The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1860-02-01

daily to Chatham from that innate love Of Q
crowd implanted in the negro breast, and with
no other object than to lounge idly in the streets
ofthe town and about the market place, occa-
Sionally, perhaps, swapping up any stray trifiC
that may happen to fall in the way of theil
fingers. Now and then a black horseman is to
be seen making headway for the same place
| Once as drove along the road, singular fig
ure appeared in the distance before me and set
my imagination puzzling, as it approached, tc
tell what was its precise character. 1t was all
dark as q black cloud, and looked something
like horse with well filled sack upon its
back and couple of wings Tapping away at
either side Upon a nearer approach | found il
to be little back Canadian pony bearing big
black negress, in loose, slovenly black dress
with black shawl tied round her head AS
she was riding man fashion, with an entire in
| dependence of mans more convenient habili-
ment her feet nearly touching the ground and
| Hopping up and down, covered only as much
as the situation would permit by her skirts
gave to her the singular appearance which had
at first executed my curiosity.
Upon reaching the settlement we come to a
collection of about dozen huts-ior they
scarcely deserve better name-one of which
a trife more pretentious than the Others has
been used as sort of store and tavern, but is
now lying idle. The absence ofwindow glass,
so observable in negro dwellings, and the diver
sified character of the ''brealings out" ofstraw,
filthy clothes and old hats, with which negro
easements are always afflicted, is the first dis
tinctiye feature of the settlement that strikes
a strangers eve.
With Mr.. Rennie | went over the settlement,
and saw and conversed with some of the resi-
dents. An air Of depression and desolation
prevades the whole place. The log houses are
all badly constructed and dirty inside. A large
chimney occupies one side OF each house, and
the big logs crackle and blaze cheerfuly enough;
but the smoke does not add to the cleanliness
of the room or its inmates. In a majority OF
the houses the deficiency of chairs is supplied
by logs or bOXe', or any article that happens in
the way, or is the easiest attainable. The chill
dren--of coul Sc there is good supply OF them
are badly clothed and slovenly, and the pou
try and all dumb animals appear to share the
dwelling with them. There seems to be very
little idea Of an economy ofwork in the little i'm
improvements made upon the lots. A patch is
half cleared here, and another one commenced
| there. Now a tree is half cut down and then
left, ard the destruction Of easier customer
commenced. In fact, the lazy, shiltless char
acter of the "frce negro" is seen in every direc-
some instances where the settler shows ener-
gy and perseverance-but these cases are not
more than three or four out of collection of
over one hundred and fifty families, numbering
over one thousand souls.
The Rev. Mr.. Rennie, with all his desire to
see the colony prosper was compelled to admit
that the experiment had not answered the eX
pectations of lis projectors as yet, and to eX-
press his fear that it would ultimately result in
failure. The negroes, he has discovered, are
really unfit to provide for themselves. They
seem, as he says, to require guiding ard di-
recting hand. and to be entirely deficient in
forethought and settled purpose. The men who
are in health no sooner find the warm weather
at hand than they leave their homes to "work
out" either as barbers or boot blacks, or wait
ers, or in any other position that may offer on
board steamboat or in hotel. This is at the
very season when they could most probably la
Dor on their land; but their sole ambition seems
to be to obtain some light employment where
no thought OF the morrow is needed, and where
they can earn little money without hard work.
They return to their families in the winter, and
lay idle so long as the little money they have
saved will last. This gone, they 60 discomfort
edly to chopping wood or turning for ashes,
and year after year their lots present the same
desolate, wild appearance, and their payments
for the land are seldom met.
| Mr.. Renne informs me that the negroes on
the settlement suffer terribly in the winter for
the want of clothing and good shoes. 1t is the
lack of these, probably, that occasions so much
sickness, and is making consumption Sc fatal a
disease among the black population OF Canada.
Indeed, it is very evident that the Elgin Asso-
citation is dead failure, and that the expert
ment ofa self-supporting colonization of escap-
ed slaves is doomed to be unsuccessful.
THE DRESDEN SETTLEMENT.
The sediment next in importance in the
county of Kent, and the oldest established in
the count is that known as the Dresden Set,
lement, in the township fDawn, In its char
acter it is entirely different from the Elgin AS
sociation, being common school for manual
labor, the settlers living much after the fashion
of Horace Greeley's well known hobby. Like
the Elgin Association, however, it has proved a
total and lamentable failure its only fruits hay
ing been quarrels between tho blacks, and sharp
money making tricks on the part offs some o
the white philanthropists connected with the
scheme.
THE NEGROES IN AND ABOUT CHATHAM.
The town of Chatham, Kent county, is stu
ated on the Great Western Railway, between
place, as most Canadian towns of its size are
but is little more dingy looking than ordinary
on account ofthe character Of its population
Over one fourth OF its population are negroes
and over three fourths Of these negroes are
worthless idlers. They hang over the place
Ikea black cloud, and have checked its growth
and broke down the value OF property to ru.
nous extent. A few years since, Chatham
was bright prosp porous village. Now it is one
of the most neglected and unpromising in Wes
tern Canada. One long. crooked street runs
through the town, on which are the principa
places OF business. The market, a brick build
? ing, forms a square in the middle of the mair
street, and round this mart the negroes congre
gate night and day in full force. One meet!
half dozen black faces in the street to ont
white. Those who are employed get low wa
ges, eight or ten dollars month, either as por
ters, boot blacks, BARRIERS or in some simla
occupation; but the greater portion Of then
live as they can upon the profits Of odd jobs
charity, or worse. al.t r...
The colorcd population OF Chatham is con
stantly increasing. citizen remarked to mt
IN conversation, "They are flowing in here, un
til the whites are terrified at the inundation ;
And we'll they may be; for their property sui
ters more and more as the number of blacks in
creases, while the crowd Of colored prisoners
in the Jail affords evidence of the sort Of neigh
bors with which the underground railroad fur
nishes them.
ROUND SETTLEMENT.
The settlement which bears this name is To-
Gated in Shrewsbury, about fifteen miles from
Chatham, on the border ofthe lake. II is abou
opposite Cleveland. This is again settlemen
on q different nlan To either the Dawn or EIo;,