Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-03-01
The True Status of the Negro.

AAO AAuO Sbobuo VI bHC NCSAOs
The negro is at this time the most conspiou.
Gus actor upon the stage Of the world. The
place he fills is a place assigned to no other
being recognized as belonging to the human
family the estimation in which he is held is
cOrreSpondingly singular. 1t is Of a mixed
character, partaking somewhat Of that conside-
ration with which We regard men, but more
largely Of that sense OF inieriority, mingled
with kindness, with which we regard his Spor-
tive cousins who frisk among the coeoa-nut
trees in more sunny chimes than ours. Nothing
more clearly and completely marks the white
mans estimate Of him than the playful, almost
pet names universally applied to him-Cufte,
SambO, GumbO, SquaShie. 1t is not only in
this country that he is so designated. In what
ever locality he is found, whether in England,
France, the Northern States, the Southern
States, in Cuba, Jamaica, or wherever else this
queer burleSque Of humanity is found, such
names are applied to him. Men call him as
they would call a pet parrot that has been taught
to repeat phrases, a pet monkey that amuseS
with his tricks, or a favorit tic pointer, the main
stay of the sportsman. Right OF wrong, the
estimate placed upon what EsoP calls the
" -blackamoor,' is the estimate expressed by
these appellatiens. But QuaShie, as the En-
gliSh call him, has commenced a new career
of existence. As ARTENUs WARD would say,
We have made him a freedman and given HIM
a bureau. We are gravely told that he has
wonderful capacities that only need develop
ment and culture to make him not only the
-equal-but some go so far as to Say-the Supe-
rior of the white man. 1t is due to the negro,
due to that irresistible power by which his
emancipation was wrought out, that every OPP
pOrtunity for development and culture should
be allowed him. After having held him for
more than two centuries as Il slave, We are not
prepared by one of these violent and sudden
changes that madmen only undergo, allat once,
to erect him into a god. We know him too
well for that. 1t would be sheer hypocrisy if
we were to put forward so absurd a pretenSiOn.
We are prepared, however, and We believe
that the whole South is prepared to give him
all reasonable opportunities for a full develop
ment. There were many odd things that were
distatesful to us at first, but we have gradually
uGCOllC AlENoANAAN0 " NAANAAs I'm 6ANNN mus
take committed was that OF expecting us in 1.-THE
twinkling of an eye, to rejoice in a change that
was radical, thorough and by no means
pleasant, either in itself or its concomitantS.-
However, all that has passed, and we would not
needlessly recall it.
We have closely observed Quashie, old and
Young, male and female, since the dawn Of the
new era. Young QuaShie goes to school, and is
apt at his a b abs. lie spells whatever he sees
as he gambols along the streets. This shows
his knowledge and gives him practice. He is
learning to write, but his fingers are not yet
sufficiently nimble. Arithmetic will be a sad
puzzle to him. Between the multiplication Ia
BILE and the rod, he would choose the latter aS
the lesser punishment-but as in this new era
his back is held sacred from the birch or the
hickory, it is to be feared that his progress in
arithmetic will be slow. Among the male
QuaShie adults VIC are sorry to see a disposition
evinced to throw upon the females more than
their share of the work. Nor have they Yet
learned to regard themselves as the props and
supports of their families. Hitherto, the negro
husband was a happy dog. He had a family
without the cares of a family. His family were
furnished house room, food, clothing and mcdl-
cal attendance without cost to him. Neither
the midwife nor the undertaken, nor anything
between them, cost him anything. The mo-
new he picked up vas expended either in luxu-
ries for his family, or in indulgencies for him
self - more generally the latter. Since
he became free, has family relations have
undergone a radical change. The cares
of his family devolve upon him he is
environed by grave responsibilities. lie must
furnish house room, food, clothing, and medi-
cal attendance. Does he do SoG Ina majority
of cases, perhaps, he does not. Old habits
cannot easily be shaken of. He has not yet
gotten up an adequate sense of his social i'm
portance, and Of his family responsibilities
He either CANDLES away, OF spends in selfish III
dulgences, most of his earnings and throws
mon his wife the responsibility of caring for
his family. She takes in washing, cooks, and
takes apy lob that comes to hand. The male
negroes are fast becoming like the male In
dams, who scOrn labor, and throw all the
drudgery upon their squaws. Yet, with all
their dignity and ~lazinesS, the red men hunt,
and furnish game for their Squaws and paPooSeS.
The negro women are growing discontinued
with their husbands, while the young negro
men are every day becOmingmOre indisPOSed to
form matrimonial alliances. They are unwilling
to assume the cares and responsibilities OF fami-
lies. This is a great drawback to the young,
manageable negresses, who, for the want Of
lawful protectors and helpmates, are driven in-
to illicit arrangements.
This disposition to evade his domestic re-
sponsibilities and cares is not peculiar to the
Southern negro. The Kingston Jamaica) cor
respondent of the London Times speaks Of 1t
as the habit of the negroes Of Jamaica. This
correspondent says SCI wish he would be more
60 careful of his womankind, and less careful
of his own ease. 1t is nearly always the wO-
a. men who bring down the heavy loads to mar
(" ket. Sir Quashie rides his pony or mule in
" dignity and ease, while the newer of wood
&c and drawer of water, whom he has taken to
&c wife, trudges patiently by his side, generally
.. posing on her head a big basket of yams,
90 bananas, or green oranges" The same