The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1861-02-15
Correspondence Of the Buffalo Commercial.
Social Life in the South.


NArcHEz, MISS, Jan. I.
The masters house is often miles from
the plantation Generally of the veran-
dah order the rooms are high and square
well ventilated, elegantly furnished, Gotten
costly with all of modern st, lie and com
fort. The quality of hospitality reminds
you of that of old England, (whence,
doubtless, that Of Virginia, the mother Of
this race was derived You are assigned
quarters, a servant, horse, books, writing
material, and left TO dispose Of yourself, as
at a hotel. None of the restraints of a
Northern private family are felt. The
number Of servants about the house (yen-
orally from ten to twenty,) renders this no
difficulty to the family. The living is fl st
class, embracing our ordinary mode, and
adding the luxuries of the South, fine
game, from the duck to the vension.
The Planter is the Master, the King
He talks of bis white g family" and of bis
black " family,' and Of his nigger quar-.
ters." Those latter are rows of good sized
one story houses, or cottages, fronting
each other, shaded by trees, backed bv
plots Of vegetable, melon and chicken
"quarters," where the nj gger" rai>es
things to sell. Little darkies swarm
about here, and are attended by snperanu
ated and invalid nj ggers. The Young are
the funniest and most active little imps on
which my eyes have ever rested.
The men and women 90 10 the field to-
gether at the tap of the bell and they re-
turn together. The overseer accompanies
them, and their labor is compelled (when
reluctanO under his orders, by negro free
men, whom they call Drivers" and who
are authorized to whip, and who do so,
much oftener and more cruelty than do
the whites. A negro is expected to do
about one ha'fthe amount Of work assign
ed TO a Northern white lsbo.er. lie is
given FIVE pound, Of meat per week, and
corn bread. vegetables and coffee in pro-
portion.
The men and women appear TO prefer
the field labor. They enjoy tie fun Of
the crowd and merry time they seem
to have of it. going, in the field, aud re-
turning. And the instances of hogging
are certainly rare, and generally deserved
Chat is. if the master has right to very
reasonable service. Saturday afternoon.
and Sundays are assigned as holidays.
Extra labor on these days is compensated,
and the women take tie half of Saturday
TO wash.
The ove-seers work under written in
structons. With some honorable sxcap-
,ions they are unprinci pied fellows gen
orally from Virginia, Kentucky, and Ten
| nessee-with rare exceptions from the
North. Their amalgamation tendencies
are proverbial these are discountenanced,
and therefore the gentry are discharged
when convicted, but to record the fac, is
due to the reader. Many overseers have
been killed by jealous negroes.
The negroes here are called, coal black,
mulatto, quadioon, and chestnut color. the
latter being the choice, for hardihood, the
first named taking the next rank. The
handsome female qusdroons very often
pass into the estate Of mistresses of the
coarser sort Of Creole planters. AS such
they aro avowed and respected by the
pidut~tiOh III many SorOo' out OIL dCto vi
this sort are as severely repreheuded and
are as much urder ban Of social condem-
| nation, as are similar offences at the North.
| OF this am convinced.
The negro quarters is a negro jubilee
They never seem so tired but that they are
ready to sing and dance. The field ap
pears such delight to them, that ordina.
rilv it is difficult to keep them away, ex-
ceps when quite i'll. This | attribute
wholly to the law Of sympathy.
The punishment of the negro is logging
with narrow buck skin lash, or paddle
they Go not permit any abrasion of she skin
Masters admit appeals from the Overseers,
and decides them, when the negro think.
that be should not be pupished-and thi:
proceeding is had before execution Olsen,
tence. But, when the master dissent: