Year: 1875

The difficulty of recovering the cottor
crop Of Mississippi without the aid of tn,
negro laborers is beginning to be ap
parent. 1t is extremely difficult for the
planters to employ hands to advantage il
the cotton field when they are run off into
the swamp by the White Leaguers We
have heretofore stated the dispatch of Q
negro man to explore the swamps, and
assure the cotton pickers that they would
not be molested if they would stay a,
home and work, with guarantee not to
be absent from the cotton field on the day
of election.


We publish in another column state.
ment made by number Of negro ref1.
gees who were landed at Vicksburg from
It Yazoo river boat. From this it will be
seen that body of armed white men had
assailed the negroes who had assembled
for the purpose of registration; that a con-
tiict took place, in which some of the
whites were wounded, and that the ne
groes, men, women and children, were
driven from the plantation where they
were employed, leaving the crop standing
in the field, with all the property and in
terest of the fugitives unprotected.


These terror-stricken people seem in fear
of their lives and profess that they would
rather abandon their property than ven-
ture their lives in returning to secure it.


The same paper contains simple and
pathetic statement from a poor woman
whose husband had been shot by a band
of marauders for the crime, as she says,
of being 'a schoolmaster and a Repub-
ican."


1t is q pitiable story, and will, with
others of the same nature, tend effectually
to keep immigration from country where
the offense of opinion is punished in so
summary manner.


With the terror which has spread among
the colored laborers, there seems to be a
want of labor to secure the crop which
they have cultivated. The Monitor, a
Democratic Conservative PAPER, repre-
sents this want, but attributes it to diff
ferent cause. 1t says:


We observe that many farmers, being
short of cotton pickers, come to town to
secure rein torcements; but they report but
little success.


1t reproa ,hes the negroes thus:


Though the picking is now very fine and
tiptop wae % can be made by industrious
laborers, tne average negro is 30 lazy or so
foolish, or both combined, as to prefer re-
naming Idle in the city to earning an hon
orable livelihood by the sweat of his brow
In the suburbs great crowds of listless me-
groes-men, women and half grown boys
and girls-can be seen huddled together in
huts, or loliing on the ground under the
autumn sur, talking, seeming to regard the
dolce far niente as the very highest philoso.
ply of existence. Another class will al
ways be seen loafng around the street
corners or frequenting the doggery dens,
where all the black and white niger politi-
clans resort to talk politics and poison the
minds of their dupes with incendiary lies
against the whites.


Whether this little crowd of negro
refugees described by the Plaindealer is
included among these idlers we can not
tell. They are. however, reminded that


While this state of things lasts the fields
are white with the heecy staple of our sec
ton, and fine weather and remunerative
wages invite all of them to TIE pursuit Of
honest toll.


The remedy is thus suggested:
A rigid enforcement of the laws against
vagrancy would seem to be especially good
policy just now, and such a course will pro-
duce one of, two inevitable results-either
the chain gang will receive numerous acces-
sions, or else there will be Q very not able
increase in cotton receipts.


Have they, then, laws in vicksburg which
will put person in the chain gang OF
cotton field. if he is afraid of his life
in the country and chooses to live in the
town?


Have they, then, vagrant laws in vicks-
burg which will give a citizen the choice
between the cotton gin and the chain
gang? Does this law apply exclusively to
the negroes?
We repeat here the inquiry made last
year: how can it be that the negroes who
have made the best crop of cotton and
corn since the war can be as idle, thrift
less and proaisate a. represented in these
quotations and, by other similar author