The New York herald., 1877-02-05

waist which other than delicate and n vas Sc
whose an,ecedents may have invoved the Co.
ercive detention OF forgotten mules ut places
wncn were 20. aesaetve Tor them Into that
unchroniced past shall not permit my curiosity TO
ntrude Her fcet as she stood we're sunk deep IN tho
mud but her ankles BETRAYED their nnocen. nudity.
We paused. "Where IS your husband ?" She sus-
pended upltted stroke and stared Her gaze had a
vacant light. caused by the color Of her optical orbs
which was like that 0f the mari Of her native Florida
We repeated the query with than former CON-
"'Lonzo 'Lonzo!" She shouted. The denouement
was unexpected. yawning specimen OF the scorn-
cracKer,' with yellow har appeared a the with
the aspect OF having been reused from twenty years
snmbcr, like that OF our RIP Van winko But before
he had cast his eyes on were wendi ne our way
onward, tho information for which the late spectacle
had gwen US q desire was not such he would have
willingly gwen us. The Amazon when we looked
back was standing statute.ke, with akimbo and
shouted -"Hycre's my old man, 'Lonzo; but reckon
yer don't want ter see HIM nohow, Tor he amt no ac-
count"
We wero satisfied. Her rcpor. seemed only TO con.
firm our observation. and the negro remarked:--
'These hyere no 'kount white iccrs amt good for
nulhn In dis world but ter suck har 'backer pipes an
once IN while ter Jump deer with cur outer do
thicks"
.'How do they llvee"
"Wel. dey insists Off NV do watery sweet taters
what de wimnn raises of DO sandy se in dc gardens
and of dc 'coons, possums and sometimes do docr
what dey happens for tor GIT spite der Harnesses"
"Do the sweet potatoes grow we'll in this gray
sandS"
''well yaas; rccken dey does, right SMART,
wn subsidized into political talk. Ny dusky inter-
locutor thought that the
imbued with just as pure blood their neigh hbors
who formerly were shareholders. They had remained
in tho grip OF poverty because they had never
abo to delegate labor 10 others, mad the rich plan
ters. The constitutional characteristic which tho
latter was dubbed "prde" the laxincss OF which
the former are SO Justly accused. Tho negroes
beginning to speak OF the planters with contempt SIM
liar to that which they have always bestowed upon
poor white trash;" and this Is duo TO the TACT that
their perceptions have been sharpened by freedom
and they apalyze The distinctions which they Tor
merly dumbly accepted as constituting differences.
POLITICAL NECESSITIES PLANTERS
oil froIn he hQla anca
Of some OF his stump oratons, the elect OF which
foows:-
from toll and the poverty which the has inflicted
are influences which render their suation day by day
more desperate. More circumstances OF a nature 10
impel them resist the lessons OF the conflict now
exist than ever before. They had obtained The gov
ernmcnt 0 Florida through fraud ana corruption, and
II would inevitably be welded 10 restore as far as pos
sble the old order Of things. The Infamous vagrant
laws which were enacted just alter the ''surrender'
would DO revived The dream OF secession was not vet
over. "!hey are expert in decciviug and overawing
our people who have never yet emerged from the
shadow 0f the house oil bondage. The leaders the
coiored people are superior to such influence their
only resource is encouragement Of the impulse which
hrst naturally occurs 10 the oppressed aborer here.
That Impulse rs the kndiing OF the torch 1t the
only instrument lett US by which TO bring the planters
iitlcal necessities demand its we will carry 1t
through the land"
TEE POISON CUP.
Such bold undsguised threat was startling enough
but was not unprepared to just such conf
dence In south Carolina and Georgia had been aI,
palled by the frequency Of inccndiary SO far
as nave travelled IN the South The negroes seem To
deem IL perfectly legitimate means OF efecng their
ends, and believe that many desperate politicians Of
the democratic party have been snaken IN many Of
their bitter purposes and gwen pause" by their
knowledge OF the facility with which conspiracy
having Tor its insignia the and tho poison bowl
could be consummatod. Northern citizens may sneer
a ths assertion as that Of an aarmlsi but Is wholly
justified 6y the spirit which pervades the political
mosphcre in the South. The negroes make secret
OF their determination to pursue the policy Of destruc
ton II tho whites do not respect the sanctty OF their
privileges. They freely gave IL utIeranco In their
gatherings during the late political CANVASS and have
repeated IT many times since.
PERIL MISTAKEN IDENTITY
experienced further illustration OF the intense ha
tired with which the carpet baegers persccut
cd in the South We stopped Tor dinner al cross road
where Is clustered small hamlet My negro squire
without my knowledge sttode about, talking cxtrava
gantly OF politics, and even by his braggadocio pro-
voked democrat nearly TO the point OF killing him.
II was not enough tor him to got himself IN trouble,
porance he declared that intimate friend Of
President Grant, and was ntrusted by The great iung
party with grave and wcghty mission relating to tho
decision OF tho electoral count OF Florida Imagine
the passion Of indignation which this statement
aroused IN inc chivairous breast The citizens de-
nounced me as hn alien intrgucr, and some OF them
even threatened assassination. My squire championed
my cause with all h's nativo cloqucncc, but l
In the meantime happily Obvious ui the situation
being seated c0sey Southern parlor by an open
pitch pine nrc. charming young lady who trust
had unjust suspicious about me- beguiled the post
prandal hour with graceful conversation and until
we were again on the road did learn how nterestIng
an object had become.
DiscoNrENr.
Subsequently, my neutral character being recognized
was able 10 obtain truthful impressions from tho
other side.
The democrats Of Florida wero at rst very exultant
over tho instanent OF their chosen aud Leg
isiature. Almost every man Of consequence stepped
forward and claimed from Governor Drew an appoint
mcnt to lucrative Office and Of course tltudo OF
heard scarcely anything but growing In relation
to political topics from tho friends OF the
numerous undsst'nguishcd aspiranls. And this is tho
fact IN spite of the creation many posts The
purpose OF rewarding partisan ZEAL They have not
realized in the spos OF olcc tho rccompcnsc winch
they imagined their citizenship and their personal Of
forts enlisted IN tho cnttlcd them They are dis.
contcntcd and morosc, and feel themselves only in
t disposition to plunge struggle Tor u more dan
gcrous object Resentment the loss of thoir hu-
man chatcls stili bro0ds their
seriousness more holding the key of power sur.
costs most readily projects gratihcation Tho
democrats OF he Sou.h fancy that they beginning
to sec the general resumption OF rule by their leaders.
Success must inevitably revive all
THE OLD DREAMS OF SOVEREIGNTY, INDEPENDENCE
OPULENCE
Even now thcy arc again entertained, secretly by
sOmc Candidy by Others Ono OF the first results
Of this condition OF The pubic thought will DO
VI s1e asam, institution oi acts Tor the punshmcnt
position OF vagrants Their undsguised tcndeucy
viii be to gradually push The negro backward
into the abyss OF scrdom from which he has hardly
yet emerged. say ''hardly' because have secured
proofs to the effect that his condition this day Is
little better than that OF the caoni described by Guzot
aud others who in The Dark Ages to the
lands they cultivated. Tho system OF labor now IN
vogue the South is that OF the con tract between the
master and servant by which the latter binds himself
quite strictly during certain period II he were
aserL The contracts which wero formed just alter tho
war, even. under ,he supervision OF tho Frecdmans
Bureau are extremely severe. The penalties stipu-
lated against tue negroes ior failure TO accomplish
their agreements are such 10 render independent
action rulnous They have not yet tasted tho sweets
OF we'll regulated freedom Else they Incapable OF
approaching It's bliss, they would not consent 10
conditions nearly akin to those of actual slavery
Their faculties are still too bcnghted for them know
the iu extent OF the possibilities which belong their
quality OF frccmcn
rmE CONTRACT SYSTEM
IL Is, undoubtedly, in my opinion, bettor for
them to live under the domination of a truly
friendly superior class, who honestly would care
for their interests Thor habits arc improy yidcnt
their natures c"ndng. But tho great question Of the
present political conditions tho Souin Is whether
tho late masters Of the negroes be AS their
patronsr viii give some extracts from labor con-
tracts legally Gcd during the administration OF the
Frecdman's Bureau which supposed 10 guard tho
welfare oil the negroes with zeal The FIRST specimen
which give Is one of the most ndugent regard to