Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-22
pressed by ..a tancv u,geab.n . with shiny

pressed by "a fancy niggah," with shiny
eyes and a nosegay. Then follow several
well-dressed, well-fed. well-to-do colored
gentlemen, who are evidently eager to east
their first vote" The whole is admirably
sketched and depicts the idea as it ought to
as it is not decidedly within the range of
our observation, which bas not been very
much confined.
We suppose that our readers hereabouts,
like ourselves, have noticed the wOe-be-
gone countenances and seedy apparel
which the negroes have worn since their
emancipation and the close of the war, and
that they, like ourselves, also, have con-
trasted their appearance now to their hap
pier condition previous to the war. But,
for the edification of our countrymcn in
the Northern States, and our trans-Atlan-
tic cousins, who have never seen the negro
except through New England stereOscopes,
we propose to give them correct daguer-
reotype of his present condition and ap-
pearance.' 2
We scarcely meet negro now on any of
our country roads who is not either dirty
or ragged, or spotted with many colored
patches from his knees to his shoulders
Before the war, it was rarely that negro
could be seen, at least in Tennessee, whose
clothing was not comfortable, and often
times costlicr than the apparel of the poor
master to provide his wardrobe, whose in
terest as well as pleasure it was always to
see his domestics comfortably clad. The
times which have changed the condition
OF the imam and brother" have changed
nothing so materially as his clothing
Whether i'm squads. or groups, or singly,
wherever you find them, you are certain to
see the raggedest latter demalllonS OF our
population.
The fat, sleek, rollicking, happy go
lucky darkie of other days is among the
things of past aye. He is no longer to
be seen upon our highways, but in his
stead gaunt, hungry-looking. seedy and
tattered biped lounges lazily in the sun or
skulks behind the unprotected hen -roOsts
of hi. former master and provider. The
negro has no home. His pretended friends
have got his vote and turned him loose up
on the land and upon his own slender re-
sources.
without discipline and some one to direct
him, the Southern negro, as laborer, is
utterly useless to himself and the country.
He does not care for more than will pro-
vide him precarious existence, and that
much he can make in picking up little easy
ODD Jobs here and there, or else, as we fear
too many of them do, he can steal it. He
literally lives " from hand to mouth" He
has his colored acquaintances In most every
house i'm the city or town he may happen
to infest, and of course is regulariyisitor.
The shifty darkie takes his breakfast
at one house, his dinner at another,
and his supper at third, and sell
dom takes meal twice at one house in the
same day. He is as constant, however, in
these predatory visits as the proverbial
"Birls boarder," who boarded with the un-
fortunate Bril- a whole 'syear and never
missed meal or paid cent" That's the
way the latter-day "man and brother" SUBJ
sists, and the clothing he wears he usually
"borrows," or, if he works for it, the labor
does not shorten his life or deny him his
luxurious, lounge on the street corner or
his nap in some attainable stable loft
Nashville R1nUer