Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-08-28


races in the South.
AT first the negro was incredu
lous to all this; but, SO soon as the
white man was DISTINGUISHED, the
negro threw up his hat and cried:
"De bottom rail am on top and de
bees master Oh de sitewatioH."
Now he stood at the ballot box and
put his Northern associate in Office.
After the Offices were all filled the
negro called for his "forty acres of
land and mule" He was told that
he would be supplied in about one
year, that Congress had to make Il
division of his old masters proper.
~ first. That they could now, how.
ever, "takc choice" OF such mules
as they should like best. And hun.
dreds OF these deludcd creatures
actually made choice of certain
mules, the property of their former
owners, confidently relying on Con
gress to set them off as theirs, and,
III some Instances, they have fought
over their claim To II iavoritc mule.
Soon the negro, under his new
status, was in deep poverty and on
the verge of starvation. lie calls
again for his ''mule and forty acres
of land" but is Informed that the
mule has 'playcd out He asks
for Office. but is snnbbcd. lie calls
for free school, but is piously told
that after paying the salary of OIL
GERS there is no money left, aud is
admonished to be patient. Another
year comes and few leading ne.
groes are put in Office to satisfy the
race. And an occasional negro
school is taught, more tor the pur-
pose of dividing the school fund
among the eject than to learn the
negro his alphabet.
Year after year this programme
was repeated, until the Freedman"
was convinced that he was nothing
but II NEGRO" Then as he turned
to the people who had raised him,
for protection, the sceptrc departed
from the throne, and the negro was
left the proud owner of few dogs,
which it is suggested, he shall keep
as Il memento of men who would
have forced a social equality be-
tween the negro and the white race
in the South.
But in passing through the ordeal
of reconstruction, the whole nation
was made to participate IN a bitter
libation. And while the cup was
full to the white man, the dregs ap-
pear to have been reserved for the
poor negro. Every lesson the poor
creature has learned from the au.
gels OF mercy who came To educate
him, has only tinGcd his cup with
NORWOOD of il higher color, and
made him IL fit subject for the State
prison, or a polished shaft tor the
scaflold.
For eight or ten years after eman
cipation, The negro population sub
mitted more to the behests Of State
ard parish officials, than they ever
did to their former owners. | have
seen drovcs Of them taken TO the
polls by the officials, and there
made to vote whatever ticket then
new masters give them. AS The
officials took snuff. the poor Negro
sncezed, and shouted, "Bress Got
for freedom aud dc ballot
But that day has passed, the ne
gro now has no more confidence
in such official angels. than he woult
have i'll winged vlsltan
from another country. Here, II
Louisiana, where they were one
quartcred in good ventilated france
houses, with brick chimneyS, al
arranged in long blocks, with gaI
dens attached. making a nice iitti
white. washed village on each larg
plantation, they are now hoHseless
homeless wanderers, on their wa
back TO their original native Afr
can status.
, AS a citizen, the negro has II
) conception of government, and IA
most every vote cast by him is til
reflection of his employers opinion
; 1t is true, the policy of the Unite
States, borrowed from England
r has been to establish the theory ,
| "a single rdce,' by forcing the negl
p. up. and the white man down, to
1 common level. With this view, IL
G Queen of England may "knight"
0 negro in Louisiana, like she did
n Jamaica, but, hy it, she does M
t elevate the negro to a level wit
G the white man. She only bring
= herself down to a level with the u
:. gro. God has made the distinctio
r and all the queens and senates
d the world cannot change the ont
L logical status of the negro.