Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-04-05
sS SHR Vol. q, NO. 3.
THE NEGRO.
Mr.. Pollard mEkes Clean Breast Of 1.-THE
Thrif and Energy Of the Blacks.
lFrsrl Lippinestt's Msgazips.l


The writer has to confess that he
was educated in that common school
of opinion in the South that always
insisted on regarding the negro as
specially inferior to the white man
q lower order of human beings, who
was indebted for what he had of civ
iliZation TO the tuition of slavery,
and who, taken from that tuition,
was bound 10 retrogade and to re-
lapse into barbarism and helpless
ness. The writer was even advan-
ced in this school. He had been
fond of writing his opinions upon the
subject-that the negro was an infer
ior species OF humanity that by the
employment Of his initiative facul-
ties had obtained his maximum of civ
ilization in the condition of slavery ;
and thatto emancipate him would be
to put him on the high road TO ruin.
Educated thus To disesteem the ne
gro, yet always havinga compassion
ate interest in him-admiring in him
his extraordinary qualities of humor
and tenderness, INDUCING number
of poetic fancies in him, grown by
education and habit sentimental tow
ards him, yet constantly insisting
that he was poor, intellectually
helpless creature, who never could
get along outside the leading strings
of slavery-the writer was prepared
to witness with pity what the whole
South arranged itselfto see-the mis-
fortune and inevitable decline of the
negro from the moment his emanci-
patton was declared.
The South has seen no such thing.
Whatever may DO the vanity of opin-
ion which compels men to persist in
error, or yet more frequently to be
silent under the Conviction, the wri-
ter comes sharply before the public
with this confession: That his for
mer views Of the negro were wrong
that the results Of emancipation es-
pcclally have been the reverse of his
expectations--a surprise, the force of
which ne can neither resist nor con-
tain, 50 keen has been that surprise,
that from tho worry intensity OF il The
writer is moved to communicate IL
70 the public He feels more like ex-
claiming, "a discovery I" than writ
ing in any more deliberate mood of
the profit he has obtained concerning
tho new condition Of tho negro. It.
is that this singularly questionable
creature has shown capacity for
education that has astonished none
more than his former masters that
he has given proofs of good Citizen
ship which are constantly increasing;
that his development since emancipa-
ton 10 at5nding surprise to candid
observers among the Southern whites
themselves that his condition since
has been on the whole that of pro-
gress, and in face of difficulties that
would soon have tested and broken
down that progress had it been fac
titious or dish nets and that, so far
from being stationary barbarian or
hopeless retrogade, the formerly
despised black man promises TO be-
come true follower of the highest
civilization, new object of interest
to the world, and exemplary citizen
Of the South.
Every year since the conclusion Of
the war ! have been in different
parts Of the South l have conversed
with oil classes of people there |
have enjoyed the condition of a good
observer. have observed the re-
markable good order in civilized life
which the negro has maintained since
the day he was emancipated l have
seen that he is sober, law-biding-
that he has gone into his new condi-
ton with an adaptation less than
wonderful have witnessed the zeal
with which the black people are avail
ing themselves of the schools and
means of education | have observed
in Southern cities the animated daily
routes of their children to the schools !;
| have noticed the industry of the
negro-its steady undeniable increase
in the South | have wondered at
the remarkable thrift by which he
has obtained from his scanty wages
not only q livelihood, but degree of
comfort and decency of dress such as
he had never before seen; / have
been pleased to sec his manifesto
tons Of seli-respect, the pride shown
in dress and manners and above all
| have found in him sense Of i'm
portance and responsibility conceived
from the idea that he is on trial be-