The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-11-28
The Ideal and the Real.

sents scene supposed to have been
enacted somewhere sin ole Virginny,"
and has wonderous cozy and moral
aspect Tbore are the pole with
the ballot boxes and the judges OF cleo
tions, who look like good, benevolent
Sunday school teachers. Old darkio
No l, leading the van, Is about to
"stuff his wad in de Jug" He, too, has
a philosophic look about hun and a
coat with metal buttons, iron gray
whiskers, and trim hat You would
take him for q second and improved
edition Of Uncle Tom. lie IS closely
pressed by a fancy niggah" with shiny
oyes and a nosegay. Then follow sew
orAl well dressed, well fed, we'll to do
eolored gentlemen, who are evidently
eager 70 cast their "6rst vote" The
whols is admirably sketehed and de
pirts the idea az it ough. to be, rs we
wish it were, as it isn't. At least as it
is not decidedly within the range Of our
observation, which has not boon very
much confined.
We suppose that our readers heres
abouts, like ourselves, have noticed tie
wOe-begone countenances and seedy
apparel which tho negroes have worn
since their emancipation and the close
Of the warand that they like ourselves,
also, have contrasted their appearance
now TO their happier condition previous
to the war But, for the cdifcation Of
our countrymen in the Northern States
and our trans Atlantic cousins, who
have never seen the negro except
through New England stereoscopes,
We propose to give them correct da-
gncrrcotypc Of his present condition
and appearance.
We scarcely meet n negro now on
any Of our country roads who is not
other dirty or ragged, OF spotted with
many colorod patches from his knees
TO his shoulders. Before tho war, it
was rarely that a negro could DO seen,
at least in Tennessee, whose clothing
Was not comfortable, an1 often times
costlitr than the apparel of the poorer
classes of whites. Then he had a good
master to provide his wardrobe, whose
interest rs woll as pleasure it was al
ways to see his domestics comfortably
clad. The times which have changed
the condition of the oman and brother"
have changed nothing so materially
ns his clothing. Whether IN squads,
or groups, or slngly, wherever you
find them, you are certain 10 soc the
raggedest latter demaliion of our pop
ulatiOn.
The fSt, sleek, rollicking, happy go
lucky darkie Of othor days is among
the things Of q past age. He ia no
longer to be seen upon our highways,
but in his stead gaunt, hungry look
ing, seedy and tattercd biped lounges
lastly in the sun or skulks behind the
unprotected hen roosts of his former
master and provider. The negro has
no home His pretended friends have
got his vote and turned him loose upon
the land and upon his own slender re-
sources.
Without discipline and somo one to
direct him, tho Southern negro, as
laborer, is utte,ly useless TO himself and
the country. He does not care for
more thar will provide him precarious
existence, and that much he can make
in picking up lrttle easy jobs here and
there, or else, as we fear too many Of
them do, he can steal il. He literally
lives "from hand to mouth" lie has
his colored acquaintance in most
every house IN the city or town ho may
happen to infest, and of course is
regular visitor Tho shifty darkIe
takes his breakfast at one house, his
dinner at another, and his supper at n
third, and seldom takes a meal twice
at one house in the same day. He is
as constant, however, IN these preda-
tory visits as the proverbial "Birl's
boarder," who boarded with the uh-
fortunate Bril- whole "year and never
missed meal or paid cent" That's
the way the latter-day imam and
brother" subsists, and the clothing he
wears he usually "borrows," or, if he