The New York herald., 1874-10-11
OUR EBONY Idol.

Present and Prospective Condition Of
the Negro In His Home-Unclo Tom
Without . Cabin-Questions of Labor,
Production, Finance, Commerce and
Religion-Was Emancipat tion = Bless
ings
SAVANNAH, Ca. Oct. s, 1874.
Whether the negro will succeed In so shaping
the new condition OF life imposed upon him as to
secure the full advantages OF freedom and ad-
vance the general welfare OF his race is q ques-
ton that can only be answered by another gen.
GRAFTON. The experiment for nine years has cer-
tainly not been encouraging, for except among the
school children there are nowhere visible signs OF
mental or moral Improvement At his feet were
laid all the paraphernalia of the Freedmen's
Bureau, books and teachers and soldiers to protect
him whenever he was threatened in his material
interests. Northern men stood by to see that he
was not imposed upon In making contracts.
Churches were given TO him in which to worship,
and the government spent millions or dollars to
supply him with rations while preparing for the
start upon his new Never did people begin
life with airer opportunities for success greater
Inducements to achieve 1t. Thus far, however,
the country may look in vain for substantial re-
suits from all this effort in behalf OF the nations
wards, except In one respect Politically hts vote
has been conscientiOusly given to the republican
party since the hour when he was entitled to the
ballot That is all. Other phases Of his present
condition IL may be interesting to analyze here.
FIRST
UNCLE TON Is WITHOUT HIS CABIN
It's q significant fact that, while there has been
o constant demand for negro labor and at good
prices, not one in five hundred owns the
cabin in which he lives. Land may be
had for song and be paid for out
OF the crop; yet somehow the black man
fails either to buy or produce, though the end Of
season will find In the pocket OF almost every
worker, II he has not "wasted his substance In
riotous living" from $3.50 to 5000, ana more than
double this sum II the family have assisted. 1t is
however, one OF the curious results OF emancipa.
ton that feld labor has been almost entirely aban-
doned by the females and children. The former,
in imitation OF the whites, look after home AFFAIRS,
and perhaps the latter 90 10 school, Around the
cities. where negroes do more or less OF 'Job
work." you will now and then md shanty which
is the property Of the occupant II he takes board
ers, which is not unfrequently the case, 1t will
be crowded worse than tenement house In Bax
ter street, and the surroundings are anything but
savory. But he does not like to pay taxes on ever
SO little, and eventually, unless he has become
quite well TO do, he pulls up stakes emigrates and
reapses into his former condition. The ordinary
hut OF the lower class OF negroes is simply pile
OF logs laid at right angles, with door and one or
two wooden window shutters, and chimney out
side Within, you Will nnd few planks Knocked
together for q bedstead, sorry looking blankets
and bedciothes and In all sorts or odd utensils the
provisions with which they live from hand to
mouth. In short, the negro is taking care OF him
sell, and knows mono OF the best now TO do II IL
it wonder that the rate Of mortality among them,
and especially among the children, IL 80 great
UNCLE TOMS LABOR
The Southern people view with no little concern
the gradual depreciation OF colored labor. Those
VINO grew up In state OF slavery and ACQUIRED