The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-06-16
The Negro In the Ssuth.

That the negro has not made as great
progress as was expected of him cannot
be denied. Those who set him free har-
bored the wild delusion that he would
step from slavery into all the attributes
OF freeman. become good and intelli-
gent citizen, performing hia political
duties satisfactorily; thai he wonid de-
vote himself to the cause of education
and self-improvement, and to the acquisi-
tion Of property; that the negroes, in fine,
would become race of yeomen. All of
these fond delusions were soon defeated,
and it cost the south decade of misery
and suffering, of riot, corruption and
bankruptcy. to prove how wik1 this ex-
pertinent was, from the evil effects of
which we are suffering to this day. But
while this sudden freedom and license
have done the negro immeasurable
harm. it has become evident, from his
rapid growth in numbers, that liberty
has not had the effect, predicted my
many, of causing the decay and de-
cadence of the colored people; on the
contrary, they have increased with start
ling rapidity, adding million and
half to our population in the past de-
cade. If the race is morally as bad and is
deteriorating as some pretend, it would
be most unfortunate thing for the
south; but we must regard these stories
of negro depravity as somewhat exag-
gerated, or at least as too general, apply
ing only to few specimens instead of
to the whole race. The negro, in this
state at least, has been improving
morally and financially, and is constantly
going forward-very slowly, it is true,
Vnra Ixa t,@,
considerable property, which he knows
how to hang on to. In the sugar dis
tricts. at Cypremort, in st. Landry. and
at other points, and in the immediate
vicinity of this city, there are large
number of farms of few acres, each
owned and cultivated by negroes, and
which are profitable and improving, and
their number is annually increasing. In
the matter OF religion, also, on which
point the principal charges are being
brought Just now against the race, there
has been marked improvement. That
the charges OF immortality against rome
of the preachers are true; that to many
of the church members religion is
merely mockery, q form of praying and
singing, having no connection or rela-
tion whatever with morality or good be-
havior, must be confessed; but there is
certainly movement in the right direc-
tion and evidence of improvement. Some
of the negro preachers, just now, are
| showing commendable spirit in attack
ing the private vices and immortality of
| members of their congregations, and are
| meeting with the best results. Under
their teachings and influence the loose
ness that formerly prevailed among the
negroes in the matter of their marital re-
lations-the natural outgrowth of the
| o-called marriages of slaves of thirty
years ago-has disappeared, aud the
separations of husbands and wives are
much less frequent, and new marriages,
which were formerly contracted without
any appeal to the law, are latterly giving
place to regular divorce proceedings and
legal remarriages. In the matter of con
tributions to the support of their church,
the negroes cannot be accused of any
lack of generosity. Thus, the colored
Methodists of this state contributed last
year $41 ,628 to the support of their
church and for benevolent and mis-.
sionary purposes, and now own
church property of the value of $l21 900
This is only one denomination and not
the most numerous in Louisiana. The
records of our public schools show Q
larger attendance of colored pupils and
some decrease in the number of colored
illiterates, In fine, from every point OF
view, the negroes of the South-or o.
Louisiana, at least-are progressing
slowly, it is true, but still exhibiting al
Improvement instead of deteriorating
as the Northern and Western papers de-
| clare It would be a most diaeou ra oins
sign il this race, which constitutes two
fifths of the population of this section
and majority in many states, wer
really retrograding or at standstill.-
New Orleans Times Democrat.