New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-31

his opinions; he went to his piantation
and has worked for and made
comfortable living in spite OF the adverse
circumstances besetting every planter In the
present disturbed condition of the South. Mean
time he treated his negroes WELL aud tried to get
them to vote with him; but, failing IN that, con-
tinued TO treat them well, and trusted to time and
experience TO restore their reason. When Mr.. Gree
ley was nominated for President, he accepted the
olive branch thus proered by the Liberal Republi-
cans, and being placed on the Greeley and Brown
electoral ticket canvassed his district IN the hope OF
bringing both races to it's support Thousands OF
negroes admitted their debt to Horace Greeley.
acknowledged the justice of the Generals reasoning,
promised TO vote the Liberal Republican ticket and
then-dld no such thing Gen. Thomas saw that
the time for political reconciliation had not arrived.
and went back to his plantation ready to try again
should an opportunity offer.
USIFICATiON THE ROAD TO HARMONY.
he believes the eyes of the colored people were
partially opened by the soup detat of the l4th of Sep
TENDER and the succeeding events and is willing to
go to them again with offer of political unication
BE advocates the adoption of the rerre Bonnie plan
in his own parish, and like Gov Penn, urges that it
be tried IN New-Orleans where the whites are in the
majority. in order that in the negro parishes the
whites can with better grace ask the blacks to make
the experiment. Incidentally, he assured me OF the
loyalty of the intelligent white of
Louisiana, and of their unbrOken friend
ship for the other He deprecated the misrepre
senaion of the political situation IN the South by
party organs in the North, and wished that every
Northern voter could come and see for himself the
sad plight to which Louisiana has been reduced by
the misrule of adventufers. The people had con-
cealments to make they were not such tools as to
provoke OF desire enmity between the races or be-
tween sections: all they wished was peace, and 10
secure that they were ready To make any honorable
sacrifice have met no white in Louisiana
who not ready to subscribe to all the statements
thus made, and honestly believe them TO be true
CURIOUS TRAITS OF THE NEGRO
Nv host told several stories illustrating the pecu
arities Of character-his secretiveness gull
bility, political slavishness, and superstition in
religion. While he was planting IN another parish,
a well-known negro was reported missing from the
plantation. 1t was said by his fellows that he had
run away, but Gen. Thomas had reason to believe
otherwise and confded his suspicious to a colored
Justice of the peace, who at once had sort of in
vestigation of the case, but without making any
discovery. So the matter dropped from the memory
of the whites But more than year afterwards a
negro got drunk and in a quarrel said TO assocI-
ate. IF YOU don't take care I'll cut your
head of like / did s." This remark being
reported 10 the whites they caused the
arrest Of the man who made it, and this led TO
confession, from which 1t appeared that poor -
had really been murdered. He was attending a
prayer meeting when row took place and negro
who was a kind of plantation butcher took an i'm
mense meat-ax and severed his head at a blow
The strange part of it is that though the murder
was witnessed by half a score OF negroes and soon
became known to nearly every man on the planta-
ton the secret was faithfully kept for than
year-not only from the white men, but from those
negroes who were officers of Justice. How easily
the negro can be deceived by politicians was shown
by several incidents. One day Gen. Thomas was
surprised TO find his people measuring OFT his
land. Inqulrng what they were about he was told
that they We're "layin' off their forty acres
Forty acres For whatV We'll, massa, dey
say up dar in Donaldson dat we cullud people ali
gwine hab forty acres aud a mule. and we Thought
we mout s well lay our N of. But nebber you mind.
massa we amt rwine run you of. We let YOU stay
h var and work all de land you want" Being an
indulgcnt employer as he had been an induleent
master. the General thanked them for their kind
ness and left them to the enjoyment of their foolish
task.
THE NEGRO THE EMMY or HIS FRIENDS.
Another time negro came TO him and asked,
"Massa, what's dis dey call putin folks beyant de
lines ~ Beyond the lines'' Gen. Thomas told
hiIa what II meant in time of war. Bat the negro
wanted 10 know what it means now. and explained
his anxiety by saying that carpet dagger had an-
nOunced that ali cOlOred people who dld not vote
right in the coming election would be put outside
de lines Ob de Union" Il useless TO Try to dislodge
such ideas from the mind; 1t really seems tha'
a statement commands their belief according 70 It's
absurdity incredb lty, particularly II 1t lie made
bv "A low politician who will descend 10 eat,
drink and sleep in their cabins. They really
have no respect for such a fellow, but
in politics they viii follow him on pilgrimage TO
the moon The bad character of some of the
religions leaders of the blacks another subject
illustrated by my host. Their churches are nomi-
naly of the Baptist denomination, but many are
libel upon the OF that large active. and useiu
body of Christians They often become hotbeds OF
superstition and political heresy and all because
any conceited fellow who has " the gft Of CAB Is
allowed to become an exhorter. shepherd or a
preacher Many of these Otnce-bearers III the
Church cannot read a word of the Gospel they ex-
pound, and their texts are as likely to be found III
"Websters Spelling Book in the Bible, and are
still more likely to he the coinage of the speakers
own brain stamped with one or two words having
religious associations. But worse than all this
although there are here and there those who have
the germ of pietv in their hearts, and who do the
right as God glyes them to the right" many
more are addicted TO the worst practices, so
that it has become common for the negro preachers
10 be regarded as the worst of the lott No won
der that with such teachers the negroes are so often
found going astray Here is fine field for the edu-
Gated and pious colOred ministers who abound in
the Northern and Middle and few of the Southern
States missionary spirit could wish for no better
opportunity for useful exercise. with all their
ingnorance and prejudice, and with all their bad
habitsD said Gen. Thomas we can't get over our