The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-02-05
are any serious objections to it, or if any
teacher can suggest better way, shall
be glad to hear from her, as it is an i'm
portant subject, and one that concerns us
all as trainers of immortal minds.
Yous truly. JULIA D. ROBERTS.

Yous truly. JULIA D. ROBERTS.
BILL ARP'S CHAT.
Every Race has Its own Sir Oracle.
atlanta Constitution.
OF course 1t was trick-somebody's
trick-this gathering of the negroes to 60
to Africa. The mystery about it all is
that S1.O2. They could have gotten 50
just as easy-maybe S.. But it wasn't the
trick of our people. The credulity OF the
negro is amazing. One would think they
had learned something since freedom
came-something about trusting stran-
gers. The idea Of going to Africa for 81
and postage stamp would convict any
body of lunacy. Two thousand of the
dupes in Atlanta with their tickets and as
many more all along the line to Wash.
ington-all waiting for the agent and the
ships. Some went from Cartersyille,
and are on the road somewhere. They
won't talk. They are bound to secrecy.
They have been houdood. Education
does not seem to rid the negro OF the
superstitions and vagaries that belong to
the race. Every community has its
oracle, its copjurer, its fortune teller.
There is one over on the hill back OF us.
The women and the girls have more faith
in her than in their preacher. If one OF
them loses anything she goes to the old
woman, who listens to her story and
floats some coffee grounds in q saucer and
tells the name of the thief, and generally
tells the truth, for she is smart and knows
her nabors. My daughters nurse went
to her yesterday to have her fortune told,
and said the old woman told her she
would get present before night from
the good lady she was nursing for.
| Well, of course, that was compliment,
and my daughter dident 60 back on the
colored oracle. Her good will is worth
something when nurses are scarce.
But was Illuminating about the exodus
to Africa-not about the going, but
about the desire to 60. Is it q sign OF
anything7 Ever since was a boy there
has been talking and writing about the
Jews going to Jerusalem, and sometimes
the signs Of it are pretty good, but they
have never made start. And now the
wise men say that Providence planned
the slavery of the negro for his good and
waited 100 years for his civilization, and
then sent Stanley to Africa to get the
Dark Continent ready, and now that
same Providence is inclining his mind to
90 there, and this is the beginning of the
Sreat exodus that ia to come. Well this
may be so or it may not be, but it is all
right if it is. Our people are willing
and waiting. But the negroes can't
swim and they can't be hoated over for
$1.02. One thing is certain-they will
20 when their time comes and not before.
This thing was tried half century ago
and it was too soon and dident work.
The Colonization Society meant well and
spent lots of money. They built ships
and sent agents over to Liberia to pre-
pare the country for the colony. They
took over thousands and thousands OF
negroes who had been set free by their
masters in Maryland and Virginia, but
they died like cattle with the murraln.
Most of the States had laws which for
bade slaves from remaining in the State
after thew were set free. They had to 60
north or 20 to Liberia. But still there
was a great many free negroes in the
South-negroes who were born free-and
they were 9 middle class between the
slaves and the white folks. They were
not up to the one nor down to the other.
Like the Irishman's definition OF fairy,
"They are the spirits of folks who are
not quite good enough for heaven, but
are a leetle too good for hell" And so
when freedom came to the slaves, the
old-fashioned, high:toned free negro was
in fix. His middle station was knock
ed out and he felt it keenly and was
mad, He was either down to the level
Of the Common nigger" or they were
brought up to his. Most of them were
respectable mulattoes and had trades
and occupations in the towns like white
folks. From that class all our Southern
BARRIERS came, but as one of them said to
me not long ago: II was always DEM
ocrat, sir, and mixed with Southern gen
tlemen, sir. I was in the Mexican war,
air. and was intimate with General
Henry r. Jackson and Governor COL
ouitt. and all the blooded stock. l aaso.
ciated with gentlemen, sir, before the
war, but one day Mr.. Lincoln took his
nan in his hand and set all these black
niggers free, and, before we knowed it.
there was about 10000 new BARRIERS
Jumped up with brush in one hand and
| a razor in the other, and ne old-fashion-
ed niggers hain't had any comfort since"
knew one of these high.strung mu-
lattoes who got rich, and owns q plan
tation, and bought some slaves and work.
| ed them. he never forgave the yankees
| for taking his property without paying
him for it, and what was worse, tney
raised up the other negroes to be his
equals.
About fifty years ago an old gentleman
| died in our County leaving q large estate
and over 100 slaves. He left will in
which he set free thirty.seven OF them,
and directed that his executors should
send them to Liberia. he charged thai
they should be provided with abundant
clothing, and when they embarked they
should be given 5000 apiece in gold
These negroes were his favorite house
hold servants and their parents aud theil
children-they had been raised by hin
and treated with care and humanity anc
he was attached to them. They were
reluctant to go but finally consented ane
old William, who was the trusted and
confidential agent of his master, made
preparations to go with them, as hl'
, master had directed. Their departure
, was prevented by bill ofipjunction tha
vas sued out by one of the heirs and the
case had to go to the supreme court
where the will was sustained and tn
executor ordered to proceed with its pro
visions. Those negroes were sent iron
, Savannah to Liberia on the ship Eliza
beth. Three years after their departure
the old man, William and six others yer.
unexpectedly made their appearance II
J our town and delivered themselves to tn
executor. They reported all the other
desl and asserted that they had tried TO
, a year to get back but were refused trsns
! portation by every vessel that came.
Finally they hid themselves in th
hold of q trading vessel one night, an'
IIIt.J..t;J tbo shin t,c6 hpaN tl1re