, 1875-04-23
THE NEGRO AB 4 LhNDUOLDEn.

THE NEGRO A6 4 LhNOU0LDEn.
Alr. CHARLES NoRDuorF'a tottcrs from Ar.
ka,isas to tho New York Herald havo con-
tained somo gratifying accounts of tue prog
ress Of the colorel people in that State. Too
many persons, discouraged becauso the great
work Of reconstruction Inns not been finished
of prottily and completely within fow short
years, have falleu into the habit Of imagining
PoApEr, ox-slaye, freedman, and voter, rs 4.
lazy parsonage WHO sleeps in the daytime,
steals chickens and pigs nt night, votes carly
md often, and lives OF the toiliug whites
This picture is rs untrue to nature rs tint
drawn by another clique Of extremists In
tho hitter, CEsAn AUGUSTUS works passion.
ately from sunrise to sunsot, letting 60 of thu
plow only to wipe the dew Of honest toll
from lis forehead, md catch, meanwhile, n
glimpse Of the spclling-boo1t tied to the
handle; that ho spends tho evening
studying by tho light OF d blazing pino-knot
that llo votes consciontiouSly, but ut tho risk
Of his life; that lie is tho constant proy OF
unprincipled whites. Humble, virtuous:
studious, laborious, he is n tll1sky paragon,
Now tho truth lies between these absurd ex
tremes. PoNrEYs there ore, aud Cesar Au~
0usrusEH there may he, hut there in also {,
great crowd Of ToMs, Dicza, and HAnnYs,
who are Mother great saints nor great sinners,
mud who are making good citizens Of them
selves III o why that promises safe solu-
ton Of that sectional monstrosity known 81
the Southern question. There aro 40, 900
colorcd voters in Arkansas, and 5000 OF these
ex-slaves own farm or a house and lot in n
town. This is, perhaps, relatively
bcred that the gain has boen mado
during seycn years Of political strife
md domestic insecurity, and ulado by people
just lifted out Of tho barbaria,n Of slaycry.
Seven years ago, tho 10000 voters owned
themselves for the FIRST time. It is no srnal3
matter TINT 1000 Of these men llayo bound
themselves to tho soil, since then, by the
strong tie Of ownership. Besides these 1000
owners, other thousands have rontel land.
They lease lots Of from ono 10 ono hundred
acres, and either rny fixed rent or cnltivate
tho ground on shares. It is impossible to
estimnto exactly tho number Of negro ton
ants, but it is supposed to considerably e1-
coed that Of tho negroes who own tho land
on which they live. Moreover, many colored
citizons Of Arkansas Ind little Buns Of money
deposited in tho Frccdman's Savings Iauk.
Had not TINT great swinale collapsed, good
part OF these deposits would Gro this have
been invested In Arkansas acros. Tho old
time planters favor the permanent settlement
Of the blacks on tho lands they It'll, aud aro
said to be glad to sell or rent to tlleir former
slaves. Several ex-alAyes Of Gen. CuuncI1-
Ill, now ate-Tfcasurer, lease 10 or TO acres
apiece from their old master. Such COM
mingling of interests cannot fail to destroy,
moro or lcss quickly. tho odioua " "color-1ino,
and so bring into existence at tie South tic
two parties which divided it mp to 1860, and
wcro finally fused together only by tho lot
breath Of war. The Presidential election Of
1860 showed Southern anti-aecession.D Demo.
cratic majority Of 10000 votes. The sur
viyora Of tho men who cast those votes are
kept inside the Democratic party now on
~ by tho existence Of tho color
line. As TINT misclaievous distinction
fades oway, the unholy alliance of Union
Wing and Bourbon Democrat eau no longer
be kept intact. The two factiona will sep
arate. The inevitable division Of oil political
communities into q progressive and con-
seryative party will come to pass. Negro
land.owniug will be o powerful factor in tals-
ing tho negro, as such, out Of eolor-line poll
tscs' "come, happy day!"