230 



F A U !M i : U S ' R E G I S T E R 



the country. Ii is impossible to come at any exact 

 estimate uT these maiieis ; but every iiuhvidiial 

 may a|)|)roucli an esiimale by eonsiderinjjj wiiai is 

 ihe exjjense of coilon to liim in ilie year eoinpared 

 AVilh uiiier expenses incidental to his clothing and 

 tsubsisience. 



We have, it iis true, in modern times, invented 

 another mode of incr«^asing national ueaith, and 

 that is by the creation ol' bills o! credit, bank notes, 

 promises to ;>ay. Many ol us are simple enough 

 to believe that uc grow rich jusl in proportion as 

 we muhijily and can circulate tliese [jroiuises to 

 jjay. Now, I admit that lo a certain extent and 

 within rigid linnls this may be a wholesome ope- 

 ration ; but is it ai}y actual increase ol' vvealih? 

 Does a man grow rich in proportion as he multi- 

 plies his promissory notes ol hand? In private 

 hlij, this would be deemed an Irish way ol' getting 

 lili ; in associations it does notditler Irom this. I 

 mean where it is mere credit; not resting upon 

 actual accumulations, nor based upon prospective 

 lesuhs, which are as certain as any thing future in 

 human calculations can be. Eut when ihese 

 promises lo pay are once made, who is to |)ay 

 them? It' they are c\er paid at all, it must be by 

 the hand ol' productive labor— by the products of 

 the held or ilie sea. W productive labor does not 

 make them good, ihey will never be good li)r any 

 thing. Every bill of credit that is issued is 

 un assessment upon ihe industry of the country. 

 it would have been well ior the public had they 

 been this belbre ihey incurred the tremendous 

 losses which they have already suffered, it would 

 be well if ihey could see it now in season to guard, 

 us well as vhey niay, against the tremendous ex- 

 plosions which musi accompany the extravagance 

 und reckless extension of a system fraught with 

 innumerable evils to the honest industry of the 

 country, and adapted to frame the profligate idler's 

 palace out of the laborer's bones ! 



Eutiwhen will men learn any thing from expe- 

 lience l What we call the public is a long-eared 

 animal. The crafty understand him. '1 iiey <xo 

 into the pasture with their measure of oats, the 

 fcame decoy which has caught many silly animals 

 beicjre him, and shake it belbre his eyes, holding 

 the bridle behind their backs and coming up the 

 blind side of him: belbre he can touch his nose lo 

 lo the grain he finds the bit in his mouih. Then 

 it is all over; and he must take patiently the whip, 

 which sometimes at every stroke brings blood, if 

 he atiem[)tB by rearing or kicking to throw Ins rider. 



RULES FOR OVEnSEERS. 



From tlie Carolina rianler. 



Mr. Editor: — When I employ an overseer, I 

 read to liim the rules of my plantation, and give 

 hini to understand at once that he is to be govern- 

 ed by them. It is part of my contract. Those 

 ■which relate more particularly to the overseer's 

 duty, I send you lor publication. 1 cannot help 

 thinking that if such rules were generally adopted 

 and enlbrced, this useful and necessary class of 

 men would be improved. Fr.AKKLir;. 



RULES OF THE PLAKTATIOIf. 



Isl. A good crop means one that is good, taking 



into consideration every thing — negroes, land,; 

 mules, stock, li^nces, diiches, liirming utensils, all 

 of wliich must lie kept up and improved in value — 

 the eH()rt therefore must not be merely to make a 

 given number of bales of cotton, but as much ad 

 can be made without interrupting the steady in- 

 crease in value ol the rest of the property. 



2d. The overseer will never be expected to 

 work in the field, but he must always be with the 

 hands U'hen not otherwise engaged in the employ- 

 er's business — and will be required to attend on 

 occasion to any pecuniary transaction connected 

 with this plantation. 



3. The overseer must never be absent a single 

 night or an entire day without permission pre- 

 viously obtained. W henever absent at church or 

 elsewhere, he must be on the plantation by sun 

 down vviihout fail. 



4ih. He must attend every night and morning 

 at the stalls, and see tbat the mules are watered, 

 cleaned and li^d, and the doors locked. He must 

 keep the stable key, at nigbt, and all the keys in a 

 saiti place, and never allow any one lo unlock a 

 crib but himself, lie must endeavor also to be 

 with the plough hands at noon. 



5lli. The overseer must visii every negro house 

 at daylight in the morning and see that all are out. 

 Once a week or more he must visit them after 

 horn t>low at night, lo see that all are in. Once 

 a week he must visit every negro quarter after 

 night. The horn will be blown in winter at 8, in 

 summer at 9 o'clock, after which no negro must 

 be seen out of his house. 



6th. The overseer will be expected not to de- 

 grade himself by charging any negro with carry- 

 ing news lo the emjiloyer. There must be no 

 news to carry. The employer will not encour- 

 age tale bearing, but will question eveiy negro in- 

 discriminately whenever he thinks proper about 

 all matters connected with the plantation, and re- 

 quire him to tell ihe truth. When he learns any 

 tiling derogatory to the overseer he will immedi- 

 ately communicate it to him. 



7th. Tlie overseer musi ride but one horse un- 

 less he obtains permission to do otherwise. And 

 as the employer's business will require his whole 

 attention he is expected to see but little company. 



Sih. He will be expected to obey strictly all in- 

 structions of the employer. His opinion is request- 

 ed on all questions relative lo plantation matters 

 as Ihey arise, and will be treated with respect, but 

 when not adopted he must cheerfully and liiilhful- 

 ly carry into effect the views of the employer, with 

 a sincere desire to produce a successlul result. He 

 must carry on all experiments with fidelity, and 

 note the results carefully, and he must, when in- 

 structed by ihe employer, give a fair trial to all 

 new methods of culture and new implements of 

 airriculture. 



9lh. The whole stock will be under the imme- 

 diate charge of the overseers, and he will attend lo 

 them personally, with the assistance of any negro 

 he may choose from time to time. He must see 

 and )t?ed every hog at least twice a week, and salt 

 and count the cattle once a month. The overseer 

 must vviihout being asked, inform the employer ol" 

 any thing going on that may concern or interest 

 him. 



10th. The negroes must be made (o obey and to 

 work, which may be done by an overseer who at- 

 tends regularly to his business, with very little 



