The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-16
TEE NEGROES OF aEoRa1A.
Their Condition, Their Merits, Their
Faults and Their Prospects.

the second session of. the Georgia Chautau-
qua. l had the privilege of teaching twice
daily class Of Bible students, composed of
ministers. Sunday school teachers and
Others. many of them visitors to the city,
but the majority of them residents met
around the hospItable tables of kindly hosts
a number Of leading citizens of various
narts of the state / visited aud addressed
several colored public schools and churches.
and talked freely with the pastors and
teachers. found both white and colored
reople ready to express frankly and at
length their views Of the relations between
the two races, and of the prospects for the
future.
OF the 1900 inhabitants of Doughertv
county, in which Albany is situated, 1000
are negroes. In the city the proportions of
the two races are about equal In the coun-
try there are eight or nine blacks to one
white.
Internationally. the opportunities for ne
gro children are general and increasing.
Free schools, mostly taught by colored
teachers, are provided by the state in most
of the school districts of the county for
four months in each year, with prospect
that the time will soon be extended to six
months. l visited an academy in charge of
two young men who have been
students, though not graduates, of
Atlanta university. There were in
the two rooms about 100 children
doing fair work in the common branches of
study, aud the furnishings were quite in adj
vance Of those of the average New England
country school house thirty years ago.
While there is no law compelling attend
ance, there seems to be a growing ambition
on the part of colored parents to send their
children to school. White people have be-
come convinced that it is best to provide
elementary education for the colored, and
the country school commissioners, who are
excellent men, seem thoroughly interested
in the matter. Opinions appear to be di-
vided as to the advantages of the Blair bill,
but it is my impression that national aid to
education would in that section work more
harm than benefit. The state seems to be
able, and increasingly disposed, to provide
for its needs in this direction.
Financially, the outlook for the negro is
hopeful A dozen years ago the whites
were reluctant to sell to him land. but their
views have changed. They believe it safer
and wiser to encourage him to
make and keep home. A good
many own land, and those who get
possession of it seldom part with it. A con-
siderable number have excellent credit and
are as thoroughly trusted as the soundest
of their white neighbors. More and more
various employments are open to them than
az bhO AiOA bus AhCJ OAbou OubDlQ WulJ6 uleu
in small contracts for building, transporta-
ton of goods etc.
Socially, there are several grades of ne
groes in this section. Those on the planta-
tations are generally less intelligent than
those in the city, while those who have
come from the Carolina coast are some
times so ignorant and use such barbaric
language that it is difficult to understand
them. The large majority live in one
roomed, windowless cabins, with scarcely
any furniture, tenants without rent of the
owners of the plantation. But those who
own houses, and take pride in making them
clean and attractive, tend to form higher
social grade The two races associate less
with each other than during the years fol-
lowing the war, and the tendency is toward
further separation. White children and
black play less together than formerly.
The negroes are coming more and more to
have their own quarters in each town,
with their churches and schools.
Too large a proportion of the young
people, the first generation since slavery,
have been allowed to grow up with the idea
that freedom means the absence of all re-
straints; and they swarm the streets at all
hours with the curiosity of children when
ever anything new is to be seen. l was
riding one day in procession, in an open
carriage with Gov. Gordon, Senator COL
4ulbu auu LII. DuuCttu. OoNeTdl Ullu6S Ll6
carriage stopped for a few minutes, and
each time the negroes crowded one another
to look into the carriage and to shake hands
with the governor and senator. At one
point bright-looking negro, about 80 years
old, pushed ahead of the others and said:
"Are you Gov Gordon?' Eyes" said the
governor, pleasantly, extending his hand,
81 am glad to see you" The black man sur
veyed him deliberately for minute, and
thor, Said. NLNall (NordOp
very promising looking man, In the taber-
nacle when the admission was free. as on
Sunday, many blacks came in. / preached
to about 1000 people, of which perhaps one
fourth were colored. They occupied
place by themselves, except few who we're
known as preachers and teachers These
came toward the front and sat among the
whites. | cannot see how any closer ming
ling could have been agreeable to the white
people, and 1 think the negroes felt more
at home by themselves.
Religiously, ones impressions vary ac-
cording to his point of approach. The pas
tors have great influence over their people,
and while some of these were good men,
Others do not inspire confidence. | attended
a conference of assistant ministers and dea-
cons in charge of a Baptist preacher who
has, it is said, over 5000 members in his
churches. He visits each church once a
IUOuDu OT duulOulSueS his people
plainly, aud occasionally administers physi-
cal discipline. Being sent for one day on
complaint of an injured husband, he rode
to the house, called the couple into the yard,
asked a few questions, applied his horsewhip
smartly to both parties, and settled the
case. He was slave till he was past thirty
years of age, but has since learned TO read
and write. He has sound practical sense,
not a little eloquence, and is universally re-
spected and trusted by both races.
attended another Baptist church, where
the preacher displayed ali the airs of
demagogue, with considerable skill in sway
ing his audience. He had Talmagean i'm
aeination in picturing Bible scenes, swayed
himself to and fro, shouted, bent himself
double, and occasionally paused to start
peculiar cumming sound, which was caught
up by his hearers, and ended in shouts aud
screams. The impression made on me was
not favorable, and | found that white
people generally regarded his work with
distrust.
One discouraging sign is the apparent
want of respect and confidence among
negroes for each other. By request joined
In marriage young colored couple. After
ward tried TO show the audience of colored
people what good results would follow If
they should maintain a christian home and
abide faithful to each other, when was in
corrupted by an elder remarkng, II doubt
If they do dat, and this was followed by a
general expression which showed that chaste
married life was not to be expected.