The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-10

ranged from 900 to 1000 acres. 1h'
average number of slaves negroes
they were called) was perhaps lou 10
the plantation.
Let us now turn attention to the
negro of the Canebrake. Slavery ir
the south as 1t had been in the north,
was self distinguishing institution
The negroes of the Canebrake were
farther admired in that line of evolu-
ton than any in the cotton states and
for obvious reasons.
After the authoress of that mon strous
travesty on truth, Uncle Toms Cabin,
had prepared her mind In New Eng
land with the extravaganza of her bril-
liant and misguided brother. togethe ell
with the great orator Wendell Phil
fps, Tilton the essayist, Emerson the
philosopher, Garrison the organizer she
resolved to embody her wild fancies
in work of fiction, or historical novel.
She must come incognito to the planta
lions of the south for a winters con-
tact with the familiar things there.
Mrs Stowe went to Louisiana. I'm
oubtedly she discovered facts repul-
slve enough. The daily occurrences
before her eyes were capable of eX-
aggeration of description. She saw.
as it were, the alleys and the slums.
In truth, she left behind her in New
England infinitely greater demonstra-
tions of the eternal practice of mans
inhumanity to man." that was forgot
ten for the occasion. She came to for
tify the imagination she had brought
with her. The things she saw were
as prevalent to the fact of the moral
intellectual and physical growth of the
negro in slavery as they were Incl
dents indisputable in the situation.
The book was published rhe brit
of the Confederacy followed inevitably.
The tens of thousands of American cit
liens who came with Grant and Sher-
man had read 1t and thirsted for ven
geance. The quarter of a million of
adventures from Europe whom Grant
and Sherman led came with minds al
ready ahre with the malice and hatred
of the book.
The evil genius of Uncle Toms
Cabin" sits to this day upon the nor
NAL rights of the negro of the south
to delay the race development
The proposition here Is that the ne
gro of the cotton plantationsSra de-
veloped great and peculiar industry
solely dependent, thus far, on lis char
acter as laborer; that the value of
this industry had risen to so great
proportions in the trade of the civilized
world as to put in irreparable Jeopardy
the chattel nature of the negro laborer
If that proposition be true, then time
alone was necessary to lift the negro
of the cotton plantation upward from
the original status of bondage to the
econ omical plane of the wage Garner.
Let us illustrate. In parenthess, l was
born in the cotton plantation community
was the master of slaves and was en-
gagged in the occupation of cotton plant
ing when / enlisted in the Confederate
| army The things pertinent to the situa-
ton described are therefore, of my in
dividual knowledge and their importance
to a correct history of the south are man
ifest.
The market price of a healthy. normal
negro cotton field man the day Mr.. Lin
coin was nominated, in 1860, was $500.
Mechanics of the race were several hun
dred dollars higher, and the negro me-
chanic was inseparable from the planta-
ton system. A cotton field hand worth
at the age of 80 years $500, or IS bales Of
cotton as prices then stood, would be,
perhaps, 40 years of age when the net
profits of the cotton made by him suf-
f1cient to refund the purchase price a,,'
the insurance on his life. Even taking
into consideration the natural increa.
of the race, productive industry depend
ent upon that description of invested cap
ital, could not be accounted safe in an
age of mechanics and political economy.
There are various evidences now pres
ent of the business life of the late Mr..
John B. Boddie in Birmingham. He was
a grandson of the pioneer of the Cane
brake, just referred to. In the second
generation this grandson inherited from
the pioneer planter negroes and land
worth perhaps $4,000. He was a man of
restless energy, quick perception and cour-
age. There was not room for Mr.. Boddie
in the opportunity confined to small
piece of plantation and a few negro la
borers. After all this estate had been
swept away a result of the fall of the
Confederacy, Mr.. Boddie, it is said, Dor
rowed $1,000. With this he began opera
tons in and about the city. In 10 years
he had accumulated more available assets
than his grandfather had died pos
sessed of.
Had the even tenor of government in
the United States continued as under the
slova reg,me tho sto+e If Aiah.,,. n,o,,a
,a..o s,,,.,.taa =. 49, 49,,
80. ~ - 'ii,ie eeFel al
.rulh hiies Vi raiiioau peihs constructed,
~ ioVv " .o,ine.e ,ie eiai sec'ioi,
WI .,,e pui u Nnopi,e. tnoiae railo cos,i
r 80 ese 80 Sop.ne ~ Hiooi re wiz. VIZ,
- 80 80 ~ So. e' a' Doiioo' W Hai,-
t IU, -, - -, VI -
| Da,,,oro,is -, 80, a. -. ~ 1se ~
49, - 80 oa.,r a.. III 49, "as Jpn
u,t,, Aoti,a ~ Ill ~ 49, So So.
into fru,tior .nd ,vhat n,,1st 49, -,
| tha ,,ar,,alo,,s e.ou,tb - ;nd,,str', '.sn
| ino Zee 800 iaho,, mr. a,.,a,.t 49,
Mobiia +ban NOS third IN ~ ,,,s,or 80 20
VorL NV, orlaans N,ah,,a ba,n.r -, ~"
| der of The standing ,rbe ,,ono, 80 ~,
| 10 onen Tho ,,,ina. .nd h,,;Id ~ t,,r. -
Interest," commiss,ons ord rrot,ts 100
| have gona RI Mobi1e for Enthusiastically ~.
the state rather than to New YORK for tho