in which neither coercion nor protection is necessary. I admit that in other instances similar attempts have not so well succeeded, and the lessee, indeed, observed that his colored people were a rather remarkably good set. But, where success was less complete, it may have been owing partly to the want of practical sense in the directing spirit, partly to the incongruity of the elements he had to deal with. But the success in some instances proves that the thing can be done if undertaken in good faith and with a sincere determination. Those who go at the solution of the free labor problem in the South with the assumption that the negro will not work unless forced to work, are likely to succeed in making the negro unwilling to work. I am confident the problem will be solved as soon as the school house occupies the place where once the whipping post stood.
The means which are to be adopted for the purpose of bringing about such a happy result all over the vast area of the South I will reserve for future discussion. I will add, however, that it would be vain to close our eyes against the extent of the reforms to be effected. I will give an instance. While we were conversing with the lessee we observed a negro woman with two children leaning against the railing of the verandah. Her countenance wore so sad a look that we asked for the cause. The story was mournful enough. She had been sick. Another woman had come into her house to attend to her work. Her husband, Tony, had taken a fancy to the other woman. After a while he had gone away and “married her.” She had insisted upon his remaining with her. He had done so for some time, and then gone off again to live with the other wife. Where was her husband? “He was in the meeting house yonder, praying.” Of course, they had been slaves and but recently left the “old plantation,” where such things were little more than matters of course. The vices of the negro are the vices of the slave. When “Tony” will know what it is to be a freeman, he will know also that it will not do to have two wives and to go praying while one of his wives, with her and his children, are standing by the side of the meeting house weeping over his inconstancy.
Observer
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
