the owners oflands.


We know of no good ground of complaint
on this score. We learn that hands are being
rapidly engaged in this County at from eight
to fifteen dollars per month, and in some cases
on shares of the crop. Hands are also being
hired here to work in some of the Eastern
Counties.


North Carolina produced last year about
one hundred thousand bales of cotton. The
freedmen produced by their labor, in all
probability, not less than seventy-fve thou
sand of these bales.


It is natural that hecolored people should
endeavor to make as good bargains for themss
selves as they can. Instead of meriting cen
sure, it seems to us they deserve credit for
this disposition to promote their own inter
ests The white people have the ins upon
them in every respect, for they own thelands
and make.the laws


The colored people will, of course, make
the best bargains they can for themselves,
just as white people do.


We advise the freedmen to work industri-
ously and faithfully-to carry out fully and
honestly every bargain they make, whether
they work on shares or for money and we
advise the white people to deal justly and
fairly with the treedmen-to take no undue
advantage of them, but to pay them up
promptly what they may earn. Such con-
duct on the part of employers and employees
can not fail to result in benefit to both. The
interests of the two races are one and the same
in this respect. If the freedmen will do their
duty, and if the white people who employ
them will treat them justly and fairly, we
will hear no more complaints about the diff
Guilty of procuring labor on the farms.


There is one evil against which we enter
our protest, and against which we warn the
colored people. Some Of the farmers have
little stores or supplies of whisky, calicoes,
gewgaws and the like, with which they
tempt ignorant colored people, and in which
they pay them a part of their wages. A
white man who would corrupt or debase the
colored man with whisky, and then put off
his calicoes and gewgaws on him in lieu of
the money due him as his wages, does not
deserve to have any one work his lands. Let
the colored people avoid these little, one
horse whisky shops as they would the
mouth of hell; let them avoid all whisky
shops and all strong drink, and take good
care of their hard earnings. They have a
right to trade where they please, and they
should make their trades for articles in stores
where they can get the best bargains. 1t
does not follow, because they work for GER
tain man. that they are obliged to trade with
him, and take out their wages in what he
has to sell. All things being equal, they
might give him their preference, but they
should be on their guard, lest at the end OF
the year they find themselves in debt for
things which have been of little or no bene-
fit to them.


Finally, let all our white people treat the
freedmen justly and kindly-not put temp
tations in their way for filthy lucre, but en-
courage them to be industrious, honest, and
upright in their moral character; and let the
freedman do their whole duty by their EN-.
ployers, day and night, rain or shine. and
our word for it both races will soon see that
nothing has been lost, but much gained by
the abolition of slavery.