The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-03
THE CoLoRED PEOPLE IN THE
SOUTH.
BY REV. E. CASE.

colored people Of the South as 1 have
seen them and from what has been told
me by the best of those who have
been here and had to do with them
since they were emancipated. "Noth-
ing shall be extenuated, nor aught set
down in malice" but 1 will speak as
fairly and candidly as 1 can, and leave
the result to the reader.
Let me then observe, that here in
South Carolina-and / presume it is
so all over the South-there are three
or four classes of the colored people.
And first: A class respectable and in
telligent, who aim to elevate and i'm
prove themselves in all possible ways,
and to make themselves, among the col
ored, what the first class of society is
among the whites. To this end they
are unexceptionable in character and
conduct. They are careful, industrious,
polite, refined, living in-many of them
first class houses, decorated in good
taste and managed with great neatness
and gentility. They dress we'll and
Hastily, and never infringe the laws of
p0liteness and decorum that the most
fastidious observe. 1 know a number
of such, and from the association in
which 1 hsve been brought with them
professionally, know the truth of what
now say. In no instance have L ever
seen a desire on their part to infringe
the cOlor-line as it is most distinctly
drawn here There is as great pride of
feeling in~this respect as among the
whites; and they are as careful to
observe the respect of society among
themselves, in equal degree of refine
ment, as any people could be. In this
class are to be found school teachers,
public officers, preachers and men in
various elevated conditions. They dress
well, spend their money usefully, ride
very often in carriages, and aside from
their complexion, are as capable in all
the polite ways and observances Of life
as are the most fastidious of the white
population. Many of them are very
intelligent and very fine musicians, and
they are excellent singers. have heard
some of the finest operate music rem
dered by some of the "black swans' of
the city, veSy finely and quite beyond
criticism. There are many fine colored
bands in the cities of the South, and
we have two of them here.
The next class are the laborers farm
ers, mechanics and artisans. This class
may be divided. The first part of them
are careful, Industrious, prudent. If
they have lands, these lands are care
fully cultivated, and the results of this
are seen in great many beautiful
white cottages and homes along the va
rious roads and on the small planta-
tions, that led me to suppose when L
first saw kAems they were the homes of
respectable white families. These lands
and homes are their own, bought and
paid for since the war, by their own in
dustry. And it does one good to see
how pleasant and neat things look; how
beautiful are the long, straight rows of
cotton and coin, stretching away across
the fields, clean and straight as an ar
row. And by and by, when these fields
are in bloom, OF when the cotton is
white and being gathered, they must be
superbly beautiful. The stock, how
ever, that is raised and used here is of
a very inferior order and will in no way
compare with that of the Northern
farmer, and is such as he would not
have on his farm. Whatever it may be
in other parts of the STATE, here, at
best, what have seen is such as have
described. The cattle feed on the tall
grass of the marshes overlooked by the
tides, and the beef tastes of it and so
does the milk-so much so as to be
scarcely paIatable. Our best beef is
from Tennessee. The other half of this
class of colored people work hard in
many instances, but are careless and,
improvident. They eaEAusn
have little sGasam - - uses and
value. I'll DON'T care whether
school keeps or not" They spend their
money foolishly for a thousand things
of little or no value or use, and by
Tuesday or Wednesday, have little or
nothing left. They are fond of vain
shows and foolish enjoyments and are
the happiest people apparently in the
world. Yesterday was Decoration Day,
and on the green before our house, and
in the streets of the city. in the broil-
ing hot sun, saw thousands of this
people, and happiness, fun, enjoyment,
are no names for their felicity. They
were all gayly dressed in the most
gaudy colors, and many with elegance
and taste, and all alive with good cheer
and hail-fellow- well-met-ism, kept up
till late hour of the night. There
were colored regiments from Savannah
and Charleston here, and with excellent
discipline, fine colors, bands of music,
made the day holiday indeed. And
here let me do justice and say, that
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