the sequel of appomattox-第30章

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n　that　follows　fighting。　Yet　these　regions　had　formerly　been　almost　self…supporting；　although　the　farms　were　small　and　no　elaborate　labor　system　had　been　developed。　In　the　planting　districts　where　the　owner　was　land…poor；　he　made　an　attempt　to　bring　in　Northern　capital　and　Northern　or　foreign　labor。　In　the　belief　that　the　Negroes　would　work　better　for　a　Northern　man；　every　planter　who　could　do　so　secured　a　Northern　partner　or　manager；　frequently　a　soldier。　Nevertheless　these　imported　managers　nearly　always　failed　because　they　did　not　understand　cotton；　rice；　or　sugar　planting；　and　because　they　were　either　too　severe　or　too　easy　upon　the　blacks。

No　Northern　labor　was　to　be　had；　and　the　South　could　not　retain　even　all　its　own　native　whites。　Union　soldiers　and　others　seeking　to　better　their　prospects　moved　west　and　northwest　to　fill　the　newly　opened　lands；　while　the　Confederates；　kept　out　of　the　homestead　region　by　the　test　oath；　swarmed　into　Texas；　which　owned　its　own　public　lands；　or　went　North　to　other　occupations。　Nor　could　the　desperate　planters　hire　foreign　immigrants。　Several　states；　among　them　South　Carolina；　Alabama；　and　Louisiana；　advertised　for　laborers　and　established　labor　bureaus；　but　without　avail。　The　Negro　politicians　in　1867　declared　themselves　opposed　to　all　movements　to　foster　immigration。　So　in　the　Black　Belt　the　Negro　had；　for　forty　years；　a　monopoly　of　farm　labor。

The　share　system　of　tenantry；　with　its　attendant　evils　of　credit　and　crop　lien；　was　soon　established　in　the　Southern　States；　mainly　in　the　Black　Belt；　but　to　some　extent　also　in　the　white　districts。　The　landlord　furnished　land；　house；　fuel；　water；　and　all　or　a　part　of　the　seed；　fertilizer；　farm　implements；　and　farm　animals。　In　return　he　received　a　〃half；〃　or　a　〃third　and　fourth；〃　his　share　depending　upon　how　much　he　had　furnished。　The　best　class　of　tenants　would　rent　for　cash　or　a　fixed　rental；　the　poorest　laborers　would　work　for　wages　only。

The　〃privileges〃　brought　over　from　slavery；　which　were　included　in　the　share　renting；　astonished　outside　observers。　To　the　laborer　was　usually　given　a　house；　a　water　supply；　wood　for　fuel；　pasture　for　pigs　or　cows；　a　〃patch〃　for　vegetables　and　fruit；　and　the　right　to　hunt　and　fish。　These　were　all　that　some　needed　in　order　to　live。　Somers；　the　English　traveler　already　quoted；　pronounced　this　generous　custom　〃outrageously　absurd；〃　for　the　Negroes　had　so　many　privileges　that　they　refused　to　make　use　of　their　opportunities。　〃The　soul　is　often　crushed　out　of　labor　by　penury　and　oppression；〃　he　said；　〃but　here　a　soul　cannot　begin　to　be　infused　into　it　through　the　sheer　excess　of　privilege　and　license　with　which　it　is　surrounded。〃　The　credit　system　which　was　developed　beside　the　share　system　made　a　bad　condition　worse。　On　the　1st　of　January；　a　planter　could　mortgage　his　future　crop　to　a　merchant　or　landlord　in　exchange　for　subsistence　until　the　harvest。　Since；　as　a　rule；　neither　tenant　nor　landlord　had　any　surplus　funds；　the　latter　would　be　supplied　by　the　banker　or　banker　merchant；　who　would　then　dictate　the　crops　to　be　planted　and　the　time　of　sale。　As　a　result　of　these　conditions；　the　planter　or　farmer　was　held　to　staple　crops；　high　prices　for　necessities；　high　interest　rate；　and　frequently　unfair　bookkeeping。　The　system　was　excellent　for　a　thrifty；　industrious；　and　intelligent　man；　for　it　enabled　him　to　get　a　start。　It　worked　to　the　advantage　of　a　bankrupt　landlord；　who　could　in　this　way　get　banking　facilities。　But　it　had　a　mischievous　effect　upon　the　average　tenant；　who　had　too　small　a　share　of　the　crop　to　feel　a　strong　sense　of　responsibility　as　well　as　too　many　〃privileges〃　and　too　little　supervision　to　make　him　anxious　to　produce　the　best　results。

The　Negroes　entered　into　their　freedom　with　several　advantages：　they　were　trained　to　labor；　they　were　occupying　the　most　fertile　soil　and　could　purchase　land　at　low　prices；　the　tenant　system　was　most　liberal；　cotton；　sugar；　and　rice　were　bringing　high　prices；　and　access　to　markets　was　easy。　In　the　white　districts；　land　was　cheap　and　prices　of　commodities　were　high；　but　otherwise　the　Negroes　seemed　to　have　the　better　position。　Yet　as　early　as　1870；　keen　observers　called　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　hill　and　mountain　whites　were　thriving　as　compared　with　their　former　condition；　and　that　the　Negroes　were　no　longer　their　serious　competitors。　In　the　white　districts；　better　methods　were　coming　into　use；　labor　was　steady；　fertilizers　were　used；　and　conditions　of　transportation　were　improving。　The　whites　were　also　encroaching　on　the　Black　Belt；　they　were　opening　new　lands　in　the　Southwest；　and　within　the　border　of　the　Black　Belt　they　were　bringing　Negro　labor　under　some　control。　In　the　South　Carolina　rice　lands；　crowds　of　Irish　were　imported　to　do　the　ditching　which　the　Negroes　refused　to　do　and　were　carried　back　North　when　the　job　was　finished。*　President　Thach　of　the　Alabama　Agricultural　College　has　thus　described　the　situation：

　*　The　Census　of　1880　gave　proof　of　the　superiority　of　the　whites　in　cotton　production。　For　purposes　of　comparison　the　cotton　area　may　be　divided　into　three　regions：　first；　the　Black　Belt；　in　which　the　farmers　were　black；　the　soil　fertile；　the　plantations　large；　the　credit　evil　at　its　worst；　and　the　yield　of　cotton　per　acre　the　least；　second；　the　white　districts；　where　the　soil　was　the　poorest；　the　farms　small；　the　workers　nearly　all　white；　and　the　yield　per　acre　better　than　on　the　fertile　Black　Belt　lands；　third；　the　regions　in　which　the　races　were　nearly　equal　in　numbers　or　where　the　whites　were　in　a　slight　majority；　with　soil　of　medium　fertility；　good　methods　of　agriculture；　and；　owing　to　better　controlled　labor；　the　best　yield。　In　ether　words；　Negroes；　fertile　soil；　and　poor　crops　went　together；　and　on　the　other　hand　the　whites　got　better　crops　on　less　fertile　soil。　The　Black　Belt　has　never　again　reached　the　level　of　production　it　had　in　1880。　But　the　white　district　kept　improving　slowly。

〃By　the　use　of　commercial　fertilizers；　vast　regions　once　considered　barren　have　been　brought　into　profitable　cultivation；　and　really　afford　a　more　reliable　and　constant　crop　than　the　rich　alluvial　lands　of　the　old　slave　plantations。　In　nearly　every　agricultural　county　in　the　South　there　is　to　be　observed；　on　the　one　hand；　this　section　of　fertile　soils；　once　the　heart；　of　the　old　civilization；　now　abandoned　by　the　whites；　held　in　tenantry　by　a　dense　Negro　population；　full　of　dilapidation　and　ruin；　while　on　the　other　hand；　there　is　the　region　of　light；　thin　soils；　occupied　by　the　small　white　freeholder；　filled　with　schools；　churches；　and　good　roads；　and　all　the　elements　of　a　happy；　enlightened　country　life。〃

All　the　systems　devised　for　handling　Negro　labor　proved　to　be　only　partially　successful。　The　laborer　was　migratory；　wanted　easy　work；　with　one　or　two　holidays　a　week；　and　the　privilege　of　attending　political　meetings；　camp　meetings；　and　circuses。　A　thrifty　Negro　could　not　make　headway　because　his　fellows　stole　from　him　or　his　less　energetic　relations　and　friends　visited　him　and　ate　up　his　substance。　One　Alabama　planter　declared　that　he　could　not　raise　a　turkey；　a　chicken；　a　hog；　or　a　cow；　and　another　asserted　that　〃a　hog　has　no　more　chance　to　live　among　these　thieving　Negro　farmers　than　a　June　bug　in　a　gang　of　puddle　ducks。〃　Lands　were　mortgaged　to　the　supply　houses　in　the　towns；　the　whites　gradually　deserted　the　country；　and　many　rice　and　cotton　fields　grew　up　in　weeds。　Crop　stealing　at　night　became　a　business　which　no　legislation　could　ever　completely　stop。　A　traveler　has　left　the　following　description　of　〃a　model　Negro　farm〃　in　1874。　The　farmer　purchased　an　old　mule　on　credit　and　rented　land　on　shares　or　for　so　many　bales　of　cotton；　any　old　tools　were　used；　corn；　bacon；　and　other　supplies　were　bought　on　credit；　and　a　crop　lien　was　given；　a　month　later；　corn　and　cotton　were　planted　on　soil　that　was　not　well　broken　up；　the　Negro　〃would　not　pay　for　no　guano〃　to　put　on　other　people's　land；　by　turns　the　farmer　planted　and　fished；　plowed　and　hunted；　hoed　and　frolicked；　or　went　to　〃meeting。〃　At　the　end　of　the　year　he　sold　his　cotton；　paid　part　of　his　rent　and　some　of　his　debt；　returned　the　mule　to　its　owner；　and　sang：

Nigger　work　hard　all　de　year；　White　man　tote　de　money。

The　great　landholdings　did　not　break　up　into　small　farms　as　was　predicted；　though　sales　were　frequent　and　in　1865　enormous　amounts　of　land　were　put　on　the　market。　After　1867；　additional　millions　of　acres　were　offered　at　small　prices；　and　tax　and　mortgage　sales　were　numerous。　The　result　of　these　operations；　however；　was　a　change　of　landlords　rather　than　a　breaking　up　of　large　plantations。　New　men；　Negroes；　merchants；　and　Jews　became　landowners。　The　number　of　small　farms　naturally　increased　but　so　in　some　instances　did　the　land　concentrated　into　large　holdings。

It　was　inevitable　that　conditions　of　Negro　life　should　undergo　a　revolutionary　change　during　the　reconstruction。　The　serious　matter　of　looking　out　for　himself　and　his　family　and　of　making　a　living　dampened　the　Negro's　cheerful　spirits。　Released　from　the　discipline　of　slavery　and　often　misdirected　by　the　worst　of　teachers；　the　Negro　race　naturally　ran　into　excesses　of　petty　criminality。　Even　under　the　reconstruction　governments　the　proportion　of　Negro　to　white　criminals　was　about　ten　to　one。　Theft　was　frequent；　arson　was　the　accepted　means　of　revenge　on　white　people；　and　murder　became　common　in　the　brawls　of　the　city　Negro　quarters。　The　laxness　of　the　marriage　relation　worked　special　hardship　on　the　women　and　children　in　so　many　cases　deserted　by　the　head　of　the　family。

Out　of　the　social　anarchy　of　reconstruction　the　Negroes　emerged　with　numerous　organizations　of　their　own　which　may　have　been　imitations　of　the　Union　League；　the　Lincoln　Brotherhood；　and　the　various　church　organizations。　These　societies　were　composed　entirely　of　blacks　and　have　continued　with　prolific　reproduction　to　the　present　day。　They　were　characterized　by　high　names；　gorgeous　regalia；　and　frequent　parades。　〃The　Brothers　and　Sisters　of　Pleasure　and　Prosperity〃　and　the　〃United　Order　of　African　Ladies　and　Gentlemen〃　played　a　large；　and　on　the　whole　useful；　part　in　Negro　social　life；　teaching　lessons　of　thrift；　insurance；　cooperation；　and　mutual　aid。

The　reconstructionists　were　not　able　in　1867…68　to　carry　through　Congress　any　provision　for　the　social　equality　of　the　races；　but　in　the　reconstructed　states；　the　equal　rights　issue　was　alive　throughout　the　period。　Legislation　giving　to　the　Negro　equal　rights　in　hotels；　places　of　amusements；　and　common　carriers；　was　first　enacted　in　Louisiana　and　South　Carolina。　Frequently　the　carpetbaggers　brought　up　the　issue　in　order　to　rid　the　radical　ranks　of　the　scalawags　who　were　opposed　to　equal　rights。　In　Florida；　for　example；　the　carpetbaggers　framed　a　comprehensive　Equal　Rights　Law；　passed　it；　and　presented　it　to　Governor　Reed；　who　was　known　to　be　opposed　to　such　legislation。　He　vetoed　the　measure　and　thus　lost　the　Negro　support。　Intermarriage　with　whites　was　made　legal　in　Louisiana　and　South　Carolina　and　by　court　decision　was　permitted　in　Alabama　and　Mississippi；　but　the　Georgia　Supreme　Court　held　it　to　be　illegal。　Mixed　marriages　were　few；　but　these　were　made　occasions　of　exultation　over　the　whites　and　of　consequen