Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-10-24
TEE NATIONS WARDS.
An Ab3iitiOnist Revising Bis own
Work.

Parker Pittsburg, one of the original
Abolitionists, is writing letters from
Charleston, s. c., to the New York
Revolution, "the woman's paper" from
which we make the following extract:
Push woman suffrage at the North
against all obstacles and opposition, sparing
nothing. sacred or profane, thatlies in your
way. But meantime we may rest the suf-
frage question here, for a period, at least,
until some much more elementary culture
and elevation is secured. He surely must
have a low estimate of the solemn respOn-
sibilities of a government involving the
liberty, the person, the property and life
of every individual in that govern
ment. who would force the ballot on thou
sands and thousands to be seen all over the
South. And forced it was on many men,
wherever the slaves have voted as much as
were ever their tasks in the cotton field.
They knew no more and cared no more for
what they did in voting than if they were
as infantile in years as they are IN citizen
ship and in political experience.
'.The white people here pirate continually
of negro ignorance and inferiority. But
they should remember that they themselves
have had the teaching and the training of
them through 10 of their generations, and
this, of which they now complain, Is the
melancholy result Intemperance here is
frightfully prevalent, and the colored people
share almost universally in the evil. The
whisky here is diabOlical, and yet they ap-
pear to love it more than anything else,
women as well as men. They drink it red
hot from the barrel. clean and pure, and
have seen mothers pour it thus down the
Threats of their six months old babes. And
what is worse there are very few white
men who employ them to any extent, that
do not keep a barrel on tap, and furnish 1t
to them whenever better bargain, ormore
work, can be had thereby.
The marriage tie Is not even beau knot
among them. There is no tie about 1t as
general fact On the plantations very few
children, very few, are born. lntantlclde
is common, it is said but marriage is rare,
unless forced upon the parties, and that Is
not frequent In the towns 1t Is somewhat
better than in the country, but every where
apparently, among these poor beings, the
legal restraints of marriage are but little
regarded. As TO any idea of comfortable
housekeeping in the rural districts, and they
comprise almost the whole South, it is all a
mystery vet to be revealed, even to its first
principles. There are generally no stated
times for meals. No family meal seems ever
to be provided The men cook their own
hominy or rice when they get ready, and
so do the women. 1t is eaten clear
to this day, as in slavery times, or with
little most unsavory and attempting
bacon. but oftener clear than any other.
Among hundreds of these poor beings, l
have not seen one single knife or fork; or
any spoons but tin ones, that were never
worn thin by securing. Thousands Of
slave-uuarters have no floors, none of them
GLASS window, and very few, where have
been. a decent chair, still less table or bed.
I saw infants and very young children
naked from morning to night; and boys, OF
at least a dozen years, with only single
| garment. and that but a scanty apology.
| Many women, young and old, had little on
above the waist, and nothing below the
| knees. and were doing days works that not
a white man in New England or New York
| could perform At a railroad depot, last
week, was detained an hour for the train
| Several colored women were also waiting
| some with child or two, whose heads they
were diligently exploring, and, as l saw,
| not without the most loathsome success.
| One old woman laid her head in the lap OF
a younger one, and then regular Ku-
| Klux Klan search was instituted through 1t,
with results. too, of which need not now
speak.
The ballot may be the one thing neediul
there; but it seems to me, soap, sand, fine
tooth combs, pots, kettles, chairs, tables,
knives, forks, spoons, decent food, cooking
and clothing, glass windows, and look
ing glasses, should at least go side by side,
if they may not precede the rights of suft-
rage and Of sovereignty.