New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-04

plans for displacinc the postmasters seems 10
keol any interest in National pOlfscs. 1t Is
kvry common here-as it is indeed in ali
parts of the South So far-to hear
Roung men Of twenty-six or twenty-eight years oil
Age say that they have never voted. The more in
nnstrous and thrifty negroes discourage their own
people from having anything TO do with politics.
having that work will do them "a heap more good"
talked with negro yesterday who is regarded in
nll the region near him as leader among his people
de rents sugar plantation and employs many Ia
borers. some Of them white men, Az he has
m idea Of trying to improve the colored people,
ssked him whether he tried to give them the right
kind of education about their political duties lie
hovned and asked me whether ever got anything
sout o. politics.r He said: We've been through
Il all byar. I'm ready to fight anybody for any
thing that's worth fghtn' for. But when Niger
Kits politics into his head he's mighty po nan ia
the fieP" We had considerable talk sftcrwaru.
had wondered at first at certain asperity OF manner
which have scarcely ever encountered IN tue
bouth among people OF either color Everybody
seems TO wish TO talk. But this man told me that
he thought at first was gwine 20 talk bout poll
ties to de han's--ani wonder what de Capn done
ben' We byah fuh." assured him that only wished
10 talk with him. and that the Captain had sent me
b him because wished to see some colored man
Who understood what was good for the cOlored peo-
pie This seemed to mollify him. and he went on
~ Think bout that grea' deal. S'poSe goes to
Re Norf 10 wuk for you Cunnel. You has big cot
lon mill, or O plantation-you don make sugah mp
leref" "No" said l. " not this kind" "Well.
Wuks for you an you an de oder big men, you tens
10 do politice. dom know nofiin Don't 'eu, mo- an
dam fool. Ef you makes good laws for yousei' Is
gwine to do well enough, don't Won fergt 1t. rs
wine 10 work. He was a little excited by his own
al pora seemed
this and said nothing more for few moments, toen
hdded, as if dismissng the subject, III white men
DO well for themselves hyar, we hant hothn 10 III
eault on"
find white men, too. who can work here IN South
ern Louisiana, as in Mississippi. i am convinced
that white men can work, all summer long. IN any
part of the South that have seen. am sure they
can. because see that they do; and yet am Ire
uuently assured. here in the South, that white men
cannot endure field labor IN the Cotton Belt" or
In the "Susar Region" and that If the negroes will
not work nothing can be done. think 1t appears
10 be true that the negro Is not affected much rs
the white men by malaria. He can live and work
near the swamps and rivers where "the calls" wond
soon shake the life ont of white man. But so FAR
as inv observations warrant any conclusions regard
ing this matter it is plain to me that the che diff
guilty in the way of the success OF whito labor at
The South is a psychological One-lt Is the want OF
will.
Fvsrybody saws here that the negroes are improv
Ing as laborers or, at rate, all old Souihernefs
,ay 80. This reminds me that everywhere thus far
the harsbest critics of the negro are Northern men,
men who have come down here to work sugar plan
tations grow cotton etc. These men. being push
ing sharp and energetic, after the Northern fashion,
are always disposed to keep the negro labOreIs up
TO their work" The negroes do not hike 4, work tor
fhem They require a steadlGess at application
and exertiOn OF which the negro IN general
does m not Of oS Spp Te by % spnT oT on rss
especially IN a crowd and n he Is allowed to sing
wh,le at work. But for quiet, solitary, Constant
foil first-rate white ahUrer ~. think. superior 10
any negro. Now the Northern men IN the south
are as comI AIRED with Southern meu. very e1acilng
rs employer They are Stern aud lmpitieni WIN
their hands" and usually ifrtate anu CONFUSE Tue
negroes Southern men ale not usually eXaoung as
empoyers They are not accustomed TO beng "xact
thenselvcs and they valne their own ease too much
To engage in any contest with the peculiar ways
or traits of the negro. Thus the " slIitcssntss
the sOwness, the hehicieucy, the habit OF taxing
things so eiSurolv, If one had infinite time Al us
communicative features of the average negro life
aud character which are so exasperat'ng - the
energetic NOrthcrn'r-are accepted OF rrcu0nN'd
by most Southern people as sOneih lng m"N
liable like the of the seasons. not 10 he ac-
celebrated or inteTfered with t. any profitable end,
think have seen nobody IN the South, wblte or
black except IA few leading business meu IA tie
ciues who can do anything IN fifteen minutes. j.
is not natural 10 bury here. But ~ Won give The
they will accomplish important results III the course
of the year.
INDUSTRIAL PROSPECTS OF THE STATE.
There is larger proportion Of rich land IN Louisi
ana than in any other Southern state that have
vet seem and in various parts OF the SLATE STE
ngns of more Of what Northern people would re-
gard as a healthful or "bappy" fe for the negroe.
and white people too, than have found anywhere
e,se in equal measure though observed instances
and ulaa I n a
fewer poor whites" here than in any other southern
State. There is less whining about poverty. less
of the frantic outcry for Northern capital
than elsewhere | lind here, various
places people who lived on tho great
plantations before the war; and is very interesting
10 hear their accounts of the peculiar life of
of these rich, retired regions in the interior OF tire
State. The planters were ilch. aud t1ry and Their
families lived life OF elegint' rehnel leisure"
All supplies for the plantations came from New
Orleans merchants Once year the Young ladies
, had bonnets and sometimes dresses. from Paris.
Watts and parties and balls the events of life
here. The young people mad GOOD education
many of them sent 10 Nor bern schoo s. bui the
South had good schools and COLLEGES IN those days
A woMAN's viEw or The WAR.
"we did not know il wrong" said an &C
romrllshed woman 20 me yesterday. mo had
EVER tod US it was all wrong that we were
going on gayly toward awful destruction. We
knew no world but our own. We thought were
very happy. and we meant TO be- good We were
much attached 70 our people-the negroes, mean
and they were happy too, then. Wo heard some
times of low. miserebls wrst"bes who abused their
negroes. and how wsdespised themp
"Would you rather have il FAIL back-that old
lime. and that beautiful iife-f you cOuldT |
asked.
ION. no. think il isinst like one Of the great
thanxes-revolutisns--th1 we read abont in his
tory. Ii all had To be. INOud think. and 80 1t
mus be there is Providence III IL; 70 must be for
the best IN wHy."
After pause she went on: 81 disposed of the
In that way, you see, aud then | could be
reconcied 20 H. We had our ls~es too. Ny only