The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-12-18
: THE NEGRO IN DIXIE.
snE CHARACTERISTICS or THE
coLoRep MAN or TO-DAY.
Rhat ne n Doing for Himself ana "'A'
xSncaticn Has Done for hi" - me
Soda, Position of the Colored h"'''
rn> Csslored Militia of South caro'"''


49,. xopr pac --Within two 1
wears Il has been written that he - no /
blend 10 the oolorcd people who does mol
r,lsinly say 10 them that their position az 4
r,,,,sns in the enjoyment 81 al elvb !
rights depends quite as much upon tne'f |
,,eraopal virtue and their acquiring
HABITS Of thrift "a IL does upon school /
yv,xilaoes." Nothing can he truer than /
Ibis widely circulated dogma OF con
seyvative New Englander. What Mr.
Charles Dudley Warner saw. ana 80
sreelv and honestly wrote OF, IN 1880. mas
feen forcibly brought 20 my own no1ice
nv extended travel through virginia, we
two Caroiinas and Georgia dufihk 'he
prcsant year. Facts as found VIII oe
briefly given. Completely disS0ciaF
inc the negro freedman from his position
"A q political factor or as an element OF
uartisan oratory, it shall benny duty, as
faithful ch,xnicler, 70 show hun on the
plantation or IN southern towns ana
cities on labor days OF when appointed
cessation Of work and holiday. excite
nent has afforded me chances Tor close
observation. -
II has been said that a newspaper man
on the road sees more than the ordinary
fourist He certainly has a keener,
clearer vision than the traveller whose
only finger board Is prejudice. rearing
of the wells Of romance and hcuon, J
shall present the colored race as II now
actually is in that section Of the United
States most favorable to its social devel-
opment In the north a negro must
work. steal OF starve; but he need mol
81 e..
starving. The climate there Is his pro
fector. feeder and comforter. il IS as
fonishine upon how little the shifticss
piantation iaborer can subsist and II l.
equally surprising how much he can cal
when bounty spreads an occasional feast
In the rude, implanted cabin.
The coIored race In Virginia is about
one-third Of the total population; a.
North Carolina more than 40 per cent. oi
the whole: In South Carolina. 60 pen
cent. and in Georgia, almost one-hah.
These four states have an aggregate pop
ulation equal in numbers 10 that Of New
York alone; but the total negro census
of the great northern commonwealth L
less than 10 per cent. Of NiFginia's freed
and effusively happy colored inhabi
tants, while Massachusetts, has within IT.
as are content 10 live in New York.
Hence il Is evident that Dixie, the IanC
OF mild temperature and fruitful hai-
vests, is the natural, as II will long
remain the chosen. home of col.
ored people in this country. They are
its most acceptable iaborers, whether
working on upland farms OF IN the river
Irrigated meadows Their wants are
few, their children many. With them
superstition fingers, slcth IS a life sap
ping parasite, immortality giarIul
Characteristic, and religion merely s
shield from terror5 born Of ignorance
Let out of bondage only quarter OF o
century ago, they inherited civil priv.
ieges which a less indOlent race woull
have solicited into a political menace.
In this world, the negro's present IS L
him sufficient concern. He cannot sci
his mind upon the possible rainy days OF
the future. While the sun shines anu
the corn sprouts he is happy. When
there is no ammunition Tor the shot gun
he can always find bait for his fish hooks.
His woodcTaft secures him toothsomc
rnorsels, for his skill with game traps Is
well known. So, as far as his life III the
pine clearings OF on small and unsysteln'
Btically worked plantations can be de
picted, the black man Is q poor user OF
time, stnew and opportunity. Wages
become an object to him, not as hisrlgbt,
but as means TO purchase neceSsarles on
cheap luxuties. He has no native On
acQuired thrift. Money, therefore, slips
easily through his fingers He is willing
70 earn more when the harder is empty
game scarce, OF the fish refuse 10 bite.
This is no overdrawn picture. IL WILDLY
represents the negro 10 Dixie, as he T.
most frequently seen outside the prosper
Gus villages, town or cities. tie rathei
rusts out than wears out Not the least
marked among his numerous PECULIAR,
ties Is longevity. When he cannot drag
his rheumatic or age enfeebied limbs oui
doors, the crude religion which he has
embraced with so much fervor promises
a heaven where all labor Is forbidden,
hunger llnthought of, and the angels are
neither black nor white, but gilded.
Endowed universities and industrial
training schools for the colored race have
been located in different sections Of the
south. Their history and practical jntlu
ence. though deeply interesting, Will not
be recited Ia detail here. Education l.
the bright browed consort Of progress,
but her most prolific fields have not been
found titled by the American freedmen.
Yet much good has been accomplished
and greater benefits are assured. No
state has been more liberal in legis-
lative support of these colleges for
the colored youth than South Caro-
= lima. Today her public schools have
, an attendance Of nearly 100000 negro
children. In 1870 the average was les
than 1000. AT Oraugebmg the Clatlin
university, founded in 1862, has farm
OF $50 acres and carpenter shop, where
ambitious colored students can, by
manual labor. partly defray the cost OF
their instruction. The reason for the es-
tablishmeut, in April, 1881, Of the Allen
university at Columbia, S. c., was; To
aid in the development of the highest
type Of Christian manhood. 10 prove the
negro's ability to inauguTate and manage
o large interest, 10 train him not only
FOR the pulpit, the bar, the sick room and
school room, but for agriculture, me
chanics and arts; TO educate in the full.
est sense Of that comprehensive word.
e.
Cclored freunen, policemen, letter car.
fiers and militia are seen in all tho
larger southern cities. One even
ing on the Fast Battery at Charles.
ton asked stalwart negro peace guar.
dian how he came 10 JOIN the force. lie
fold me that it was less tiresome. more
respectable and better pay than his rcgu.
lar trade Of shoe making. Fifty dollars
month goes a loag way in the mind
eye Of herculean darky when he IS az
tired In municipal blue with brass but.
tons. II would he novel sight If the
governor Of New York left Albany foi
the metropolis 10 review five regiments
Of colored ipf2ntry. yet Governor Rich.
Asdson, ci South Carolina, last FOurtl
Q1lfy came from tho executive d..
sion at Columbia. 100 milo, N
Charleston. aud stood, digni6ed and
aelf possessed, Oh a hotel balloons
while a full brigade Of the state national
guard. all negroes, fled past him on
holiday parade They looked martial
stepped lively and kept their eyes
eqllarely to the front.