Smyrna times., 1869-07-07
.MISceIIU IL e us.
Harriet Beecher Stoves Experience
Among the Negroes.

harriet BeecneF STOVES experience |
Among the Negroes.
Mrs. Stowe has written an article to Hearth
and Home, from which we make the following
extracts:
We have received letter from lady friend,
conveying to u an absurd statement with re-
gard to some of our own sayings and opinions,
which has been travelling around through diff
ferent papers, but which we have never yet
thought it worth our while to notice. The
statement is to this effect-that Mrs. Fl. B.
Stowe, by travelling and residence in the South
ern States. has been led entirely to alter her
opinion of the negro race, and has been heard
to express the desire that she may yet live long
enough to write book to expose their follies
and vices.
We need not say that this is clear, sheer
fabricatiOn-a story made out of whole cloth,
without even a thread of truth in it. But
since it has introduced the subject, we will
take occasion to deliver a plain, unvarnished
tale of exactly what our personal experience
has been among the negroes Of the South.
| Some two or three years ago, we, with some
other parties, became interested i'll a cotton
plantation on the St. Johns River, and en-
pIoyed about thirty families of negroes. AS
the war had broken up all relations of place
iu the slave population, these negroes were
from all parts of the South-trom Maryland,
Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia
and Louisiana-in short, they were pretty
fair resume of the average slave population of
the South
During the four weeks that we were there,
it was the custom of the family to go to bed,
leaving the outside doors wide open, unless In
the Case OF extreme stormy weather. Our ia
Bile used to stand set for breakfast, with our
silver upon it; the key which locked the pan
try and the provision closet hung up in the
open hall and yet no robbery was ever com.
mtted. These people were poorer than any
conception of poverty which we generally form.
They had literally nothing but their hands and
the clothes on their backs. The furniture and
trinkets, and articles of dress and of ordinary
home comfort, which were brought down by
our ladies', evidently excited the most longing
desire; for they would sometimes beg for them
with the simplicity OF children; but never,
that we know of, was an article taken.
1t was our custom to keep the store-room,
where the corn-meal and meat were lodged,
locked also a smaller closet, where tobacco,
sugar, molasses, rice, and other such smaller
+ luxuries, were kept; but, as have said before,
the keys were easily accessible had there been
, any determined purpose of stealing. But no
such was manifested.
RI In our present abode, we are living in an
orange plantation; we have only two or three
: negro families under our employ, but there is
considerable colored population scattered up
n and down through the woods in our neighbor.
hood.
The orange crop is, as every one must see, an
L attractive one, and yet we have no trouble
from any percep:ibe depredations upon it. Ii
this respect, our experience is much more
agreeable than that of people who own frui
orchards in the North.
All we have to say is, that no noticeable o.
4 embarrassing depredatiOns are committed. W.
also do not pretend to give the facts of our Owl
, observations for more than they are WORTH
Others may have different experience-w
simply contribute ours.
In regard to industry, faithfuness, and fair
ness in fulfilling working contracts, it was tn
opinion Of gentleman, whom we consulted
= that the freed people were fairly on par will
I the average hands to be hired in the North
no better and no worse.
In regard to general morality, the freedmen
on our place had those vices which are neces
sarily engendered by slavery. The men live
with women, as they had done before, withou
a marriage ceremony. We tried to Undue
? them to form legal marriages, and found tn
men, for the most part, unwilling to submit
sr the yoke of matrimony.
II got another wife in Virginny," sal
Nose, 'Tand lot O chil'ren thar, and don
know which like the best"
pc Il like Luce" said Tom but don't kno'
{. as shall keep on likin' her alters, and don
- want to promise will. !"
~ The parties, however, were perfectly faithfl
"A to each other for ths time being, conductin
: themselves, in all respects, as any good, deceu
ck hammered couple might. There were betwee
twenty and thirty children on the place, and q
the men and women worked in the field, the:
- children spent the livelong day in rolling abol
in the white sands and tending babies. The
was very little quarreling, no swearing, an
4 though there may have been vulgar and in
z proper language, we never happened to he
any The children used to chatter round Il
house like the jays in the trees they we
dirty and ragged, but apparently kindly ter
pered and abundantly happy.
. There was the most affecting desire amor
all classes to learn. A quantity Of spellin
books brought by US was received among the
| with enthusiasm, and every Sunday our vera
da was thronged with learners. Many poo
'IJ stupid. looking women, after plOughing all d.
- In the field, would come up at night with tn,
spelling books, and beg US to teach them In
evenings.
Like all the negroes, they had an uninstrr
ted but very strong religious proclivity. Pray
meetings appeared to be their only recreatit
aud after working all day they would pray, a