Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-07-28
THE sOuTH,
A ROFtherHSFs views..i'haSss Of
Life seldom Noticed BY
the Natives.


Tribune, who has been travelling over
the South several months without al
ways disclosing his real character, has
written series of very interesting
letters, which contain more of fairness
than we generally expect to 6nd in the
Tribune. He processes to be very
fair and unprejudiced, and really he
seems to be superior to most itinerant
correspondents who come down and
| 6nd out all about Southern affairs In q
few days. His last letter, dated at
Washington, July 10th, contains a
pretty fair summing up of what ne
has seen. The following extract will
be read with interest;
TIE NEGRO FROM TWO sTANDPoINTs.
! Ihsye been strongly impressed by
the general hardness and unsympa-
thetic feeling Of Northern men living
in the South in regard to the negroes,
Native Southerners Of character and
position do not often appear to me to
| feel unkindly toward the negroes,
though, OF course, they often regard
them contemptuously and fail to treat
them as they ought. But Northern
men who have gone South since the
war almost universally (thOSe whom L
have SEEM speak Of the negro with
great harshneSs-a kind of cold hatred,
aud what | should call cruelty. | have
seen and heard so much OF this, that
would hSve appeared incredible be-
fore, that it gives me sometimes 8
kind Of nightmare fear that residence
in the Soath might transform the
most philanthropic aboitionist into s
tyrant of mercileSS severity. Inter
esting questions arise here, but have
not time to discuss them.
Near Vicksburg | found young
planter from Minnesota, who works
many negroes. | asked him about
their quality as labOrers, and he re-
piled that they are almost worthless,
unless you whip them well. How
do you mean that you whip them?' |
asked. do you fight with them and
whip them because you are the best
man, as white meu fight in Mime
sota?" "0h, no, said he, contempt.
uously, go at them with a club, or
heavy whipstOck; knock them down
and beat them as you would mule.
but l thought the day for that was
over in this country. | should think
they would leave you Why do they
not 90 away, go to some other man, or
out of this region?' "Oh, well, they
do 20 away to the woods for a day or
two: but what can they dO2 Their
families are here, and they don't know
where to go. Besides, | shouldn't let
EN- 20, if | didn't want to. The dogs
would soon find EN-" Then" |
. said. Il would kill you" AT this be
laughed sneeringly, and replied:
"Mebbe you would, but you amt
niger. A niggers just in his place
when be has a white man to drive
him, and they always knoekin' down
occasionally" He went on 10 say
that he had found out that only the
harsh shareholders made money in the
old times, "and that's the right way
now; work EN- to death and git more.
There's plenty Of EN-" On my ex-
pressing my adherence he said: You
wouldn't be here a year till you wou d
say the same things. All Northern
men talk just as you do when they
first come down here. | did myself.
Ny father was a red hot abOlitionist;
but | tell you a niger has no afec-
ton, no gratitude, no heart. Every
one Of 'em will steal. They under
stand nothing bot club.
HUNTING NEGROES WITH DOGS.
In Mississippi l found Republican
official who hires prisoners from the
authorities and employs them in
various kinds of labor. The convicts
work under guard, aud occasionally
some Of them try 70 escape. Most oil
them are negroes. When they rur
away the employer and his guards
chase them with dogs. He uses Z
pack Of hounds to follow the man b.
| the scent. These would not attach
the fugitive, but they are accompanied
| By powerful and ferOoious catch
dog. that will tear a man in pieces il
a few minutes II the flying, huntet
wretch is unable to ascend a tFel
before the terrible brute is upon him
Just before | was in that neighborhool
a runaway negro convict had played /
shrewd trick which enabled him t
make good his escape, for that time al
. least. Hearing the hounds on hi
Lrail, be struck seress the=eountry fol
! tke railroad. When ne reached it tin
dogs we're in plain sight across tbs
feld. sRd BAFe rapidly gaining on him
Half nile away be saw an express
train approaching. He kpeV the dog
would follow the scent closely, 90 b
ran 10 meet the train, which. but
moment after he had stepped from tn
tack. ran over the dogs, killing then
all. gust do the people Of tina
region the justice TO say that, although
: many Of them ssS 4qthing shockin
. in tbe practice Of hunting rcnawa
. negroes Sith dogs, their sympatbie
4 we're all with tie fugitive on this oees
sion. they were glad that be had ont
witGe4 bis pursueTs, and talked nue.
u about ''the niger that vas too man
e for Captain Sc Sad-SO." This "Csp
If tail" is a Northern mac end / though
y he felt some degree Of shame Stsn
expressed my disgust at Wha
: bad beard, but he insiste
D. that my sentimental view Z
b. the matter was SEsErd. "Ho,
"a Alse am to catch the niqeers, them
- be said. And some time afterwar
~ IN falkino Will a r,rorninant nornoor.