Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-06-19
For the Journal.
The Dnrkfes and Us.


Editors Jourual:-The party of igno
rance and misrule have got things in nice
middle, haven't they While they are
prating of peace aud prosperity every
paper that reaches us is full of murders
rapes and arsons, and the negroes are living
even in this favored community on almost
nothing. The river banks are full of stout
negroes every day in the week, when the
water will admit of fishing, and the whortle
berry ponds are literally lined with women
and children. The Sabbath is thus spent
as we'll as every other day. doubt if there
is one family in five miles round that has
ten pounds of bacon, or five families thai
have five bushels Of corn. They are get
ting very bare of clothes, though they viii
spend the last red for personal advance
ment. The s'sacred blue " which many
of them collected from camp during Gen.
Shermans passage, is becoming worn and
patched. They are sick, some Of them.
Who shall minister unto them? They are
neither able nor willing to pay doctors
bills as Il general rule. / know a physician
in this county who IS not only attend1n 3
them without pay, but who is feeding some
of theirsick from his own table. Verify, they
are progressing, but their progress Is ike
that of the hound pup IN Mr.. G1lmers
story-backwards. The maj ority of them
will enter into any obligation, but never
give the matter another thought after he
has - made his mark" They have no idea
at all of trespass. One will go without
leave and cut an ash heap on his neighbor' 3
land, strip his elm trees to bottom his
chairs cut down his naples to make his
plow-handles tear down his grape vines to
tie his raft strip his red oaks for tan bark,
and cut his bee trees wherever found.
And for all their poverty they are taught
TO look to the white man as the cause
Rents are high, provisions are high, cloth
ing is high, and to make them lower they
are taught to vote for increased taxation
on the land and most of its products. The
fact is that rents are low and labor high.
But under the new programme rents will
become higher and labor will be lower
We shall see very soon if the negro has
benefited his condition by his vote. We
Sc ole massa " as a friend and protector, to
use d reverend politicians idea.
But to what does it amount after all p
y
On kind natures lap. Bears live in the
boys, and if Bruin, SO can Cutie. He does
not work from choice, and necessity cannot
compel him. He does not ask for a house.
He would be unhappy with anything but q
hut. He doesn't ask for broad acres, he
doesn't want them. The hope of improv-
ing his condition never stimulated the
IMAM and brother to strike one blow
He would go to sleep in sight of the ''New
Jerusalem" though he knew that to keep
awake twelve hours would secure an in
heritance there. He acknowledges no per-
sonal obligation. You may warm him in
your bosom, but he will surely sting you.
But he is the government the power that
is. [ have an anecdote which have been
trying to make Ffall into line" hoping to
tell it in some connection, but [ find [
must break off and pitch it in at an angle.
In this county Il gentleman, Mr.. ID, gave
the negroes of the community piece of
ground to build house on for church.
They went to work and soon had up log
house that would do very we'll, and all met
to organize and name the church. Several
names were proposed, New Hope, Lebanon,
&c. Finally one of the old heads proposed
to call it Christ's Church. This name
seemed to meet with pretty general favor.
But one of the Deacons elect arose and
said that he was opposed to dat name
Dat man Christ aUas aChite man, and I am
posed TO na15in dis ger meetin' house arte,'
ana erlaite man arhOmeSunaeUer. This settled
the question SO far as that name was con-
cerned, and it was not even mentioned
again. It would be profane to write this
if it were not an actual, positive fact.
Yours truly,
WILD CAT.
New Hanover County