The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-11-18
For the Journal
LOUISIANA CORRESPONDENCE.
The People of the Attakapas Coun-
try-Their Social Condition, State
ofsociety, Politics, &o.-The Ne.
groes-Their Condition.
" ISxRrA. La, Oct. 81. 1870

almost exclusively. The majority of these do
not come up to our ideas of a very high state
of civilization. Their dwellings are low frame
houses, walled with mud and moss, weather.
boarded on the outside, with the red mud
walls exposed and uncovered on the inside.
They have heavy batten DOORS window shut
ters ditto, and neither sash nor glass in the
windows. They have no carpets on their
floors, but an occasional coating Of pulverized
birch is applied TO the floors as g. substitute.
Their door yards are the receptaeles Of hogs,
fowls, dogs, cows and childrens, both black and
white. They never travel on foot, but always
ride when they go a distance of ten rods OF
moro, consequently they are noted for very
delicate and small feet. They are not very
energetic, and have no ideas of industry or
economy. They are very fond of gaming, and
often loose at the gaming table, in a few eve
nings, the years earnings. Many of them
are descendants of ancestors who, driven by
the English from Canada, then called Area
dias )emigrated to this State, which was then a
French Colony. These immigrants were des-
signated as Arcadians, corrupted by the ne
groes to the word Cajan, by which term they
are now generally known. They are, as a class
sharp traders, and a Yankee peddler would
stare in amusement at their petty schemes of
cheating, and their unfairness and trickery in
trading, buying or selling. They can cheat"
down east Yankee every time.
Some of the French population are high
toned honorable people, and "before the war"
lived in good style, though in a style peculiar
ly their own, differing in every way from the
American population. They are entirely
French in their education, habits and sympa-
thies They are better posted upon France
and Paris, and French politics, than upon the
United States, her institutions, and poll les.
They are inclined to be clanish, both socially
and politically. The French of all classes,
look with disfavor upon the immigration of
Yankees, by which term all people from the
north and west are designated here. They
are opposed to anything that will place the
| American element in the ascendaney. They
are more sensitive upon this than they are
upon politics, religion or slavery. This an
tagonism between the American and French
element, is absorbing all other issues, and
will be, for years the dividing point, especially
at local elections But the French element
must succumb to the superior energy, indus
try and thrift of Americans who are rapidly
filling up this garden of the south. The laws
OF state are published in both French and
American, and the local newspapers are prin-
ted N both languages. But under the new
regime the laws or statutes are to be published
for the future in American alone.
The Americans are, so far as have made
them acquaintance, very excellent people.
They ire high toned and honorable, and
are pleasant neighbours. They are decidedly
in favor of the immigration of northern peo-
pie, and the introduction of northern capital
and enterprise. They are laboring energetical.
ly and persistently torecuperate their ruin ed
fortunes, and to efface from tho country the
scars left by the war every where in the south
They take but little part in the politics, but
attend closely to their private affairs. They
do not manifest that vindictve prejudice
so common here among the ignorant and
lower classes. They will mingle and affiliate
frekly with good citizens from the North ant
West, who come among them with their house
hold goods, and identify their interests witt
the state and its inhabitants. They do no
hate the negro, as do the lower and more de
graded white trash, though think they ar
very decidedly opposed to negro suffrage, anc
hope to see the day when the coIored popula
ton will be deprived of this political privilege
I think, though, they will in time abandon
this idea, and take measures to CONTROL thi
note for the accomplishment of their own pur
poses.
The negroes here, as in other parts of tn
state, compose nearly one half the population
Their peouliarities are such as must always b
developed by life Of forced sarvitade, and al
inferior position. They are good laborers
that is they perform good days work, bu
are very unreliable. 4 planter may have
field full of hands one day, and not one on tn
next. They will "leave" upon the slightes
7 pretext, or upon no pretext at all. They keel
the planters in a state of perpetual uneasines:
and seem to take especial delight in showin
their independence in this way. Variou
means have been tried to remedy this evil
The most common Of which is to give them al
interest in the crop, or to retain one half thei
wages until the end of the year. But tn
colored man win leave without moment
notice, leaving back wages, or an ungathere
crop to console his employer for his absence
They do not pretend to regard the truth, bu
seem to-prefer an u.:truth, even when the
can see no apparent advantage to be game
by it. They are great lovers of Bhiskey, an
drink up more than one half their wage;
Almost every man of them has horse, from
one to six dogs and a double barreled sho
gun. A colored man is seldom seen on foo
unless while at his work. They almost invari
able ride, even from their quarters to the field
where they tie their horses on the headland
and turn rows while they are at work. Tn
horses which they ride are a species of creole
half pony, which can be purchased for from
| S2j to $50. They live upon grass, and ar
, seldom fed at all. The men spend Saturda,
afternoons and Sundays hunting, fishing ant
: drinking. The women visit, and loaf, anC
gossip The women bre, with but few excep
tions, lazy, idle and triAing in the extreme
They exc out living upon the mems rations
peck of corn and five pounds of pork week
with occasionally fish or fowl, and a few
potatoes. Many of them do not even cool
, their husbands meals, but leave them to d,
that after their long days work is done. TIL,
small portion of food consumed by a coloreC
laborer is truly incredible. A good squart
meal for northern white laborer, would las
one of these all day. They frequently havt
no breakfast but a cup Of coffee, little corn
bread and pork Tor dinner, and for supper tht
same They do not usually sit at table t,
eat, but take their food standing up, or sitting
on the ground, or in almost any way. Thel
will eat meal in q very few minutes. Or
; this scant fare they sill, one day with another
perform nearly double the labor which nor
] thern man viii accomplish in the same time
They are very courteous and polite, in thei
intercourse with the whites, are peacable
quiet and orderly. They will submit to grea
wrong and injustice, rather than provoke
controversy with the whites. for they full,
, appreciate the disadvantages Of their situation
and show greater wisdom in making the bes
OF their condition, thanI would have supper
! sed They are becoming disguested witt
T politics, and are quite indifferent as to VIII