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At this season of the year, when the growing crops of the state call for the most devoted care, and the whole success of the year, culminating, in the attentions of the present a few weeks loss of labor - the fruits of the past and the hopes for the future of the crops, pass by and the week of the planter, rendering abortive, all of his preceeding labor and expenditure - a few weeks abandonment of labor and all is gone leaving our state for the ensuing year, without a crop of its own for a support, and without the means of procuring  it from abroad such must be the condition of the white and the colored race unless speedy and effective means be devised and applied to avert the evil, by retaining the services of the laboring the crops shall have been secured - what is the remedy? And how shall it be applied? Compensation liberal compensation, will not the present year secure generally the services of the so recent slave like the child with its new play thing, it must enjoy it, to its full - to congregate in the cities and towns, mingle in social gatherings, enjoy free rations from the government is a boon to him [[strikethrough]] too [[/strikethrough]] to great to be resisted, nor do the wants of the future disturb her present perfect bliss. For the present year at least to protect our State from the loss of its promising growing crops, and from famine, as the planter has been, and is soon to be deprived of his physical and moral control of his laboring reliance and hope alone can be placed on the power of government in its military or civil capacity and each day's delay in its exercise, depriving the hope of the planter and demoralizing the character of the laborer. 

So Serious and appalling are our apprehensions for the future of our state that this meeting feels constrained by a conviction of duty to its state and for the cause of humanity to appeal to Maj Genl Howard, Chief of the Freedman's Bureau, that he . would for the good of the Black man, as well as the white, speedily adopt such measures, as may secure the fruit of the growing crops

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