Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-03-11

ten BROAD, ana more 1cFtitc tinia etsiS'
1t Ii asserted that more cotton was
produced on the island OF st. Hele'
ma i'm 1874 than ever before, and this
lis given on the authority of the cot
ton merchants who place the figures
Mt thousand bales, each bale worth
two hundred dollars. Most OF this
was produced by the labor OF colored
men and women; for women are
equally good Iaborers with men.
This year, If the season il propi-
tious, and the cotton worm does not
devastate, much more will come TO
market.
Court has been in session here for
the last three weeks, and as the col
ored people have the largest interest
In the docket, being much the larger
part Of the community, they
thronged the city from an parts OF
the district, and passed our door, to
and fro, each day, and gave me am
pie opportunity to note the change
for the better since 1862. All were
now comfortably dressed-many
neatly and tastefully; all wore
shoes. ! noted twenty-five men
together one morning, discussing
some subject Of interest. Nota patch
was visible, on pants or coat; and
well BACKED shoes testified to their
desire to be like others, "shiny."
The elder people hold fast to old Gus
toms, wear turbans on their heads,
and carry loads to market with the
same upright step as Of old.
But the young good sewers, many
of them luxurlate in calico, flounces,
bias folds, and double skirts equal to
white folks. Fancy basques are
quite the style, and flowers, feathers
and beads find ready market-and II
bright coIors predominant, they only
follow nature, who arrays ell her
domain hereabout with her most
brilliant hues.
The outskirts Of the city show nu-
merous small, snug houses, new and
comfortable, and the plantations
here and there are adorned with new
fences, and wear altogether more
thrifty looks than the deserted lands.
New meeting houses, built and fur
nished by these Iaborers, are scattered
about the neighborhoods.
Not beggar's hand has been ex-
tended to me since / came to Beau
fort.
Mark me, I only wish to say there
is iDaproUeDfent. Doubtless the older
people will live and die much after
the enforced habits Of their early
years, just as other nations and peo-
pie do; but the young will take on
new thought and feeling and follow
examples set for them by those
whom they will consider snperiors
for a century to come. Already
young men reel by from the licensed
liquor saloon and drive their ON,
horses too fast for the comfort or
health of the brutes. The young
whites are more apt to drive the
horses Of other people to the death.
An ambition Of the freedman is to
own horse or mule, and thousands
of them have reached that point.
The next Is piece of land; and 80
they creep toward freeman's estate.
Far from perfect, necessarily very ig.
norant, full of superstition, want
ing in true moral perception,
very emotional, and badly
led astray by those in whom
they trusted, there will be much
confusion and trouble for years to
come. But If the Capital city Gf
your State can allow five hundred
masked men to walk into its public
buildings, gag its public officers, and
cruelty hang its lawfully sentenced
criminals to It's lamp posts, and not
an African among them, what shall
we expect of a State where three
fifths or more Of its people, blacks
and whites, can neither read nor
write, miserably neglected, unim-
proved and poverty-stricken rs are
the inhabitants of these islands. The
blacks are not all to blame. Twelve
years Is too soon to make estimates
Of what may be. Let us give them
at least half century to outgrow
the past; for this must be done e.
they can take up the issue of life ms
those do who have had the culture OF
centuries behind them.
This winter has been unusually
chilly, and men will freeze and growl
because they can't get "niggers to
chop their wood for a fire and let
wives and children suffar. IF fhny