New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-30

died and others were sold away from him,
thirty years ago or more. Where they are,
or whether they are alive Or dead, Old doe
knows no more than you do, and never Will
know in this world. He cOua1s them over
ON his fingers often, 80 that he will not tor
got the names of them.
"A!l dead or sold OF when they was pick
arinnies, master. The Lord above knows
vhar they are now. All but Nt'ls Moso'
Little Nose WAS left
Little Nose was the youngest the whltest
sk,nned, most spirited of them all. The
white blood had gained the mastery over
the negro in this boys veins, as 1t does
everywhere else. and Nose was as slender,
straight featured and ''iery hearted as any
Southern gentleman ln the land OF the
mAgnOlia and the knocking b.rd. Nose was
| like his mother, who was nearly white
l have told you what Old Joe's father
and gr udtather did for America. What
could poor, spirltless niggsr Ike O!d Joe
do? He could not Il GIT, that is certain.
| Seven generations OF secvltude had not lett
much OF the spirit of tgat IN Joe Besides.
he was devout Christian, and bis ignorant.
foolish soul believed that the Christian re-
llsion really meant Moeknees, patience and
submission. and returning good for evil.
But there are some Southern ladies and
gentlemen who would not tonight De sleep
ing peacefully III their beds only tor this
pooc stupid Old Joe. Most likely Joe
saved the lives of some OF the Very men
who But We have not come To that YET.
Old Joe, poor. ragged, stupid Otd Joe, did
that which makes MIN tho Christian hero
OF his race.
He was Old Joe before the late war-he
is q very old joe nov, eighty years old, az
least. In tho midst OF the wax JOe per-
IOrmed has heroic work for the wlite man
II was at the time tina. the North had
begun to permit the enlistment OF negro
soldiers, and the sOmewha. remote district
of the South il which joe ate the corn
bread of slavery was full OF tho craziest
rumOrs and the widest excitement. 1t was
currently reported and believed that an
army of 10000 "niggess' and AZ indefinite
number OF white mel was on its way TO
that particular county to destroy tho face
of oIeatiou and run the slaves Oft tor re-
cruits to the Northern army. Southern
chivalry, what there was left OF IL IN the
country, was terrified out OF it's boots, It
you'll excuse mo for saying it, AID an
anxious watch was kept on the negroes.
Ore night Joo asEed his master tor pass
70 @ to Methodist meeting. Presently
another slave came to the master With the
same request, and another and another,
until the master suddenly remembered that
every one OF his slaves had asked for pass
tc 90 to Meth List meeting. Iua1 he re-
membered that the same thing had happened
a few days before 1t looked suspicious.
In a day or two more the negroes ali asked
to 20 to another Methodist meeting. This
evening the master BACKED his face and
dressed in negro clothes and followed on to
the Methodist meeting himself. IL was the
kind of Methodist meeting thai maize the
slave owners hair stand on end In the
midst of dense thickst several hundred
etaiwars negroes were holding meeting by
tOrchlight. Tho master noticed that each
man, az he came in, bent and touched the
ground with his forehead and lai.i his finger
on his lip as he arose. lac master did tas
same, and was admitted WITH the rest. Con
ceaIiDg himself in the shadow be listen al
anxiOu,ly to catch the drift Of this curious
Methodist meeting The talk was carried
on in low tone, but presently the master
discerned that tho negroes were actually
discussing whether when the Yankees
came, they should join the Northern army
quietly, or whether they should not rise Il
d mass aud frs murder all taelr masters!
You may well believe the masIer hid him
self close. The voices we're mostly for il
surrsotiOn and blood. Oua after another
recounted the wrongs he and his had re-
ceived from the white man. Then power
full, graceful young man arose IL silence,
threw of the single coarse garment which
covered him, and while fierce comrades
held torches near, lie turned himself quickly
around and around in sight of all. His
back and shoulders were covered with fresh
welts and CACHES, from which the blood was
still flowing. The youth turned himself
thus slowly around till all had eeen tee
marks. and then suddenly exclaimed, in a
stern, wrathiul voice:
Boys shall We not murder our masters
ave, ayeU echoed deep, vo1gsful
mutterlnys all around him
.Bo-s" said the youth, my own brother
done thar. He knows, and know. he is
my brother; and he done that, Saall We
not kill our masters first"
"Aye, ayei' muttered the voices. deeper,
more wicked than before. And Old negro
rose slowly to his feet, aud leaned or an
oak stick The negro was Old Joe.
"Boys,' said Joe, IN his mild, qu.veci1g
voice, -! have been member OF the
Methodist Church thirty years, and l have
heard many preachers, white an black, AMI
they ali tell me- that Jesus said do good Tor
evil. The white man has f9gged Us, and
fed US like hogs. and shot US down like
wild beasts. but, thanks to the blessed
Jesus, feel it in my pore ole heart to tor.
give it all. Let rs sing:
You may beat upon my body
But you ca not harm my SOU
For I'll jine the forty thousand by al by
That's the way to glorify the Lord
mercy y said the fiery boy, contemptu-
ously, I'VE will hunt them with blood
hounds, as they hunt US. We will shoot
them down like dogs, as they shoot us.
Who talks of mercy!'
A din OF angry voices followed the out.
burst. but in the midst OF al. could be heard
tae tremulous, solemn voice OF poor Old
Joe.
Jesus said do good for evil "
He stood his ground IN tina midst leaning
on MS oak stick, expostuiatsd, preached
sad reasoned, and to all the outourscs o.
fury the cracked trsmuious voice Of poo-
Old Joe opposed the one invincIbIe aryu-
meat
Jesus said do good fo- evil"
The gentle, trembling voice of the old
negro preacher Gained the negroes at last,
and conquered them, ana they finally
agreed not TO murder their masters, bat
s!nply t. jpn the Yankee army when it
c anne
Old Joe saved the lives and property Of
hundreds Of white people that night. LIS
ten, now, and hear what the white man
did for him.
The war was over and the negroes we're
tree. Tue finger of fate pointed TO future
wh6n the black mans right would be no
more questioned than the white mans. Then
thu only ambition that stupid. ignorant old
man ever manifested in his life came out
You would never have thought i. OF him.
bat here i. was that Oil Joe began, in his
stupid, old Niger way. to move the world
10 secure an education for young Nose. the !
ONLY Child he had left. New lite and new
blood seemed to come into his sluggish |
veins for the time. He sent Nose to school |
il the North, Old Joe worked and |
''skimped," and many a day would have
liked little more for his dinner, but in the |
course OF time this only child was .'edi;- |
Gated well ald thoroughly.
Now, though. came the most genuine dis |
tress OF all. Cultured, high spirited and
nearly white though he was, there was NO