The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-05-12
Special Contributors.
AMONG THE COLORED
RACE SOUTH.
LETTER FROM REV. E. CASE.


1 have often thought since l came
here that you would like to hear brief
account of my experiences South, and
especially with the colored people. |
came South full of enthusiasm, and
hoping to do very much for the eleva
tion Of the colored race here in Beau
fort and elsewhere. | had the highest
and best recommendations from Revs.
DR.. Miner and Mayo, the apostles of
education and procured all the most
recent works on education from the
Bureau of The Educational Depart
ments, both at the State capital and at
Washington. To this worthy end
engaged myself, both to preach and to
lecture to the colored high school of the
city. l preached to the teachers and
scholars. | had the most excellent
maps and charts procured from Boston,
and gave a course of lectures, eleven in
number, on the most interesting sub
jects, history, physiology, physical geog-
raphy, ancient cities, etc. For these
lectures l was to receive anywhere
from $75 to 500, as the proceeds at 10
cents admission might justify in a
school of from 300 to 400 scholars.
The head of this school was a colored
Presbyterian preacher, educated in
Pennsylvania by the Presbyterian
Board of Education. 1t might have
been expected that the highest interest
would be excited, and every effort made
to attend and sustain my efforts, as was
abundantly promised. never worked
harder, or labored more cheerfully in
my life. Was it so? Not at all a.! The
lectures were most highly commended
and many white people often attended
to hear. But it was impossible to en-
gage the attention or interest of the
colored people, or of the teachers or
scholars to any extent. A monkey
show, the skating rink, a frivolous or
foolish exhibition or entertainment of
any kind, would find them gathered in
crowds with the highest delight and
satisfaction, spending time and money
without the least consideration. The
saloons and rum holes are always
crowded with them, and some of them
would take the shirts off their backs
and pawn them for liquor. That | set
down naught in malice, will candidly
say, that to these things there are
many, but far too few exceptions; and
there are some as fine cOlored people as
need be found, tasty, refined, we'll bred
and industrious.
This district is represented in Con-
gress by Gen. Smalls, a colored and
efficient Union soldier of the war. The
clerk of the court, the editors of our
city paper, several lawyers and num-
Der of preachers, are all educated and
excellent men; and there are many
colored women of whom the same may
be said. But these few are exceptions
for all that can see; and have studied
the race carefully. The habitude and
characteristics of the African are upon
them. The leopard cannot change his
spots, nor the African his skin nor his
nature. He brought it with him from
his native cline, and he will keep it
with all its peculiari ties, as long as
grass grows and water runs. He is
naturally indolent, careless, improvi-
dent, self satisfied, proud, vain and su-
perstitious. He only cares to live from
day to day, and for the present moment.
He cannot endure cold, but the sun is
never too hot for him. He prefers it
mostly, even in July and August, to the
shade.
From a startling experience with col
ored persons, l have been astonished at
a seemingly entire lack of a sense of
shame at the absence of truth. They
have no moral perception of its value,
and little or no shame at untruth.
They will avow things with the most
solemn Oaths and assurances when they
know they are false, and have not the
least shame when faced down in false
hood. Such is the case with numbers
have seen.
1 would not say these things if could
not back up every statement with facts
of my own knowledge and experience.
To such an extent has this been the case,
that have lost all hope OF confidence
that the race will ever rise very high
Notwithstanding all educational efforts.
DIR. Mayo, God bless him, is very san
guine, and puts the color of the rose on
all he says and does; but he rows the
boat against the tide, and his vessel is