Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-01-30

of which was growing average cotton crop. ihls
was fair sample of the rest OF the plantation winch
consisted altogether OF 700 Riding into the mid
die of the field we found ourselves surrounded by about
forty slaves men, women and children, engaged In pick
ingn They were all well dressed, and seemed happy
and cheerful. Wishing to know what time OF day it
was l asked Mr. -- the hour, Whereupoh one OF the
darEes by nv side, took cut gold watch and inform
ed me.
do your Iaborers generally wear gold watches, sir P?
! inquired.
o great many Of them have Why, sir, my negroes
all have their cottorpos ard gardens, and NEST o. them
little orchards
We found from their own testimony that they are fed
well chiefly upon pork corn, potatoes and RICE careful
~ attended when SICK and on Sundays dress better
than their masters
MANY of them bad six or seven hundred dollars Of
their own which they either lend to the banks or hide
in the gfoupd In tie bot weather they begin to work
at six in the morning, and 90 till ten they then GO
home III about three aud when the Declines return
10 hcr work till six seven 10 the cool weather they
begin after daylight and rest for two or three hours
in The middle Of the day.
We next visited the Station" a street Of cottages
in pine wood, where Sir. --'s "lamily" reside
These we found clean and comfortable. Two Of tie
men were sick, and had been visited that morning by a
DOCTOR in the meantime they wtre looked after by the
nurses OF the establishments OF whom there were three
to take care Of tie childiea aud jnvalds.
On the whole il tearcss!y be SAID II this is a
true ype of the mode in which slaves treated in the
South that their ply steal condition is good if ROt
better, than that OF any labOIng population IN the
world ! be masters ridlCue the idea Of dlSl0yalty.-
Tbey live amongst item in the most perfect confidence
and never bestoW a serious thought upon what they
consider such lmpOssDlllty NEGRO instruction.
Having visited other plantations IN Alabama, South
Carolina, and Georgia, cannot resist the belief that
the great mass Of the slaves in the South must be pro
nOuncld to be well cared for and cOntented and althO
there are necessarily thousand things connected with
".he institution" which no Engshman Can approve
il is undoubtedly true that, Notwithstanding the stenu
efforts OF &DOHuOuis's the negroes bear the yoke
cheeruily and heartily JOIN their fortunes to those Of
their in the great struggle in which they are
engaged
Many plantations may now be without white
upon them, except the oyerseIs and instances oc
cur daily OF the fidelity with which servants " who
have accompanied their masters TO the war serve then
in the camp AID field. Further, the generals employ
tie negroes tic commiasagiat, and upon earhwokE
in situations where deseTti0n and consequent freedom
would be perfectly easy, thereby showing 20 the slaves
confidence which l. justified by tie TACT that the North
cgn army now Arlington Heights, lind 1t almost Im
possible to obtain correct Information OF what Is gong
on in the Confederate camp two miles distant from the
Union outposts.
Ghe perfect uuaDmity throughout the whole South
in the belief that their is just, strikes the stranger
as one of the most formidable symptoms which the
Union has TO fear. Without pretending to form al
opinion to whether this universal conviction is right
wrongly arrived at, we simply assert the fact The
same story is told in the trains, 10 the hotels on the
plantations, IN the drawDg-Iooma, 10 the camps and II
The ueWGpapcESrby young and Old rich and poor, mel
and women, Wllhout uniformity that would be m0uOtO
were it not Tor the fire generally thrown into 1T
narration.
They say that tie North began the conflict years ago
in tie irritating and unprovoktd agitation OF the slave
ry question: and have continued it from the time OF th
Missouri controversy to the 4th Of last March, whe
the President anne uuccd that the Ietorm Of bis part
was " q law unto him." and that party had declared
there was irTepressb.C conflict between the tW
sections Of the Union. Ii we remarked that SLAYER
was evil about which we considered all America
statesmen must feel anxiety they replied, The Presden
was to defend it, IL is un Institution which feed
and clothes the world which protects the negro agains
the vicssitudes OF Old age, Sickness aud infancy an
keeps him in the only position where he can he useiu
to society and harmless to himself That the sun IKE
the boundaries between white and black labor, III spit
OF and laws aud so sure aB one H0urshed Ill Aa
sacLuscts, the other would prosper in Georgia Iba
when the North abolished slavery, and sold their slave
to the South, they then turned around broke faith, an
endeayorcd to dNquiet title emauahpg from then
selves.
That the tariff laws were ruinous TO the South
That in raising their by heavy duties on foreg
goods, which came back III return for Southern PR
duce, the North making the South pay the gres
bulk Of the expense OF government.
That by prohibiting trade in foreign ships, the Sout
were obliged to take Northern to the exclusion OF 70
cign goods.
That 10y monCpoisng the European trade, the n ort
obtained geat-prots in brokerage and in reghts upo
Southern produce to Europe, we'll upon Europea
goods brought back in return Tor that produce from
of which the South reaped little benefit.
If we remarked that the political power OF the I'm
ted States had been for many years in the hands of tt
Southern party, ought therefore to have TemedlC
these evils We told, True; many \ orthern men
the whole Democratic party, in notwithstanding wit
the extreme Republicans, would vote with the South
general Subjects and in the choice OF statesmen; bl
when it became question between the two great SCI
tons into which the country is divided, the Mort
would unite and Outvoe the South. That Souther
statesmen acqucsced in financial policy OF which the
dsapprOved, because they feared that, If the DaDag
ment Of Affairs given into the hands OF the Reput
iican party the evils conf planned of would be immed
aey aggravated, and the condition of their countr
rendered altogether desperate. The division among tt
Democrats had led to the return OF Mr. Lincoln, ar
the triumph OF party purely sectional, but pledged
the destruction OF the peculiar institutions and mater
interests of the South.
The women of all classes seemed not less UnanimOl
and devoted than the men. Along the line Of railwe
crowds waved flowers and haDokerchiefS as the ira
bore towards the seat Of war those who were nearest
their affections Mothers, sisters wives, iOCked TO Il
railway stations to bid farewell to those for whom The
would willingly give their lives. Yet few shed tears
these paTngs. All The weaker feelings OF their natu
seemed sealed up or banished, and a conviction th
each was making a sacrifice a holy cause was STAN
cd on every cOunt0nance.
In passing along the~lne OF railway between Mon
gOmery and Charleston, had many opportunities
conversirg with the soldiers in the trains these WEI
representatives o every class in the countryplanter
lawyers shopkeepcrs and even clergymen. Our Co
versaton was generally quickly courted and question
eagerly asked as to cur opinion upon the war.
But conspicuous by their absence" were the larm
bOys-a body from which the best OF the northern
are recruited. In The Soutn,of course this class do
not exist tie whole Of the dedabor beirg carried