Evening star., 1919-04-27
The Rambler Writes of Aunt" Aggie and Family


about the constitutionality of the
''fnstitution," but grave doubt had
entered the minds of thousands Of
them as to the righteousness of it,
and as to the expediency of 1t in an
economic sense. Manumission by
will was frequent and outright gifts
of freedom were not uncommon, and
so much latitude was given slaves on
many Of the old plantations that they
were able to make little money and
after perhaps years of saving one
could buy his own freedom. 1t was
usually man of the family who
bought his liberty. Very often the
other members of the family pooled
their savings that the head of the
family might buy his release from
slavery that he might make money
for the redemption by purchase of
his wife and children. In these ways
the population of free negroes was
increasing at a faster rate than the
slave population.
But, although the "institution" was
an integral part of the social and
country, the white man who was
negro trader was outside the pale
OF social recognition by the slave
holders. Therefore. when Aunt Aggie
said that Sam Does father had been
negro trader she meant that Sam
was OF very ordinary origin. from
the standpoint OF the slave holding
aristocracy
AS the Rambler has already said,
Aunt Aggie seldom talked about an
cestry and such things. Indeed, as
the Rambler remembers it. the old
and comfortable southern Maryland
families did not discuss this question :
as much as it is discussed now by
persons in many sections of the
country. 1t seems to the Rambler to
be commoner now to hear such
prominent family" high society"
and blood will tell" than it was then
Human nature has not changed, but
fashions in dress and conversation
do change. People were quite as
democratic hundred years ago, or
fifty years ago, as they are now.
There were plenty of common peo-
good old days" and some of them
We're exceedinly "common"-wha
ever that epithet means. The Ram
bier certainly does not understand
that it means poor people, because
many of the most respected and en-
lightened people in the Potomac coun-
try were poor 1t certainly cannot
mean men whose manners were with
out a certain degree of polish. because
many of the best ancestors in Mary
land and Virginia would not ft In
well at a swell society function today.
Common man" in it's offensive sense
meant a man Of low ideals and low
habits. There were rich and pow
erful people in Maryland and Vir-
ginia a hundred years ago. but they
were in as small minority as they
are today, and comparatively few of
US can have them as ancestors. Rich
ancestors are very useful il any OF
the property they left remains with
their descendants, which is rarely
the case.
In this age, in which nearly all OF
us have to grub and hustle for liv-
ing, rich ancestors from whom we
have not inherited anything are not
useful. or course. some
people find consolation in them. but.
like kind words, they butter no par
ships. When the rent. the grocery
hill and the milk and all the other
bills fail due it does not help the sit
uation one bit to say to the landlord,
the groceryman and the milk man,
My great -great-great grandfather
owned ten thousand acres in Charles
county under letters patent from Lord
or My ancestor dwslt
in marble halls, or at least in a house
built of brick that came from Eng
land as ballast"
In the fine house where this Rambler
saw what was said to be Cir Joshua
Reynolds portrait Of Agathy Sem
pronia Charity Jones, there was also
a great amount of ancestral mahog-
any and silverwAre descended from
There was no mahogany fur
niture in Aunt Aggie's home. In the
dining room was an extension table