The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-02-06
Charleston In 1860.

Charleston In 1860.
The handsome city, rising proudly from
the bay, between its twin rivers, with its
Battery Square at their junction, re.
minded us in situation of the great me-
tropolis we had just left but its beauti-
fully shaded streets, its quaint old
houses-with wealth of veranda and bal
cony, standing at an angle to the street
the better to catch the sea breeze, and
surrounded by high-walled gardens-its
semi.tropical air, were all its own, and
had no parallel at the North. So, too,
the multitude of negroes was distinctive
feature; and there was to us great va.
riety and novelty about the southern
specimens of the article. 1t was the GUS
tom to visit the public market in the very
early morning, to see to the best advan-
tage one of the sights of the place. Few
were more attractive or more picturesque
than the long building, filled with stalls
of fruit and flowers, presided over by
portly colored women wearing gay tur.
bans, each one of whom was invariably
addressed as "auntie.' Again, the house.
hold servants, fully three times as numer-
Jus 90 III Observation-Disclosures az buO
North, were an amusing study. Their
phenomenal slowness may be illustrated
by single incident. Our host, as we
were going to drive, found no whip in
the carriage, and said to the groom at the
horses head, Sam, 60 to the stable, and
bring me the whipr' Eyes, massa u re-
piled Sam, as he leisurely disappeared.
Hardly was he out of sight, when the
master, addressing another negro, said,
"Tom, 60 and stir up Sam p eyes,
msssal !" answered Tom, as he slowly
followed in the wake of Sam. No sooner
had he faded from view than our friend,
in the most matter-of.course way, called
to one more of his people, "Jim, you 60:
and stir up Tom |" eyes, massa p was
the obedient response, as the third mes
senger shuffled along the stable path.
After we had waited long enough for
northern man to make whip, the three
negroes returned together, the last sent
carrying the desired article. And yet,
despite such experiences, which must
have been the rule of their daily life, the
patience of the masters seemed never to
fail, and their care of their servants, as
we saw it, was something wonderful. In
almost every house we visited there was
group of old and utterly useless slaves,
who were maintained by their owner in
comfort. The relation between the fam
lily and the servants of the house was one
of friendship, and seemingly almost of
equality. The term "abolitionist had
evidently been used to alarm the blacks,
and the younger ones were firmly con-
WINGED that it meant terrible crea-
ture, intent upon evil to them. Some
waggish youths spread the story among
the African members of the households
in which we visited that we were what
they called Bobolitionists." For some
time our appearance at the gateway of
any OF these houses was the signal for the
instant disappearance of the crowd of
young negroes who, but moment before,
had been basking on the steps, or on the
piazza, or in the doorway; and our en-
trance to the mansion was enlivened by
the frightened glances of the sooty images
hiding behind hatstands, or peeping
around corners. On one occasion, when a
specially bright young darkey had been
sent for to give us specimen of plan
tation dance and song, he bolted at the
parlor door, and firmly refused to enter
the room, lest the Boboitionists should
carry him Norf." Very earnest efforts
were made by our friends to convince us
that the patriarchal institution was abso-
lutely the best possible arrangement for
the black man. In fact, we even sus-
pected, sometimes, that picturesque tab.
leaux had been arranged for our particular
benefit. After dinner party, for in.
stance, at which slavery had been demon.
strated, from Scripture and nature alike,
to be wholly right, and just at the point
when our eloquent host was asserting
that his negroes were treated like his own
children, an apparently accidental draw.
ing aside of the cloth revealed his little
son and black boy, each about six years
under the table. There was, however
another side to this matter, which could
not escape our attention, although we
were left to find it out for ourselves. The
city of Charleston had at this time q
,, population of forty thousand, almost
equally divided between the two races
There were several large stone barracks
in different parts of the city, each one 6
fort in itself. These were manned by
policemen, drilled and armed as soldiers
The men were mainly of Irish birth, anc
were required to be unmarried and to livt
in the barracks. After sunset each blocl
; was patrolled by one member of thi
, force, and mounted guard was as
! signed to each three blocks. The sig
mails and communications were perfect
The officers were graduates of the Soutl
: Carolina military schools, and their dis
8 cipline was rigid. At night the whole
!, city was under martial law, so far as TIN
/ blacks were concerned. Any negro found
!, in the streets after nine in the evening
q without pass from his master, was ar
rested forthwith. At ten minutes befor
nine, drummer in front of each polio
i station began to beat the long roll, and a
+ once the streets were full of colored men
n women, and children, flying to thei
/ homes. During the last minutes success
sion of sharp taps was given, and as thes