The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-06-27


published. Some were arrested.
G. Were many put to death?
a. None that | know Of It was ststei
| that, on the frontier, some were hung.
was not in service in that quarter, and sue.
Eobituarses were not likely to be punish
ed. ,sa sS
| Q. Aresthey safe now ia returning? A
Many have returned, and ] believe all ars
unmolested.. Generally they are & not mucf
respected. Some. are now in the Convep
ton. One is Governor.
| 10 What portipHoi tberG onYeation arc
known as Union men? A. am not in
formed. have seen d statement that Gle
ven were what we tern Radicals.
| q. What will your Convention probably
90? A. believe'they viii acquiesce in al
that has been prescribed to statasreerran
izing, viz: the abolition Of slavery by the
| Government, Of The United States; the sur
render Of secession; the reputation of the
6ohletlerate delft, and Ithe recognition d
civil rights in the late slave.
g. viii the people ofTexas probably pre-.
pare for the acknowledgements OF the nepr,
olr,snch Of them as may meet. certain quail
hcatlons OF property and intellieence?s A
Never, as | believe. They hold to dis,
fnction ofrace that they have arerucnance
e. eompronhsI :, They dospptte'se en- the
capacity OF the negro for republican citizen.
shir, and iftlley did, viii not consent to
ahnate with him. IN this they are prob
ably as stubborn asthe people Of the North
who, like them. fed rapugnanee of the race
tia. III d has planted 10 our instincts.
Q, You stated in the former part of
your testimony, that the census tables ex-
hibit great disparity in the reproductive
power of the negro in freedom aud slavery.
Please state to the, Committee how you &C.
count for the difference. A. The differ
ence between the free blacks, North and
South, is chiefly due to climate, | believe !;
the tropics being the native cline of the
negro. But it may be partia " due to the
readiness with which all restitution is re-
lieyed at the South. AS before, we have
no poorhouses and no beggars. The DIFF
ference between the free and slave blacks,
is chiefly due to two special causes. The,
care we take Of infants. and the protection
of the marriage relation in slavery. The
discipline and police of the plantation, en-
force faithfulness in husband and wife. and
secures, as consequence, the prolifcacy
Of families. There is little confluence in
race, free orslave, and no pride Of chastity.
Promiscuous commerce is fatal to fecundi.
ty. This is recognized almost universally
by those who know them well by close OBJ
servation. Negro mothers are provprhia-
ly reckless Of, and cruel to, their offsprins
Blacks, whether infant or adult, lavelittle1
of the vital force to resist disease that
whites have. When they get sick, unless
we'll cared for, they die. The owners m
terest in. bis slave land possibly little
sense of duty and humanity prompts him
to take care of every life. Nurseries are
established on plantations, supervised by
the doctor and tie mistress, that save The
lives of infants. The mother only comes
to nurse her child, and is too hapny to be
rid of further care. She has little of the
affection for her yeung that character;zes
white mothers, or many of the lower AMI
mails. Her deGotion to the children of her
mistress is often far greater than to her
own These facts'will explain why the ne
groes lately ernancipated Gre dying so fear
fully. They have to thank the emancipa-
tor for taking the life of one Of every four
in this brief time; and the process will
continue, inspite of Faneuil and Exeter
Halls, Civil Rights bills and the Freed
mans Bureau. Even the luxury of voting
would not save the race from the doom Of
freedom and death.
q. Has the mortality been so great as
represented { a. believe it has never
been exaggerated, I have seen it estima-
ted at onefourth the whole number, and do
not think It too great figure. Had slave
ry given IS many stripes, all Christenaom
would have been Mortified. Emancipation.
black with its million graves, gets only
pmans OF praise the world over Time and
history will, we believe, change the song. |
de spiie The hurried records and willing tes-
timonyof the Lossings, the Abbotts and
the Rancrofts. il -,
Q. Is the good order ycu represent in
the Southern States the result of total
abandonment of tho STRUGGLE, or is it from
the temporary necessity Of quiet. Would
tho struggle be willingly resumed? A. Per-
nit mo to'explain In reply to these queries
There i. 20, intention anywhere to renew
the contest. When We surrendered and
were parolea, we did so In good faith, and
will keep cur pnrole as long as the ronsli-
lions are fulfilled. 10 doubt this. Is to
mistake entirely the Southern character
When they surrendered they rave it up +
and any doubt o. their good faith la often
sire, 50 much so that, personally they will
resent 1t. They surrendered 6s men, as
Ianr equals upon honorable terms, and will.
isep faith to the letter, and fight those who
|oubt It. Il
g What did they give up? A. Their
rms and the questions at stake. i,
v What were those QUESTIONS, as you
Understood thems A. The r.ght to sep.
rate nationality ahd Independence, on our
nft. a central government, ignoring /
tate rights, and the destruction of slavery, T,
n the part Of the United States.
q. You speak of the terms of submits
on. What terms do you mean? a.
hose stipulated in actual surrender, of
in person ard property, so long
5 we should obey the laws t; and those
ahmi ted by the President of the United
tates il his ,proclamatiehs, and plan of re-
rsaffizations Thus far we have endeavor-
! to comply with ell requirements, reason
BILE and Oppressive, and held our peace lest {
,mplaints might.be miscoastrued Into dis h
'yalty, as they have been elsewhere,
9. is the present feeling the same as
efetofore?
4. Think not. The return Of good feel
,g has been greatly repressed, l think, by
lie rejection Of members from States al
lady recognized. There seems to be a
O., III IF hod Es;tb ,,n.l !, faor fb,t fhox,