The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-05-19
DIR. TUCKER ON rHE co1onED RACE.

""' "ollitS, ulu tlc panlpnlct IL inter-
esting and Instructive from beEinning
TO end. The learned divine claims for
himself long and practical experience
among the &olonea people Of Missis-
sippi, and thinks therefore That he is
entitled to speak that which hc knows,
ihc points made are principally di-
rectcd to the moral stutus Of the negro.
admitting intellectual and material
progress since fJIe war. lie attributes
their condition, in great measure, to
the institution Of slavery, and sug-
gests methods for their amclioration.
We give some of a1to most striking
extracts, aeaving the Intelligent reader
TO form his own opinions upon the
falsity or truthfulncss of his obscrva-
tions. lie says Of their progress: -.
The seventeen years since the war have
brought great changes t. tjafsI6sc colorcd race,
great improycmepttsfn In many things to
some of thcyscEHt no change in morals
llc Iessattefce in evils has not been fol.
lowe l2sAssed by any upward growth in morals.
Their pccuniary condition is .g,eatly in-
proved, especially in the towns and cities.
Those of them who are willing to work arc
In no danger Of suffering, except in cases
where there are utter want of thrift and
utter folly in spending money over balances
the earning powsr-thcy are slowly acquir-
ing property, slowly learning how to take
care of what they have.
The autho; claims that they ore nat
urally addicted to lying and stealing,
and these vices he attributes tho insti-
tuition Of slavery. "It never seemed
wrong," 1'c say*, "to tbc slave to steal
from his master. lie was but proper
ty himself, and it was sall in the family
Besides, I've worked for nothing, and it
seemed TO linn but justice that he
should enjoy some Of his masters good
things for which his labor paid. Be-
sides tho habit Of petty pilfcring among
themselves was not discouraged by tho
masters. The habit Of lying follows
naturally from the habit Of theft.
When in Danger Of detection aud pun
ishmcnt the slave had no sc,roc of sin
in lying. TO protect himself by lies,
seemed to him natural and lust. or
course lying about one thing led to
lying about another"
Upon their ideas and practices with
reference TO the marriage state, he
says:
The removal of the restraints of slavery,
such as they were, has resulted in an open
| MI n nn3 ,f
morality, and the loss of almost the idea of
marriage. Why, in one county in Missis-
sippi, there were, during twelve months,
'hice hlndrcd marriage licenses taken out
III TIC county clerks Office for white Dco
PIE, ana according to the propol ton of
population there should have been in the
same time twelve hundred or more for ne
Sf"rS, while thcrSsw were actually taken out
ny rol"rrd People just three. There can be
II" legal marriage in this State without
license! / ask you to ponder over the
significance of tbs fact.
| lie continues:
we could not expect il to hc otherwise
when IL Is remembered that they inherited
none other than the cludeSt notions on the
subject from their ancestors, and slavery
gave but little security for pcrmanence
when tti'y did marry 1t Is Il necessary
conc"nnifant OF slavery that families
should be separated, husbands, wives and
rhl'drrn sold apart from each other. 4 \
l nave Known II negro preacher guilty of
incest, another OF hahitial theft, third
with two wives, being married to neither
Il fourth who was q constant and most
audaciouS liar--yet who were earnest and
successful preachers. desire you to no
ticc the great force and significance of the
iact that these sins do not degrade thciy
ministers nor materially lower their stand
ing IN the c0iorcd churches! An over the
South they are openly living in these sins,
and neither preachers nor people regard
them as sinful, or as initiating against
MINISTERIAL duty or acceptance with God.
OF their religion, he says:
1t is an outward form of Christianity,
with an inner substance of full license to
all desires and passions. Many circum-
stances have combined to produce strange
"bllqulty of moral vision, a strange per-
version of Judgment, Is curiuusly conglom-
Grated religion, which Is. difficult for any
white people to understand, except those
who have had practical experience among
them.
These are some of the. many inter-
csting extracts from, this very remark.
able pamphlet. IT comes hig' Is en-
dorscd by some Of the most prominent
white men throughout the South. and
most intelligent portion Of tho colorcd
clergy.
The editors Of tic New York o.
scrncr are making diligcnt inquiries
upon the subject, and replies from
every portion of the South show quite
a difference oGSpinion upon the state
ments made by Dr. Tucker.
Tho 'roadcr can draw his own con-
cluSions!: