Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-12-17
MIR. THOMAS NELSON PAGE AND
"THE OLD TIME NEGRO.o


November number of SCRlBNER's MAG
AzINE is Chapter ", where he attempts
to create the impression that it was GUS
tomary to educate the slaves in Vir-
glnla. He deals with the subject in the
the following gingerly manner:
There is a universal belief that the
Negroes under slavery had no education.
L have seen it stated number of times
that 1T was made crime by law, in ey
cry State of the South, to teach one 20
read. have not been able to find these
laws. Teaching them was not encour.
aged, generally, and such laws NAV
nave existed IN some of the States of the
South; but they did not exist in Virgin
Ia Several of our Negroes could read
and II 1t was not the same or most of
the Plantations, it was at least the same
on those of which had any knowledge.
MY great-grandmothor's maid used.
nave heard, to read to her regularly.
and III our family the ladies used to
teach the girls as much as they would
learn. But apart from book learning.
they had, especially the house-seryants'
the education which comes from daily
association with people of culture, and
1t was an education not to be despised.
Some gentlemen carried on q correspon.
dence about home affairs with their
buffers during their absence from home.
For instance, / recall hearing that when
Mr.. Abel P. Upshur was Secretary oe
the Navy, some gentlemen were at his
house, and were discussing at table
some public matter, when the butler
gave them the latest news about it, say
Ing that he had that morning re-
celved letter from his master.
What he says is strictly true, but this
education was secured sure ticiously
by the slaves, through the medium of
'Marster s" children. The slave child.
being boon companion of the white
one, learned when the lessons were be
ing studied.
For Negro Of the corn-field type to
be caught with primer or a spelling
book was crime for which nine and
thirty lashes were placed upon his bare
back or worse still, he would be sold to
the "nigger" traders,-a punishment to
Virginia Negro, second only to death.
MIR. PAGE, as in former chapters fails
differentiate, but continues to hold no
the rights and privileges of the house
servant Negroes, who constituted the
exception rather than the rule. upon
the large plantations of the Southland.
The "Mistis" and "Marster's" chill.
dren usually looked out for and protect.
ed the Negroes of the house servant class
MIR. PAGE attempts to show that be-
cause all of the Negroes did not desert
the plantations and join the Yankees,
slavery was not the cruel thing it was
portrayed to be. In this he errs, for n
training of two hundred and fifty years
would certainly outweigh the aspira-
tions of moment.
The Negro did not know which side
would win and he preferred to bear the
present ills than .'to fly to those he
knew not Of"
No Negro who listened to southern
er's boast doubted but what one "John-
ny Reb" could whip three Yankees. In
the face of such deduction, the sue
cess of southern arms seemed assured.
So true was this that some Negroes
were induced to take up arms ON the
side of "Marse" Bob LEE and fight bold.
ly for their continued ensIavement.
But Mr.. PAGE gives HE case away
when he remarks:
One other class was likely to furnish
the element that went off, and this was
the ''pampered class" House. servants
Were more likely Co go than feld.hands.
Ihelr ears were somehow more attuned
to the song of the siren.
1t will be seen then that the failure
to join the Yankees was not due to kind
treatment for he admits that the class
that was best treated sought to leave
FIRST, while the brutality treated corn
Held Negroes remained to "sup the sor-
rows of the coming years.
Mr.. PAGE practically admits all of
our contention when he says:
doubtless there were many-poss,blv.
the most of them-who remained from
sheer Inertia or fear to leave.
Mr.. AGE might also have told his
readers that prayers were offered by the
southerners, both male and female for
the success Of Gen ROBERT E. LEE and
the southern arms, and often the Ne.
groes were asked to join in the religious
services.
1t Is most amusing fact that while
the white folks were praying for victo-
ry for the southern army, the Negroes
were making the rafters ring with
prayers for the success of the northern
one.
AS to which set of prayers reached
GOD ALMIGHTY first, and as to which
set was answered. the story of Apo |
mattox gives an answer too positive to
be misunderstood.
Mr.. PAGE pays the following tribute
to the Negro:
The devotion of slaves to their mas.
ters In time of war is no new thing
under the sun. The fact that their mas.
tiers are in arms, has ALWAYS no donht
hfNrY rN0.