Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-11-14
THEAss.
TIE SOUTHERN NEGRO.

chance, then, had strangers to become
acquainted with his nature and char.
acteristics. During the war he showed
no disposition to obstruct the efforts OF
his former owner; after the war he was
set above the latter by military power
and directed by the carpet.baggeri and
only OF late has he been left to himself
to show what he can do, with every
chance of improvement in his favor
As the negro vote is become so large
an element in the government
of tho country, it seems about
time that the class that throws
il be better understood. All citizens
alike are profoundly interested TO know
what is the nature Of the new element
with which they are equally TO share
the franchise, All reliable information,
therefore, will be eagerly welcomed
that will help to make the matter clear
and ineligible. A Massachusetts citi-
zen-Mr, George r. Stetson-has ie-
Gently given the public the result of his
personal Investigations in letter en-
titled "Thc Southern Negro as He Is"
which emhodies answers to questions
addressed by him to men of both races
at the South, many Of which are given
without any change whatever.
In this result OF his Investigations he
presents the Southern negro just as he
is, morally, socially and politically, and
it is picture from which but little en-
couragement or hope is to be derived.
He asserts that il is a grave mistake TO
suppose that the negro is easily under
stood or readily classified. One must
know him from an intimate intercourse
of years, and then he says nothing has
been definitely found out. Those who
have lived all their lives with him con.
fess that he is past finding out. Natur-
ally religious, he is almost wholly
emotional. He has "very little active
sense of virtue and vice as such, or as
principles of action" He never con.
siders more than tho immediate conse-
quences Of bis action, and rarely the
question of right and wrong. Copjugal
fidelity is generally disregarded. That
is not an aboriginal and general senti-
ment, for the lowest races do not culti-
vate the institution of marriage. In
regard to property he is obllvions OF
the doctrine of melnl and tuum he
cannot be made to believe that stealing
is sin. The besettlng sin of the negro
in both sexes is sensuality. His sense
OF friendship and gratitude is small He
Is held by contract only so long as he
thinks it for his advantage, attaching
no sanctity 10 his promise. Being en-
tirely emotional, he is intensely super
stitious. But the race is thoroughly
infected with ietichism that is native
to Africa. In the duties Of practical
religion it is extremely deficient In
Georgia, OF the white population, there
is one Church member to every 2.42
persons; of the blacks, one to every 4.02.
The negro does not love labor for its
own sake he prefers the irregular and
indolent habits OF the Aborigines. Nor
is he fond of labor as means to an
end. His physical capacity for it is
good, but except for rude employmcnts
he is not adapted. lie never improves
on his method of doing thing. He Is
improvident not working to accumu-
late nor knowing how to spend what
he has earned economically. In his
work he needs surveillance, and works
all the better for IT, lie is easily con-
trolled selfsustaining only by the
smallness Of his wants and prefers
frequent holidays to continuous work
If he has desire for education, it is
based on n love Of novelty and of dis
play. The negro boy has good mem
ory, but his desire TO learn exhausts
itself at about the age of fifteen. The
negro does not cherish a hope of either
social or mental equality with the
whites. In the towns and cities he
displays vanity instead Of pride, but on
the plantations he has not even that
The rising generation OF Southern
blacks ispronounced to be deteriorating
in every way-physically, mentally,
and morally. II is not so much in
clined to work OF any kind as the one
that is going off the stage. The females
are Withdrawing from plantation labor
and demanding to be supported like
"white folks" Insanity is frequent
and increasing. The negro's memory
is much better than his judgment. He
is incapable Of reasoning, and, there
fore, must remain improvidcnt. If he
has money he spends it on the first
things that strike his fancy, without
regard 10 the wants Of his family.
All that bc knows about politics Is
"thc color.linc." He has no concep.
ton Of the general interests of society,
'fearipg chiefly the vengeance of his
own rasc. Tho women will abandon
their husbands for voting against their
wishes They are swaycd principally
by the fear Of losing their freedom,
upon which designing men play. The