The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-21

thing as a fairly Uniform negro dialect at
the South will. ! am sure be borne out
by the most observant people to the
manner born. AS Is admitted. there are
exceptions to the general prevalence OF
this dialect, tho most noticeable one BE-
Ing In the Ogeecheo region Of Goorgln.
! am reliably informed that the negroes
OF that region. who are undoubtedly, late
inportations from Africa, speak n lingo
compounded of native African and Epg-
l!sh that ia almost wholly unintelligtble
to- people accustomed to the negro dialect.
But this and other instances are only the
exceptions. There Is undoubtedly "a sur,
prisins uniformity in the. general negro
uget ol me SoM.h t,n t see ds,eet Of
the ilterate whites. And for this there
is good reason. The diverse white dla-
lects of the South are doubtless survirais
under more or less modified forms of The
diverse dialects of England.
There are two reasons why there should
be substantial uniformity in the negro
It's birth in Virginia and North Carolina.
from whence negroes were carried In ante
bellum days to all parts of the South
and Southwest; also. to Tennessee: Ken
other, and though doubtless far less po-
tent. cause In producing the. uniform
negro dialect was that It was the, result
Of an attempt of the slaves to- initiate
the language of their masters. This dia-
lect Of the educated whites of the South,
and the English language at its priest, Is
other and competing dialects Of the Eng
iish people, was. Of course, common to
the slave. holding class generally. In in,l-
tating this the resultant dialect naturally
had more or less uniformity.
l was born on southern plantation
ten years before the war, aud IN COM
mon with so many other southern boys,
my playfellows were little negroes. Since
the war many negroes have come under
my observation. and among them negroes
from most Of the. Southern States, The
uniformity q their dialect has always
are notifications and variations. saw
not very long ago striking. Illustration
Of this. had long known that in this
IS called Molly Gias co. | took This this
to be a purely local word. especially us
the sui.name Glasgow is found in this
nensnbs among the mulatto free
the term familiar to Q. negro from Geor-
ga and several from South Carolina and
1t is probably understood in other South
will add that I never. knew q negro
It IS always ''Marster," Or: when at.
hus he 20 Would HIe SAY u ole M Ii rse or
"Marse Jeeins.''
In the following four lines Of negro
New York Tribune there are about
dozen errors.
Dat, sab, am not a factry. Eat am
Sin Johns. Plscopal Church, where Marse
Patrick Henry done get UP an AK de
Lawd to Glib him liberty or glib him
deaf"
The old time negro. provided he used
these words would have rendered them
thus: Dat, sub. al no fact'ry. Dat
Sain' Jawn's 'Pistopul Chu'ch, whar
Marse Partrlck Henry git up en- ak Gle
Lawd to gin him liberty or gin him deaf"
But the chances are that If he had
known that much about Patrick Henry
he would also have imbibed sufficient
knowledge OF the Revolution to embel-
lish his assertion in somewhat the follow
ing picturesque fashion.
"Dat, sub. al no factry. Dat Sam
lawns 'Plstopul Church. whar AIarse
Partrick Henry hop up en- ak de Lawd
to gin him liberty or gin him deaf. King
George done got mighty biggtty. yer
But. bimeby, he got enough or dat deaf
bus mes, en- he gin Marse Patrick Henry
whit he ak de Lawd fer. En- 1t all hap
pm right in dar. Dat whut he say, sub"
When I WIS a boy It was q common
expression among the older negroes that
II had 80 and so II wouldn't ak King
George to be my daddy
The negro never rolled his RS, and to
be perfectly accurate H should be used
after vowels In its place.
o. W. BLACKNALL.
Blakenhall, Kittrell N. c.