Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-04

The Panama correspondent of The Nsw
York Herald, under date of July 10th, gives
the following account of the working of
Negro Equality in that portion Of Central
America. The writer says: lsU dr.sa .l
You may suppose that much have here
tofore written in regard to affairs in this
State is because have taken prejudicial
view of matters and things and have not
taken pains to inform myself properly as to
their true condition. will now give you
an outline of the conversation l had a few
evenings since with native of Panama-a
gentleman of education and refinement
one who knows and thoroughly understands
his country, and who would upon no ac-
count say anything against it. 1 wanted
some information on the subject, and frank
ly told him so, and what use l intended to
make of it. The first question | put was !:
"What is the population of the city OF
Panama and suberb (d7Taba)?" Answer
=" About twelve thousand, including for
eigners." Second-Ht What proportion of
the twelve thousand are pure tulite Z" An
swer-" Less than two thousand" Third
-"Of the children born among this popu-
lation what proportion are Legitimate ?"-
Answer" About three-tenths, and these
nearly altogether among the whites,
for there are but few marriages among the
casiOn he took census of an adjoining de-
partment of this State, and among eleven
hundred persons he found seven married
couple only. What l have here given you
is very fair picture of the state of society
hereabout, and you will find 1t about on O
par--no worse-than other parts of the
world wherein the negro has, by mistaken
sympathy, been brought above his proper
level. From knOwledgeof what the South
ern States were prior to the rebellion, / feel
perfectly safe in asserting that--notwith-
standing Mrs. Stowe, Fanny Kemble Butler
and others-there were more legitimate
children born among the slaves than there
are among what is termed "freedmen."
Morality among them here is thing al
most unknown, and some OF the cases of
incest you hear of are of the most revolt
ing and disgusting character. l will say
one thing, however, in favor of the class
who are natives of this soil-that in every
thing they are. as far advanced above
the Jamaica negro as it is possible to be.
The latter has very likely acquired some
little education; this at once makes him
saucy, arrogant and desirous OF aping all
the manners and customs of the white men.
The Jamaica muatto is far worse, and can
excel the world for impudence, and in nine
cases out of ten is utterly worthless. They
are summed by the natives, and the lowest
term Que can use here towards black or
mulatto is to say that he is Jamaica mig
GER" This cuts like two-edged sword,
and is more telling in its effect than if you
were to use the vilest words known in the
English language. 1 had intended to dror
the black subject, but thought that little
information from the best source about
''Mosquerra's progress in civilization
would not be amiss, and might throw some
| light upon what may be expected in the
United States should the same course be
| pursued with the "freedmen" there as has
| been in this country and among the West
India Islands-namely, universal suffrage.