The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-05-28

10 pc LOullU III every uelBi BiDOIHOOu'
 There were, no doubt, heartless masters and cruel overseers; there were, no doubt, chains and whipping posts,
 but it is probably not true that these
 were so common as many persons sup
 pose, for as a general thing the slaves were treated with some degree of con- sideration, and in not few eases. the
 kindest possible relations existed be- tween them and their owners. On the
 large plantations, particularly in the cotton and rice districts, where hun dreds, and In some cases thousands of
 slaves were owned by the same man,
 much less regard was had for them
 than when they were employed as house servants. In the former case the servants saw little of their master or his family; the overseer represented the masters authority, and often abus- ed the masters power; and deprived of all intercourse with thefr superiors, these class of plantation slaves by no means equaled in intelligence those who served in the households.
 Few persons, save those who actually witnessed the condition of affairs pre- vailing in the southern states, have any idea of the pleasantness of the rela- tions existing in many households in the south at a period within the memory of thousands of living men. For boys,
 both white and black, there was almost equality. Childhood Is democratic, and so far as the sports of the country were concerned, they were followed alike by the young slaves and the sons of the master. To each of the latter a negro boy was generally assigned, who was understood to be his, and between the two there was commonly an ardent friendship, with on one side conceded superiority, on the other gracious con- decension.
 The little whites and the little darkles played together, hunted together, to- gether went in swimming and took few CT and ague, and together received their thrashings for robbing orchards and melon patches. There are many known instances of friendships thus contracted in boyhood which lasted during life, and not a few cases are recorded of singular fidelity and devotion on the part of the slaves toward their masters when the war cloud darkened the land. Among the girls 1t was different, for they were not permitted to share to the same extent in the arnusements of the slave children, but even the daughters of the planters generally entertained a warm affection for the old black mann my'' who cared for them during infancy and early childhood, and who commonly felt for them as much affection as she entertained for her own offspring.
 The "mammy" was a peculiar char acter, and of herself quite an institu tion. She was as much trusted as a nurse possibly could be, and in justice to her it must be said that she rarely failed to justify the confidence reposed on her. She was always a house ser want, and in her girlhood had been giv- en to her young mistress of about the same age, as a maid. When the mis- | tress married and left the old home, she 1 took her servant with her, and when | the children were born the greater part | of their care and attention was turned | over to the maid. The two grew old to- | gether, and when grandchildren the old | mammy took care of them, too, IS she had done of the children, and when she | herself was too old to work she was | cared for by the family, for every one thought the world and all' of old 
 The next highest degree of respect | was felt for the old driver. He, too, was a character, for he had been in the fam fly as long as nanny, and, like the lat ter, had made himself equally useful and highly esteemed. He was intrusted with the care of the family carriage and horses, and 1t was his pride to see that the former was always clean and in prime condition, and that the coats of The latter were as smooth as velvet. He generally had an assistant the young driver, who, under his superin- did most of the work and look ed forward to the time when the old nan should give up the post of honor md resign the reins into his willing lands. This never occurred until com oelled by actual infirmity, for the old nan, like many who do certain work svery day for lifetime, though nobody ,ould do it half as well as himself. Be- tides, like elderly people generally, the i'd driver had not high opinion of the 'ising generation, and frequently roat- d, in no complimentary terms, on the ,cIGl al WOI IHl0S0llCG6 Ol lllp JOhhb htll ties about him, and told how much bet CT boys were when he was boy. In lis province he was was absolute. He rove as he pleased, and no remons- rance could make him hasten the pace f his horses unless he saw fit to do so. furthermore, at the foot of every hill verybody had to get out and walk up a order to spare the horses, and many
 long, tiresome walk was taken at his by the members of the fam , ", for the old driver, very often known S Daddy" but more frequently ''Un- le,' was admitted to know what was 1 est in the matter of driving, and his uthority was, half laughingly, half res {. ectfully, acknowledged. On the large , lantations the word "driver" had !
 different significance, for there he name was applied to col- I red functionary of no little im- ! ortance who was next In author ' y to the overseer. He was charged < 'ith the superintendence of the slaves, nd often treated them with greater r arshness than did the overseer. Minor ( ases of insubordinatfon were commonly , ealt with by him on the spot, and f mong the young darkies he was equal r