The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-13
The Negroes or Dahomey.

~~~~@H<~~
written from Dahomey by a mission
airy engaged in bis evangelical mis-
Esion.
/ AS we have no doubt that political,
friendly, confdentialrelations may soon
have to be established with that en-
! hghtened Power, as much entitled TO it
as San Domingo, we viii, for the bene-
lit OF our readers, place before their
eyes this interesting paper:
The negro here, is not quite as saw
age as on or near the sea coast. Be-
fore the white man, chiefly before the
missionary, he is as tfmid and gentle
as lamb. His doubtful devotion, most
generally simulated, compels his mas
ter TO be constantly on his guard. I
say shis master" because here theyare
always slaves to each other. Peter has
Paul for his slave, Paul has John, John
has Anthony. But Peter, who, through
his own slave Paul, has perhaps, hum
dred more. is himself the slave of the
"Cabessary," the country ruler
Those savages are generally of large
stature and elegantly built up to the
neck-but when you reach the head,
they look like monsters.
Thick lips. large mouth, fat nose,
woolly head and no beard. They
shave their heads in every possible and
fantastic style. They all bear on the
face q number of marks or incisions
made by short instrument, some as
many as twenty five.
Here, the female is an abonainable
creature, without modesty, without
shame, and as wicked as viper. They
are seen, every hour of the day, pipe
in mouth, running from dance to dance,
and plunging in every imaginable de-
bauch and crime.
There may be hopes of reclaiming
the men, but nothing is to be hoped
from these women.
The black, when he has to work, be-
comes so dlsheartened that he can
hardly stir. KS
The rattan" is just as much needed
by them as food is by the whites. They
work little, but live on little. The
conntry produces without any labor all
they require for support-wild fruits
and nutricious roots.
The white man, on the coast of Az
rica, can only travel In hammocks or
be carried by the blacks. IF the trip
is somewhat long, you require very
large number.
When I went to Godome, Kotona
and Poro Novo, there were eighteen to
carry me. They sing, they dance, and
keep up the most diabolcal noise.
Sometimes it happens that the white
man is not pleased with bis people.
Then he rises, seizes his rattan. and
administers each one sound beating,
They cry, they weep, they beg. One
would believe they had been nearly
killed-but be easy, when he is done,
they take him up very gently, lay him
back IN his hammock, and tat that full
speed, singing, dancing and laughing
more than before.
Thirty blacks viii allow themselves
to be whipped by one white, as school
boys by o schoolmaster, although one
black is four times stronger than one
white. One white with rattan will
run off easily one hundred blacks. Yet.
what would there be required OF the
negro to avenge himself on the white?
Very little-only drop down the ham,
mock and run of. They would be
sure that he never would leave that
spot and would soon become prey to
the wild beasts OF the deserts. But. on
the contrary, they would all give their
live to preserve his.
Family ties. or organization, are ut
terly unknown. Every man has as
many wives or women as he can buy
or keep. Every man can do with his
women as he pleases. sell them, swap
them or dispose Of them any way. Ev-
cry woman is bound to support her
own offspring, and when that offspring
is grown up and Is fit for market. the
common father OF the whole crowd
takes = to the coast, where, for q few
@cauris" (shellsJ, he transfers the whole
family, mother and all, to the slave
dealer.
It is but just to add, that sometimes
the "mothers" seize upon the joint
stock husband and sell him them
selves.
This IS The condition OF the African
in his native state. As he has been on
earth as long as the white, will the
friends of equality tell us why he has
s. "a