The Indianapolis journal., 1886-01-04
THE "JoLLITYu OF SLAVERY.


South slavery and jollity ended about the
same time" This might be and still be easily
accounted for. The 'jolity" referred to
probably means that hilarity and abandon to
good feeling resulting from community of as
sociation and fellowship. In the ante-bellum
negro quarters were often gathered hundreds
of slaves, people to themselves, and SO
mingled by necessity as to give full play to
the emotional and humorous natures of the
slaves. Among so many it was natural that
some were happy, some filed with mischiev-
GUS impulses, in every hour of leisure. From
these the contagion spread, so that all were
involved more or less and ..jollity" prevailed.
1t was so in their religious gatherings their
still. No happier people exist than
negroes wrought up by religious fervency.
Song laughter shouts and hallelujahs are
heard in colored churches nightly all over the
North. The 'jollity' could not be greater
short of religious madness. But when the
News and Courier proceeds to say "the great
majority of the colored race were undoubtedly
far better off and were far happier in slavery
than they have been since their emancipa-
tion, it is asking too much to be believed.
We doubt if there be one in hundred old
enough to remember the ''jollity" of slavery
days that would elect to go back into invol-
untary servitude and resume the character of
chattels. OF colored men throughout the
South of the age of thirty years and under, it
would be exaggeration to say that one in ten
thousand could be persuaded to sur
render the rights they now enjoy
Unless it be claimed that a human
being does not know when he is happy, or
that the negro is not human Of sufficient
intelligence to choose for himself, it is idle
to indulge in such talk. The News and
Courier, in common with the old slave-hold-
ing South in general, would like to think as
it talks-that human slavery was not blight
upon its victims, curse upon tLeir lives. 1t
would like to think that plantation days were
so sweet to the ex-slave's memory that he
would willingly 60 back to them, surrender
independence, and foat away in the happy
go-lucky 'jollity' that our contemporary
thinks has passed away forever. This is so
manifestly erroneous that it is waste of time
to seriously argue upon it.
The slaves contagious 'jollity" at the plan
tation quarters may be a thing of the past.
Very likely. The burden Of freedom and of
citizenship may have made them more sedate.
Removed from the quarters to his own cabin.
he has more to think of than banjo-playing
and melody. He may be graver, but he is
none the less happy. The man of business,
white or black, is more thoughtful than the
neer-do-well, but he would not think of
changing conditions with the latter. The pol
icy of the South in slavery days was to foster
the spirit of 'jollity" as distinguished from
intelligent enjoyment The bondman was
kept in ignorance. In many communities it
was a crime to teach the slave, a serious
offense for ono of them to be found with
books, particularly with aliases showing the
route to Canada and freedom. From the land
of ''jollity" many SCARED black man and
woman made laborious and hazardous
marches, by stealth and by night,
to other regions. Strangely, too, it was the
more intelligent, those more capable Of real
happiness, who took these desperate chances
to escape For time the helplessness of en-
forced ignorance may have made few of th Q
newly -emancipated and the aged and infrm
look back with somewhat of regret to the old
days at the quarters. But those days are hap
PLY passed. The fun at the quarters was as
nothing to the joys Of the freedman's 'sown fire.
side. The colored race is on the upward
march. The face of the black man is turned
to the sun of progress and development The
feeling of dependence is gone forever. If he
knows his own mind he will never again con-
sent to go back to the old ways. The genera
ton that has come to manhood since
the emancipation proclamation opened the
way to independence and self-respect will
never turn back with feeling of regret that
they are not so happy as were their parents
in slavery. They are steadily gathering
wealth to themselves, building up their
homes and improving their condition. Scat
tered from the enervating quarters, they have
manfully created individual fresides where
man nor master dare intrude. The "iolli,yv
of the banjo is a tradition; the grammar and
history are the realities of to-day. The plan
tation melodies live only in burlesque. They
were plaintive and pitiful, filed with ineffa-