The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-10-15
Correspondence Of The Southern Guardian.
BOsTON: Sept. II, ISIS


the discrepancy in the assertions of North
crn AN! Southern politicians, in regard to
the moral, social and ysHi,caI condition o
the free negroes Of the Northern States
that determined. when left South Caro-
lima, thoroughly to investigate the suffice,
in al! it. phases.
A Southcrucr passing through these
States, without any special Object in view
will scarcely see aay difference between the
free negroes OF the sl;wcllolding States and
those Of the free States. Iii, Object is
to See all tho sights and curious things
and TO visit all the places Of special a,,,,c.
ton in and around the dli;:rcn, cilc~.
Hence, his course will hc through all the
fashionable avcuucs anl streets, the Parks,
Commons and Cemeteries. Here they So.
nothing but marble palaces. water founrS.
lakes with their gold aud silver fish, richly
drc>>c cd children and livrricu servants. Iou
AK :; Philadelrhian where YOU shall dive
I" see the city aud the Objects OF interest
around 1t, and he tells YOU t. drive through II
Chcsnu', Walnut, Arch and broadway
streets, to the Grand College and Laurel
llIil Cemetery. You are never told To 20
through Shirpcn street and the streets ai ia.
ccnt. You arc told by the New Yorker to
drive through Fifth Avenue, broadway,
Hat'cry and Greenwood Cemetery bu, no:
one word said about the Five Points and
West broadway. You are no, told bv the
Eo>lo"an to pass through some of the
streets Oh the south wc>: side uf the State
House, bat YOU must tako Il ride through
Cambridge to sec the house thst Washing
ton made his ilcai-,Inartcr$, aud To soc the
elm tree under which he stood when be first
assumed the command Of the American
Arny--to visit Ilarvor,i College, Laurel
lii'l Cemetery, CharlcStown, bunker II!i
Monument, dc. And why is not the s;ran-
ger directed TO Ties" places. 1t is beca,lS.
he VIII there see The wretchclncss Of the
Tree negroes and poor whites, made up in
one coli:'non mass of misery, poverty and
wee. |; is i'll these localities vou see the
true condition OF the mass of free negroes.
who have So many tc.,rS Of sympathy lavish
ell upon them III the sermons AMI speeches
ut these hy"ocrlical friends of the A'r;can
To show how widely they d;ilvr among
themselves upon this question, asked
several intelligent gentlemen who k,cw
"i'ric ! WAS from, villa: WAS the social and
mora! condition .: th,: free negroes, ;n,:
they invaiiaLly Y told ;nc, that they wcrc
happy and doing well, only n fer rxcrp.
tons how anh then. Then again :.sk.r,
o;Ler gentleman who did no, know where
was from, ani i'll nine caS,s out Of tyn they
;";d me the startling truth, tlat The f,c.
negroes of the North rs class, were l;.zy.
thrilling va-abou!>," steal every thin. t!!rv
could lay their hands ou and there wis l.. t
"ery Hiftc Symp"My shown hy the whites
towards them; that there wc,ea fer cxcrr.
lions. ;:'no"g them, who had l,y Industry
accumulated good property aml ha, :,
comfortable house. Not intrntiu" 20 rc!v
upon The statements OF either party, | dc
te'mncd to see and hear for myself, aud
with this view changed my clothes to
avoid being suspected, and hired man to
pilot me through Shipper street aud It's
environs in Ihi!adc!p!,ia. could soon
lei! that WAS arp!oacLing this locality, 10y
the low drngy looking houses, and tirlv
streets. On reaching the street east my
eyes up and down, as far as cou!I ste.
there was nothing hut old nc",ueS, middle.
aged and chiid'cn, lying on tie steps OF
houses, and OH the ravcmcnts ha>ki,l" in
the noon. day san. then walked lhruuo1,
the street, and gave personal Inspection
OF their houses, huts, shanticS, she'd, ana
dcns under the ground, AMI of nil the su,a!
lid, filthy and almost naked beings, the ike
l never SAW in any Southern CITY or on any
plantation. Here ! SAW more human bcinr,
living IN one small room. than ever saw
cranined in one house in The South, and the
houses the free negroes generally occupied
are most always the cellar, and the poor
whites the upper portion OF the building.
In one room Is by 20 feet, SAW l!vin- ,ie
grand parents, children and grand ch.!Ircn,
numbering III all twcnty-ll,rrc souls; the
grandmother told me she had hard time
OF 1t, in trying to support her family. Her
sons and daughters would help her but little
in providing food, they would spend most
all their money in rum and tobacco and
not 50 mucl, is bring home little loaf Of
bread at night, hn, in its place, n bottle Of
rum which would put an end to the peace
OF the family for the night.
] spent four hours in this ncirhborbood
talking with the neg oes AMI poor whites
and from what l saw and heard from their
own lips, their condition in moral and
social point Of view is truly lamen,abc.
WAS told by an intelligent negro man, that
more than twenty out Of one hundred ne.
groes died in the wiuter of '5G aud 81 from
cold and starvation, and he added that liz
tic notice was taken Of the fact in the news
papers. asked him, where were Ills friends :.
those persons who were talking and preach.
ing SO much about their freedom and han.
Plness Where were their aims houses and
charitable associations? He said it was all
humbug about the ricl, man taking the free
negro by the hand and giving him aid and
assistance. All the assistance he got from
the white man, WAS 25 or SO cents per dav
Tor his bard labor, and that too, the lowest
and tiItbiest kind of work. Ali the oooJ
places in and about a house, were filed bv
white servants, and that there were such
enmity existing between the white servant
aud the black, that both could not slay in
the sanre establishment, and the poor negro
was almost invariably dismissed. The
white servants have almost driven out the
negroes from all the Hotels and families.
Fifteen or twenty years ago, the negroes had
constant employment in Hotels and private
families, which kept them in great meas.