The New York herald., 1875-08-25
Social and Political Condition Of
tka CoIOrcd People.
NEGRO EMIGRATION.
Jury Duty and Punish
ment Of Crime.
ACCUMULATION OF PROPERTY BY NEGROES.


publican and long resident the State 's still rude
community In the country districts the people are
what you would call careless OF law and apt TO take
revenge into their hands" And he instanced TO
me two acts OF assassination which had occurred within
six months great distance from Atlanta the VIC
tins being old citizens prominent men and democrats
One waylad and shot on the road, the other was
shot while sitting in his house at night "Politics,"
said this federal Office holderwho is, as you may i'm
agine a strong republican-"has nothing 10 do with
such crimes Such things occur not frequently by no
means constantly they happen because our people
arc in the MAN, not much above them. II man
onends wrongs another this other takes the law into
his own hands.
s'There has been no political crime, properly
called in State for three years said another
federal Office holder 70 rue, also Jealous republican,
and in position where he had the opportunity to know
whereof he spoke 'There is great deal of crime in
the State but it is political The general commu-
nifty apathetic; the magistrates often not active
ferreting criminals for fear of taking harm them
selves Matters improving but still rude men in
the country districts apt take the law in their
own hands Negroes are generally more openly at
tackled than white when they become the subjects
OF dislike by others; but otherwise, there is differ
cnce. The negro, usually, will not defend himself,
and thus encourages attack. The white man
Is formidable and his opponent lies in wait for
uc gave an eA'uupic, tnc CtISc HcSiO
who complained to United States officer that white
had beaten him the head with a stick. The
negrois hog had got into his white neighbours garden,
whereupon the beating and the request from the black
for the interference Of the United States government
'who the beat you?" ''Nobody sah-"
"were you and he alonef" "Yes sah" "And you
stood still let him beat your" the officers per
tnent question "Now," said he to me, 'you see the
black man then and there openly beaten III had
been white his antagonist would have lain in
wait for him after night and done him some severe in
jury. But II is not political"
On the day came to Atlanta news came there that
United States Deputy Marshal had been shot through
both legs, and had had his horse shot, in northern
county. This looked good deal like Ku Kux, and l
have such reported Ku Klux outrages
But the Marshal told mo his deputy engaged in
ferretng Illicit dstileries He had just captured
and destroyed three, aud the enraged
took their revenge him This business of illegal dis
tilng is followed a great extent in the mountain
region of Georgia and North Carolina and by repub-
Leans well democrats of course and these people
hate the sight of deputy marshal and do not hesitate
TO shoot at him, regardless of politics.
PUNISHMENT
Petit larceny is here, in other cotton States, the
principal the vexatious offence of the panta-
tion negro They excellent working force"
said than planter TO me- but they will steal
cattle hogs ana many otber things" IhlS crime IS
very severely punished in Georga-they relentless
toward it-and it results that negroes the
Pententiary and the chain gang for very long periods
for it. The severity of the would be with
nhuman but the crime is serious and frequent
satisfied that 1t must be checked with strong hand
amused TO discover that in many cases employers
refused prosecute their for theft the
ground in more than instance they frankly but
privately confessed TO me- they did not like TO be the
of such punishment and this feeling will,
suspect work its effect by and by causing milder
punishments to be favored.
NEGROES JURIEs.
There are only very few counties in Georgia where
colored drawn for jury duty. The constitution
Of the State. made by republicans declares that the
General Assembly shall provide by law for the selection
Ofuprigh and intelligent persons to jurors
There shall be distinction between the classes of per-
who compose grand and petit jurors" This
TO admirable regulation, but do think it is
fairly administered There doubt that properly
excludes the great of the negroes and also great
many whites and am told that jures generally
carefully selected But there certainly in the large
towns few coored who to the deA-
milton of upright and intelligent" and these
ought to be included in the jury lists. Here in
Atlanta, the other day, the coored people mad up
list Of $50 Of OF color whom they regarded
as ht jurymen and presented the Ordinary he
might select from itnames for the jury box, which,
understand, is drawn for two years service. They
that attention paid TO their request
spoke this subject with uncommonly intelli-
gent Georgian planter and business man. he said that
in his county the negroes complained Of their exclusion
but he thought it wise 'sThe most intelligent Of them
often the worst, he said; and TO the negro the
jury box, with its handsome daily pay, heavenly
They would all like TO Juries This last is true
enough; the plantation negro naturally likes jury duty
and the pay 81 So day, to him
prtncey, WHILE Of course, he Is shamefuly unfit
Nevertheless, the wholesale exclusion is neither right
nor wise; and 1t is one Of the causes why many
groes have emigrated from the State; Of course the
most intelligent leave first
coLoRED LGDoRERs.
You hear good deal Of complaint, both among
planters and in the cities about the unsteadness Of the
negro laborer house servant was little puz-
zcd this lrst, because in other States heard
very few such complaints But number Of planters
and citizens later explained to the cause ''who-
pays his black aborers regularly and honestly
get as many he wants all times and they will work
faithfully" said South Georgian planter to ne-a
rough man. whose conversation some respects i'm
pressed unfavorably "Come down into my
country" he added "and Ill show you plantations
standing idle whose will tell you that the niger
won't work and III show you plantations right along
side Of them where 100 hands work faithfully year after
year and don't think Of moving away. All you've got
TO do Is to pay them honestly and sell them nothing,
and you won't complain. don't keep make
the nggers go OF to the village That's what they want
and pay cash that's all they want; aud | can get
100 extra hands whenever want; and Pm not an easy
going othor.n The same story heard from
citizens 'Where complains that his SER
wants leave him youll find tha: his wife has
paid them in drDIets, dollar and half dollar
another time They don't understand accounts; they
spendthriits, and at the end Of the month"; when
they have but little due them, they think they have
been cheated and 20 OF dissatisfied suffered in this
way for WHILE but. now pay them their whole
months wages punctually at the day their
month Is out and they never leave me Punctua and