, 1862-12-31
LIGHT ON A DARK CUES
TKONs


CEpcAao, Dec. ~ 1862
Editors Chicago Tribune:
Facts are the only reliable basis for theo-
1ies. / brief chapter OF facts With which I
recently became acquainted, seems to indicate
capacity in the colored population Of the
Southern States to take care Of themselves,
not accorded to them BY many Of the citizens
Of Illinois. 1 will record them in as few +
words as possible. You may draw the in-
ferences and make the practical suggestions.
An educated lady Of Bridgeport, Conn, mar
RED citizen Of Georgia some twenty odd
years ago, and accompanied him to his home
IN that Stste. He Has G. planter. Not-suc-
ceeding there to his mind, he removed to Ar
kansas and bought land and negroes and re-
spn1ed business as 4 planter. He had but
fairly started in business when he sick
ened Of fever and died. His estate,
consisting Ct III thirty 3 n1ag negzoss m ,nfa.,t End
did not state, Was involved in debt to the
amount Of $4,000. The widow Judged it
beet to sell a portion of the land and negroes
to pay the debt. but the foreman on the
estate, himself negro and alave, advised
Missus,'' said he; 1t de boys won't like 1t to
70 down souf, and if Missus give us de
chance we'll raise big crop and pay off de
debt, and hare it sll clear in two or tree
year" He informed "Missus'' that he had
do stick by and work off de debt, if Missus
please not sell 'em.'' She followed the conn
sel Of this humane and heroic negro, and t'de
boys'' worked with a with will. They
raised splendid crop Of cotton, the entire
labor being done-even to the sale OF the
crop and the delivery Of the money into the
hand OF the 1nistrcss-withont the advice,
help or interference Of any white man. The
debt WIS reduced $4,000 the first year. A
brother Of the lady, an invalid clergyman OF
Connecticut, spent the first winter after the
planters deeease, on the plantation. Grate-
ful, as any man would be, to these ignorant
hut faithful and kind-hearted fellows, for
their generous devotion to his SISTERS inter
ests, be improved lis leisure time in teaching
the son Of the foreman and q few others Of
the young negroes and before spring some Of
| could write legible hand.
Spring came, and the lady with her children
accompanied her brother to Connecticut, and
there spent the summer, fsas'fng heT negroes to
| Mgke ssco1t2 crop under TIE leadership and
| whitelnan on the premises. She held regu'
| lar correspondence with the foreman through
| the educaleti hut Gusky fingers Of his son, and
was kept well informed Of the state OF thlnga
on the plantation. Late in the autumn she
returned, accompanied now BY sister Who
| d$'tEb tltC WillEl H1LU AEI Al0 1uAttHtu Wy LAG
york Of her brother, in the educational line,
without, however, any public proclamation Of
| the f3ct, for obvious reasons.
/ The second crop swept off the remains Of
| the debt and left i surplus. Thus the work
has sone forward for nearly ten years. The
working force of t1e plantation having III
creased, by the natural increase Of the negro
families, and additions having been made to
the plantations from time to time by pur.
chase, at the suggestion and by the advice o'
the negro oyersecr, with q Eueeeesion d
splendid crops produced by willing hands IN
der the stimulus Of kindness and encourage
ment, instead of the lash, the property WaE
estimated, when the war commenced, to bf
worth over $100, 600. The mistress has spen'
her SUMMERS il Connecticut with her rela
| tives, and there she has done what she coult
not do for them in slave community, sht
has given them q first rate education. Vine,
intercourse stopped between Arkansas and th'
North the lady, with her eldest son, Was u
the plantation aud her other children in Con
neetient There had been, when my inform
ant left Bridgeport, no communication be
tween the prizes for six months. The men,
bers OF the family ut the East are exeeediugl,
anxious to hear from the mQther, aud les
, | their elder brother may have gone into, 0
been forced into the rebel army. Comment
leave to you Mr.. Editor. While many ar
asking, Just now, if the negroes in q state {
i. | freedom can any way be managed, or tax
care Of themselves, such facts as those abov
: | sisted may afford the anxious some eomfor
! Yours tor freedom to all men unless TO
! feited by crime.