The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-16
AND
 PLANTATIONS

(COntinued from Page scven.)
 by his black servants as "our com pany."
 We had among us of recent years e certain Missionary of Education" ir Dr. A. D. M- of Boston. He once wrote a kind letter of counsel. Ht said among other things. he "knew twenty-two young negro women in Washington City, teachers, who had the manners of polished society,"" could not withhold from him knowl- edge of the fact that had once known forty-four. more or less, of the samc kind in the Canebrake. have tried faithfully, but in vain, to recall a la- dies maid in the slave era who had not the manners of her mistress or who spoke ungrammaticalIy.
 The thousands of negroes on the Canebrake- plantations did not steal, did not lie, did not curse. They were or derly and decent at all times, true to every trust. wonderfully efficient in every duty. It. has been misnamed and ridiculed. by University men and wo- men, a negative" morality. Perhaps so. Moses nevertheless was called up to the Mount to get the tables; Paul must be supernaturally converted and inspired to teach. Admitted that the plantation masters rule compelled in-
 
 negroes, the fact remains that he had a receptive nature to deal with and Ac- complished his scheme as instructor Self generating morality Is hardly the doctrine of Christian propitiation, even with the Concession race.
 Briefly stated, the government was quasi military. All able bodied blacks of all ages and both sexes had cease less daily employment. There was one white overseer to the plantation, on annual salary ranging from $500 to $1,500 and large perquisites, and one black foreman, his assistant. Both carried leather straps for the unwary. The strap cut the Justice of the Peace out of fees and the jail out of inmates. The men handled the blow and the wo- men the hoes, for in the practice of cotton culture, the hoe tool is at least half the dependence. Bell rang an hour before daylight to give notice of that hour and at dawn to call all to start to the fields. Summer and winter alike, this was the rule. There was no work after nightfall. Breakfast was sent by carts from the plantation kitchen; din- ner the same Water carriers passed at all hours with buckets, filled, to the toilers. The children were gath cred at the nursery, in the quarters, by aged women, who cooked their food, kept the fire up and generally controlled LH6Al uuIlHB LiS udSB tO DO lOtui ASu tN their mothers at night They were strictly managed by their black guar dians, who delighted in authority. At the age of 10 or 12 years, the boys and girls were sent to the field under a competent woman, who carried long switch, and placed at light labor so that at 14 to 16 years all were trained to the simple field routine. The master, well dressed, rode a well groomed horse around the fields daily. The common field hands heard the mu- sic away off in the parlor and the ball room at night and received general im-- pressions from the habits of a cultured society that were profitable.
 Negroes wishing to marry chose their own mates, without application to the Probate Judge for license. The masters consent was sought instead. The Chancellor was not solicited for decree of divorce, but the master; and he seldom. As to married women. my recollection is, I knew no bastard among their offspring. I remember them as faithful wives, to a remarka- hle comparative degree. under tho