Negro Civilization
In the South;
o 1
EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS ADVANCEMENT
OF THE
COLORED PEOPLE.
A REVIEW OF SLAVERY AS A CIVIL AND COMMERCIAL QUESTION.
- j- HE "DIVINE SANCTION OF SLAVERY." A GLANCE
A T AFRICAN HISTOR Y. E THNOL 0 GICAL
STATUS OF THE NEGRO, ETC.
He hath not dealt so with any nation.—Psalm cxlvii, 20.
Liberty said, Let there be light, and, like a sunrise on the sea, Athens arose.—Shelly.
BY
CHARLES EDWIN ROBERT,
Author of "Nashville and Her Trade," "Evansville, Her Commerce and
Manufactures," etc., and late Member of the Press of
Tennessee, Indiana and Kentucky.
NASHVILLE, TENN.:
PRINTED BY WHEELER BROS. FOR THE AUTHOR.
I88O.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by
. a
Charles Edwin Robert,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
TO THE
Hon. Alexander H, Stephens
OF GEORGIA,
That Venerable Counselor and Humane and Christian Gentleman, whose Wisdom.
Moderation and Integrity endear him to the hearts of his
United Compatriots,
IN THE NAME OF
JUSTICE, LIBERTY and CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE,
THIS LITTLE BOOK IS
respectfully dedicated,
With the earnest request that he lend his Influence toward lifting up by Education, by
Sympathy, by Humane and Religious Means that
■UNt{APPY RACE. OF PEOPLE,
Born in Slavery, adopted by Freedom, and now an important element of our
REPUBLICAN CITIZENSHIP.
PREFACE.
This little book is the result of prayer. It has been worked out with fear
and trembling. Scarce a line in it that has not required nerve to write. At
first I thought of making it a newspaper article, but it has grown into a
volume, and this will explain whatever lack of rhetorical finish in may have.
But when I had determined to publish I made solemn promise to a friend
that I would adhere strictly to truth; and believe I am able conscientiously
to declare, I have not departed from it.
Although it is quite well known that I am a theological student, I wish
to disarm all criticism, and to repeat positively, it is not by any manner of
means a political pamphlet, but an appeal for humane and respectful consid¬
eration of the Colored race.
If it be said, I have given a rose-colored view of the Negro, let me answer
I have written of Negro civilization and not Negro degradation, that in con¬
sidering men collectively, we cannot with justice think only of what is mean
and base; that it is better to seek out whatever is noble in human nature and
encourage rather than condemn. Let me answer, too, that I despise kid-
gloved philanthropy, that I think the solemn, serious business of Jesus Christ
is to practice common every-day charity, and to advance the cause of
I
justice, and secure popular enlightenment and popular morality, is the only
sure and lasting foundation for rational political and spiritual liberty. The
time has come for. men to have larger ideas and a wider horizon of thought.
They must understand that this is the age of responsibility and of duty, that
if humanity be retarded at homef it is retarded abroad, and illiberal and nar¬
row-minded views fetter the brain, warp the conscience and impregnate the
universe with pernicious influences, t therefore declare this an eminently
patriotic work, and one whose truth sooner or later will find a victory sure
in every living conscience.
Still, there are some of to-day who will not accept my views. They will
PREFACE.
refuse to see any good in the Negro. They will close their eyes to fact, and
do like the aged savage who in his old age went back to his savage tribe and
said, he had "tried civilization for forty years, and it was not worth the
trouble." So, then, if at first. I felt a painful diffidence in obtruding my
views on the country, I could not escape the conviction that the time had
come when plain truths should be spoken in pjain words. I feel that diffi¬
dence no longer. I claim the right to form opinions, and to utter thoughts.
I complacently take my seat behind this Gibraltar of Fact, and shall rest
quietly, knowing that it must be punctured by a keener weapon than can be
found in all the vast arsenal of stolid bigotry and insensate rage.
Charles Edwin Robert.
Nashville, Tenn., Jan., 1880.
Negro Civilization
IN THE SOUTH.
TRUTH, whether admitted, or rejected, is, and remains
always truth. It is independent of time; independent
of individuals, or classes or parties, and, therefore, must pre¬
vail, though it excite the hatred or opposition of the ignorant,
the weak or the prejudiced.
The writer of this treatise begs no pardon for employing
the truth, asks no excuse from the responsibility of a self-
imposed task, but regardless of the opinions of unreasonable
opponents of the subject—for the .sake of common humanity
—for the promotion of justice and charity—for the upbuilding
of intelligence and morality, desires to show the world what
has been the advancement of a race of people Who less than,
a generation since were in ignorance and bondage—in dark¬
ness and slavery. Under the will of God they have emerged
into the brighter light of liberty and learning. Under the
will of God they now enjoy civil and religious freedom, and,
by virtue of these blessings are making brave, manly steps
toward refinement of morals, mind and manners.
The educational progress of the Colored people of the
South—those who have enjoyed unrestricted advantages—
since the close of the late war, is truly astonishing. It is a
progress which should be a source of pride, not alone to the
race themselves, but highly gratifying to their friends every¬
where. Philanthropists of whatever creed—statesmen of what¬
ever party—broad-hearted, true-souled people of whatever
•clime, will regard these assertions with interest, and if they
can be proven, will surely hail them with honest pleasure, and
6
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
cheer the Americo-African with the hearty plaudits of con¬
gratulation.
And, why not ? Is philanthropy bounded by State lines or
national limits ? Does the brotherhood of mankind claim
no wider domain than the restricted area of narrow and
cramped commonwealths? Or, on the other hand, shall we
suffer them to go abroad for that sympathy which should
begin at home—that "love for our neighbor" that makes him
a better man for the reception—makes us better for the
giving and more Christ-like and obedient for entertaining ?
What matters it that our feet are chained to our native heath
and that we choose for our pen a theme the narrow-minded
have sneered at as mean and homely? True philanthrophy
does not ask that the mystic atmosphere of the East envelop
the object of its regard, nor that the blue skies of classic
Greece bend above it, nor that the splendid pomp of ancient
Rome surround it, nor yet that the centuries of modern
Europe reveal themselves as in a magic glass. True philan¬
thropy has love for these, but has love for all. True philan¬
thropy worships at the shrine—in whatever quarter it may be,
where the vestal flame of joy doth burn for the struggling or
the mournful. Wherever freedom has uplifted the race,
wherever patient labor and heroic endurance have exalted a
people, wherever learning and morality have flourished, wher¬
ever the Truth of the Spirit has shone, there is a triumph of
civilization which is a rich legacy to the lover of mankind—a
golden sheaf ready to be garnered by the just husbandman
of history.
But, before proceeding further, it may be proper to state,
positively, that this is not a political document, gotten up for
campaign purposes, or the glorification of any party or sect.
The writer, although not in politics, is a Democrat and a
Southerner, with warm-hearted love and fidelity for the South
ever aglow in his bosom. The song of the patriotic Jew
finds echo in his heart: " If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my
right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let
my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth."1 He therefore
defies unjust or biased views of his motives. But reared
among a slave-holding people it was quite natural that certain
prejudices should be instilled into his mind—prejudices which
the broad culture of experience and the solid argument of
1 Psalm cxxxvii, 5, 6.
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
7
fact alone have removed. In giving expression therefore to
what follows he believes them, in great measure, nothing
more, nothing less, than confessions many people in the
South are at this day willing to make.
Nor is it intended to open old wounds in thus referring to an
institution already completely overthrown. Slavery is dead!
Slavery is dead beyond the power of resurrection. "Japhetic
rights to Hamitic service" both as a civil and religious ques¬
tion in this country was settled by the war—settled so far as
the generations of. the ninteenth century are concerned, and
as far as the horizon of the future can be scanned—settled
forever! We might as well discuss the possibility of return¬
ing in allegiance to our British mother as discuss the impos¬
sibility of re-enslavement. Or for the matter of that, we
might as well attempt re-organization of all the buried empires
since the world began as to think now of tearing out a single
stone from the Temple of Liberty, reared by Christian civil¬
ization, and guarded by the invincible genius of the age—the
Genius of Freedom!
■ It may be said then, that this is not the place to discuss
this question, but we are bound to say at all events what is
the truth, in order that we may see from what humble and
discouraging conditions the Americo-African has sprung.
There may be question as to its expediency, but there can be
no question, no halting, no temporizing, when a matter of
justice is involved, or the cause of human progress is least¬
ways concerned. To describe a fact, without descending to
the causes or rising to the consequences, will not bring forth
the desired fruit. It might • seem like evasion or logical in¬
ability to solve a most useful problem. We do not magnify
the subject, then, when we say it is not merely sectional, or
national, but cosmopolitan in importance. Collective human¬
ity is interested in the question of the Colored man's intel¬
lectual capacity, and we propose to gratify that interest to the
best of our ability, fearlessly and truthfully. Moreover, as a
modern philosopher1 has well said, "There is for every man a
statement possible of that truth which he is most unwilling to
receive—a statement possible, so broad and so pungent that
he cannot get away from it, but must either bend to it or die
of it." No man can hide his heart from Truth any more than
he can hide his soul from God. The truth is more deadly tc
1 Ralph Waldo Emerson.
8
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
its enemies than the bullet of the ancient hunter, which super¬
stition taught will hit its mark when first dipped in the marks¬
man's blood. A man's judgment is frequently erroneous,
but the truth always testifies correctly. If one hears the truth
it will go straight home to his heart, no matter how he may
wince or how he may fight it off. Swifter and surer thati
Apollo's dart, which stretched the. bravest of the Grecian
chieftains dead upon the field of Troy, the truth—which is
living light, the truth—which is the sword of God, finds the
vulnerable part, and enters in and subdues.
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL AND CIVIL QUESTION.
But on this subject of slavery there has never been full,
fair and candid discussion. If a writer espoused one side
he gained neither attention or respect from the other. And
'the reason now is plain. Gen. Garfield, in a speech at the
Soldier's Reunion at Cambridge, Ohio, August 27th, 1879,
speaking of the causes of the late war, makes a candid con¬
fession, though a tardy one, "The first of these caur.es," says
he, " was the institution of slavery. Those who fought on
the side of that institution were not responsible for the cause.
They were born to it. We "in the North were educated
against it, and under other circumstances might have been its
friends, for human nature is about the same. The institution
grew so strong that it became necessary to either destroy the
Union or destroy slavery."
Consequently, up to the beginning of the war there had
been nothing but crimination and recrimination. The North
charged the South with maintaining an institution defiant of
the laws of God and antagonistic to the rights of humanity.
The South retorted with the well-known charge that the
North first stole the slaves, sold them South, and had no right
to intermeddle. Now, if both were just charges, both were
clearly in the wrong; and two wrongs have never made one
right. If it was wrong for New England to steal slaves, it
was wrong for the South to receive them, knowing them to
have been stolen. The receiver of stolen goods, so says the
spirit of the civil law, isparticeps criminis with the thief; and to
be particeps criminis is not more virtuous, nor more respectable
than to be the thief. There is a distinction, but where is the
difference ? It matters not how much money the South paid
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION.
9'
for the slaves—the New En-gland slave-trader might also
plead' that he spent money and risked his life besides in pro¬
curing his cargoes. Under this view it was clearly a mer¬
cenary transaction on either side, and if we puncture the
puff-bag of virtue that envelops some of our worthy fore¬
fathers we shall discover that neither the one, nor the other,
can make broad his phylactery and exclaim, "Stand by thy¬
self, come not near to me ;• for I' am holier than thou."—
Isaiah lxv, 5.
It might be well to back our statements here by a few un¬
deniable facts from the historians, especially as we are writing
history, and, grieve as much as we may over it, are not at
liberty to alter historic truth.1 We shall not, however, enter
minutely into the history of American slavery in and during
the Colonial period. All portions of our country participated
in it. As early as 1620, the English began to introduce
Negro Slavery into the Colony of Virginia,2 a Dutch war
vessel having landed twenty Negroes for sale on the banks of
James river in the month of August, 1620. In 1637, the
Puritans of Massachusetts are found, not only selling the
Indians into servitude, but buying Negroes as slaves, for their
own use.3 'Rev. Dr. Belknap, of Boston, Mass., in a'letter
to Judge Tucker, of Williamsburg, Va., in 1795, admits the
existence of Negro slavery in Massachusetts, and that the
slave trade was prosecuted by merchants of Massachusetts.
He says that "the slaves purchased in Africa were chiefly
sold in the West Indies, or in the Southern Colonies; but
when these markets were glutted,, and the price low, some
of them were brought hither." He says the slaves were
most numerous in Massachusetts about 1745, and amounted
to about 1 to 4.0 whites ; and probably numbered about 4000
or 5000.4
Mr. Samuel G. Drake, in his history of Boston, says that
"many Irish people "had been sent to New England," and
sold as "slaves or servants." Also, that "many of the
Scotch people had been sent before this in the same way.
1 We are indebted for some most valuable points on this subject from, an article on
"The Union, the Constitution and Slavery," which first appeared in the American
Quarterly Church Review, (Pi-otestant Episcopal,) and was afterwards printed in pam¬
phlet form—January, 1864—a time when it required courage to print the bald and naked
truth.
2 See Anderson's History of the Colonial Church, vol. i, pp. 85-9.
3 See Fell's History of Salem, p. 167.
■•Mass. His. Collections, vol. iv, pp. 191-211.
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Some of them had been taken prisoners, at the sanguinary
battle of Dunbar. There arrived in one ship, the 'John and
Sara,' John Greene, master, early in the summer of 1652,
about 272 persons. Captain Greene had orders to deliver
them to Thomas Kemble, of Charlestown, who was to sell
them, and with the proceeds, to take freight for the West
Indies."1 4
In 1790, when the Constitution had been adopted by the
thirteen States, slavery existed in every one of the Northern
States, except Massachusetts, where the institution was abol¬
ished in 1788. At that time New Hampshire had 158 slaves;
Rhode Island, 952; Connecticut, 2759; New York, 21,324;
New Jersey, 11,423; Pennsylvania, 3737; and in the entire
country, there were 682,633 slaves.2 It has been a popular
argument in the South—a sort of traditional acquiescence as
it were, to say that slavery had ceased to be profitable at the
North; the climate was too cold, the slaves were a drug, and
the institution thus died out. But there is another side to
this question. Dr. Baldwin, of Nashville, one of the ablest
defenders of the late slave system, said in his celebrated
book, "Dominion; or, the Unity and Trinity of the Human
Race/' (published in 1858): "Not a century ago, the black
race, as slaves, was common in New England and in the
Middle States ; but now only a few are found there. Climatic
law, affecting both the negro and the master, has carried the
slave irresistibly southward. The law of philanthropy
operated with far less power in this removal than the law of
interest. Philanthropy for the negro is of a more modern
origin. When the Northern slave was sold to planters in a
more congenial country, then philanthropy arose like Minerva,
and credited its zeal to piety, rather than to Southern warmth.
The southward tendency of the negro race is still witnessed
in the slave States. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Ken¬
tucky and Tennessee, are constantly transferring negroes to
warmer regions, because of greater profits from their labor,
and there is no returning stream of emigration." 3 Now,'
this is a very unfortunate predicament in which Dr. Baldwin
has left us Southerners. It either forces us to withdraw the
charge against the North, or else to confess, with him, that
1 History and Antiquities of Boston, 1855, p. 342.
2 Curtis's History of the Constitution, vol. ii, p. 55.
3 See Baldwin's Dominion, p. 202.
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION. II
the "law of interest" and not the "law of philanthropy"
governed our actions also. We therefore, leave the question
where it is, and retrace our steps to former considerations.
In 1787, when the Convention of Delegates from the thir¬
teen States came together to form the Constitution, a variety
of conflicting interests occupied the attention of the Conven¬
tion. Among these were the basis of representation and
taxation, and the rights and privileges of Trade and Com¬
merce. "Ten States, embracing four-fifths of the American
people, earnestly desired the immediate abolition of the
African Slave Trade, and only three, viz., the two Carolinas
and Georgia, desired its "continuance. These three States,
lying in the extreme southern part of the Union, under a hot
climate, and embracing an immensf, fertile, uncultivated ter¬
ritory, which could be cultivated, as their people said, only by
negroes, were unwilling to be deprived of the power to im¬
port laborers from Africa, and expressed their determination
not to join the new league, if the power to prohibit the slave
trade should be conferred on the General Government. To
gratify these States, in the first draft of the Constitution, an
article was inserted expressly withholding from Congress
forever the power to abolish the slave trade. When this
article came up for discussion in the Convention, .'delegates
from New England manifested their willingness to allow the
article to stand as a part of the Constitution, if the Carolinas
and Georgia insisted; but Virginia and other Middle States
would not consent. Governor Randolph even went so far as
to say, that he would sooner risk the Union than consent to
insert in the Constitution an article depriving Congress of
the power to abolish the slave trade. The result of the
debate was, that the article was referred to a large commit¬
tee, consisting of' one member from each State in the Con¬
federacy, to devise, if possible, some compromise, some plan,
that would satisfy the Carolinas and Georgia on one side,
and the determined Anti-Slave-Trade feeling of Virginia
and the Middle States on* the other. This committee re¬
ported as a compromise an article investing Congress with
power to abolish the foreign slave trade after the year 1800;
thus allowing the Carolinas and Georgia twelve years to
import negro laborers from Africa, and allowing the other ten
States, under the general power of Congress to regulate
commerce, to abolish the traffic after that period. The
Carolinas and Georgia would, doubtless, have been satisfied
12 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
with twelve years, if they could have obtained no more; but,
when the article was under discussion, with this limitation,
Mr. Pinckney, of South Carolina, moved, as an amendment,
that 1800 be struck out and 1808 inserted; thus allowing
twenty years instead of twelve for the continuance of the
trade. This motion was seconded by a member from Massa¬
chusetts, and when the vote was taken, every New England
State present—Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hamp¬
shire—with the Carolinas, Georgia and Maryland, voted for
the amendment, while Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
Delaware stood firm for 1800, New York and Rhode Island
were not present.1
Such was the bargain.then made between the North and
the South on the extensipn of the slave trade. In proof of
this, we could, quote at length from Mr. Madison's Report
of the Debates in the Federal Convention for forming the
Constitution. The extracts, however, would be too long, but
would well repay perusal by those who wish to be thoroughly
posted on this subject, and are indispensable to a right under¬
standing of a portion of the National Constitution. But in
order that our readers may know there were patriotic mem¬
bers of that Convention who deprecated slavery, and did all
in their power to put a stop to it, and who, although not
identified with the original abolitionists2—first in the cause of
freedom, we might quote from the speeches of Mr. Dickinson,
of Delaware, Mr. Langdon, of New Hampshire, Mr. L. Martin,
of Maryland, and Col. Mason, of Virginia—who, not less pa¬
triotic than humane, represented the spirit of the Conservatives
who stood then, as they have almost always stood—mediators
and peacemakers between fanatics of. the two extreme sec¬
tions. In the Convention, August 21, 1787, Mr. Martin,
among other pointed objections, insisted that slavery was
"inconsistent with,the principles of the Revolution, and dis¬
honorable to the American character to have such a feature
in the Constitution." Mr. Pinckney, of South Carolina said,
"If slavery be wrong, it is justified by the example of all the
world. He cited the case of Greece, Rome, and other an-
1 Curtis's History of the Constitution, vol. ii.
2 The Nashville American in its report of the Jonesboro, Tenn., Centennial Celebra¬
tion, held in September, 1879, states the interesting fact that the first abolition paper
published in the United States was Elihu Embree's, Jonesboro " Genius of Universal
Emancipationand that its successor was published by a Quaker named Lundy at
Greeneville, Tenn. '
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION. 13
cient states ; the sanction given by France, England, Holland,
and other modern states. In all ages, one half of mankind
have been slaves." But before expressing opinion, let us put
a case and ask a question;—If a man is a murderer or a
thief, does it bind his son in moral obligation, or indifferent
acceptance, or for individual, temporary, or eternal advantage
to become also a murderer and a thief? This is asked inde¬
pendent of the right or the wrong of slavery. But we will
go farther and say, we have no patience with, nay, indeed, no
respect for those who seek to justify by policy what is repro¬
bated by morality. Mr. Pinckney was evidently afflicted
with moral strabismus. It will not pass muster. If slavery
be wrong—the example of the whole world does not justify
it—what is wrong can never be justified! It is chiefly, how¬
ever, to the speech of Col. Mason we wish now to refer:
" This infernal traffic," said he, "originated in the avarice of British mer¬
chants. The British Government constantly checked the attempts of Vir¬
ginia to put a stop to it. The present question concerns not the importing
States alone, but the whole Union. The evil of having slaves was experi¬
enced during the late war. Had slaves been treated as they might have
been by the enemy, they would have proved dangerous instruments in their
hands. But their folly dealt by the slaves as it did by the Tories. He men¬
tioned the dangerous insurrections of the slaves in Greece and Sicily; and
the instructions given by Cromwell to the Commissioners sent to Virginia,
to arm the servants and slaves, in case other means of obtaining its submis¬
sion should fail.' Maryland and#Virginia, he said, had already prohibited
the importation of slaves expressly. North Carolina had done the same, in
substance. All this would be in vain, if South Carolina and Georgia be at
liberty to import. The Western people are already calling out for slaves for
their new lands; and will fill that country with slaves, if they can be got
through South Carolina and Georgia. Slavery discourages arts and manu¬
factures. The poor despise labor when performed by slaves. They prevent
the immigration of whites, who really enrich and strengthen a country.
They produce the most pernicious effects on manners. Every master of
slaves is born a petty tyrant. They bring the judgment of Heaven on a
country. As nations cannot be rewarded or punished in the next world,
they must be in this. By an inevitable chain of causes and effects, Provi¬
dence punishes national sins by national calamities. He lamented that §ome qf
our Eastern brethren had, from a lust of gain, embarked in this nefarious
traffic. As to the States being in possession of the right to import, this was
the case with many other rights, now to be properly given up. He held it
essential, in every point of view, that the General Government should have
power to prevent the increase of slavery."1
This, then, is the record.' If it is a true statement—and
appealing to history for confirmation, and, therefore, defying
1 Madison Papers, vol. iii, pp. 1388-97.
14 NEGR O CI VILIZA TION IN THE SO UTH.
denial, we affirm its truth—it stands without mincing words
or equivocating terms, not merely shameful and disgraceful,
but barbarous in its enormity. "We are apt at this day,"
says a recent writer, "to look upon the past as a day of
demi-gods, when the earth was well salted with virtue."
Too true. It would be well, therefore, to observe whether
the salt hath lost it savor. Well to see whether trickery and
corruption abound only to-day—whether the government in¬
herited no sin and the country only recently started headlong
to ruin. Perhaps, it will teach us to pipe a cheerfuller key,
for it is high time to have done with abusing our own immoral
times—immoral enough, and high time we resolve to be
better by looking at the better side of things and doing
better, because the past has no doubt been desperately
wicked, and is not to be excused on that account. History,
then, is the accusing conscience of nations. It is the book
of deeds wherein is written national sins. No nation under
the sun—no nation since the dawn of time, can exhibit a
single page of virgin purity. And it is because the history
of nations is but the history of men, and it is because men
have ever been corrupt in heart since the Fall of Adam, and
the lie of the Serpent blistered the conscience of mortality
and fain would have robbed the human race of its salvation.
But thank God error and sin and wickedness all lie behind
us. We* cannot undo the deeds, but we can profit by the
experience. We cannot cover up the trail, but we can step
braver and bolder and grander under the guidance of Chris¬
tian Progress. Under the leadership of that bright and
^executive Genius our course is ever onward, ever upward.
'Invincible Christian Progress! It is the great leveler. It
throws down mountains—raises valleys—threads labyrinths
and traverses ravines; with more than herculean power it
smites every obstacle—prostrates every barrier. With the
omnipotence and redemptive attributes .of our God it lifts up
the human soul to immortality of blessedness—and goes on
from victory to victory, until by its conquests it reaches the
summit of human attainments, whence it waves the banner
of triumph, and shouts back to the listening stars, "this is
God's highway to excellence."
So, then, we dare affirm, the nation to-day is farther from
ruin than it was a century ago, and the men are as honest
and the women are as pure. Nay, we go farther, and say,
with the curse of slavery removed we are one—two—even
SLA VER Y AS A COMMER CIAL Q UESTION. 15
ten centuries in advance of Colonial glory. We do not for¬
get the heroism of the past, nor undervalue the grandeur
and the lustre of "the far off times." No loftier work for
humanity and civilization was ever done by mortal men than
that which was performed by the choice and master spirits
who conquered this land from savagery, and rescued it from
ignorance by devoted valor; who made it illustrious by stain¬
less swords; who consecrated it in rich blood and soul-felt
tears, and transmitted it to us a home and a heritage to be
nurtured, guarded, perpetuated—Heaven grant forever! Their
work, in part, was a noble one, and with all their disadvantages
they made a good job of their undertaking, and dying—-left
behind a legacy of good repute, which has enriched not their
land alone, but all the world as well, with its unmatched and
imperishable splendor. And yet, we know that those "dear
sons of memory, great heirs of fame," had a full share of
the frailties of common life. They were not so engrossed
with the great problem of civil liberty that they could not
sample the beverages of the period, tand chance their loose
change on the spots and pictures of the gaming deck.
Some of the best of them were not even averse to horse-
racing and cock-fighting—while they settled personal griev¬
ances "by the book of arithmetic" and according to the
code duello. It is, however, a death-stab to our pride to
think them conniving at what civilized nations of to-day call
" piracy."
Yet how like a prophet's warning resounding across the
century—that century of Freedom hitherto a misnomer—
how like a prophet's warning comes the voice of that grand
old Virginian patriot and humanitarian—"Providence punishes
national sins by national calamities /" Let a thousand battle¬
fields, with their eight hundred thousand brave young sleepers
bring home to us the reality. Let the widowhood and the
orphanage of the nation attest. Let the ruined homesteads
—the desolated fields—the wasted treasure—the broken
hearts testify. Let the woe unspeakable for sorrow—too
sad to dwell upon—too deep with the bitterest anguish to
utter—let these be remembered, and the truth will sink
down into our hearts and fin$ lodgment there—Slavery was
wrong ! Slavery was wrong !
We do not underrate the courage of our adversaries,
nor that of our compatriots. "Each fought for what he
thought was right." But oh, how often in the world's his-
z
16 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
-tory has Patriotism been but another name for licensed
murder; and, Honor—"a blood-stainetl god, at whose red
altar sit war and homicide." Tearful pity might have de¬
plored the black man's service to the nation, but tearful pity
did not free him. It was the sword of battle that struck the
manacles from his limbs and knighted him—the captive—
a citizen and a freeman on the field of strife. And now from
the black man's heart and from the humane white man's
heart " hope shouts over the cloud whose waters are to re¬
vive Sahara, and make the desert blossom as the rose."
Battle and tyranny—slaughter and tears—poverty and
want—pestilence and famine have come upon the South in
terrible and swift succession. But if these were the chastise¬
ments of Heaven and the coercives to action and fidelity, to
manly effort and heroic patience—if this was Heaven's wise
plan for the purification and ennoblement of the South—
who shall say aught against it? Have we not seen Nebu¬
chadnezzar and Cyrus, Alexander and Caesar, the chosen
drivers of the car of progress as it thunders along the track
of the centuries—out of darkness into light—out of the
regions where the brain was fettered into the noonlight where
the soul expands. There is wisdom in the axiomatic truth—
"whatever is, is right," or rather, "Let God be true and
every man a liar." The Negro is here-.—and we may make
the most of it. He did not come willingly—and we may
make the most of that. And besides, since he is here, as a
Christian people, we are bound, to make the most of him.
All this on one hand. Now turn to the other, and see the
chastisement of Heaven as plainly demonstrated. But first
let us be sure we are right, and to make that assurance
doubly sure, let us quote from a Northern historian. Mr.
Arnold, ex-Congressman from Illinois, in his "History of
Abraham Lincoln, and the Overthrow of Slavery," says,
"An immense property interest invested in the production of
cotton, owning lands and negroes, was organized in the
South, and soon there arose in sympathy to some extent
with it, a powerful cotton manufacturing interest at the North,
and these two were interwoven into the web of the slave
power."1 Yet in order to be ,still more correct, let us sup¬
plement this statement by some astonishing data from De
Bow's Review:
1 See Arnold, p. 30.
SLA VER Y AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION,.
17
"In 1850, the exports from the United States were $134,900,233, of
which only $34,903,221 were from the North and West. The cotton, rice,
tobacco, naval stores, sugar and hemp, amounted to $238,691,990. Three-
fourths of the exports: or 75 per cent, were from the Southern States in
Northern vessels. Again, 75 per cent, of American shipping was owned in
the North; and official reports showed 2,700,000 tons engaged in foreign
trade, which yielded to the owners $64,800,000 per annum; and of this
sum, $48,600,000 was earned by Northern ship-owners in carrying slave
products. The coasting transportation of Southern products gave $7,000,000
more to Northern men. The ships built in the North in 1850 cost $7,016,-
094, while those in the South cost only $300,000. Massachusetts alone had
$35,000,000 invested in the cotton business. The South exchanged with
the North (1850) $52,950,520 of her products. Or, to aggregate some of
the facts:
The Northern shipping was worth, $111,665,960
Capital invested in commercial houses, 81,000,000
In cotton factories, 105,000,00c
In machine-making incident to factories 2,000,000
In railroads dependent on factory prosperity, 30,000,000
Total, $329,665,960
All of this vast amount of capital in the North depended on slave labor."1
And so, the New Englander grew rich and built him large
barns. He waxed fat in luxury and lolled in his easy chair.
But, the sins of the fathers overstepping the second and
third generations, strikes the fourth as unerringly as the dart
of death. Let us retrospect the past few years. When the
tide of battle rolled back from the South—when Moloch had
sated his hungry maw, and Nemesis turned pale over her
sweep of destruction, did results find the Northern people
satisfied f Did the Angel of Peace fold her wings and find
dwelling-place in the hearts of our victorious countrymen?
History says, "No." The aristocracy overthrown at the
South was succeeded by a dangerous aristocracy at the
North. Bonded wealth began to enslave the poor white
man—soul and brain and body. Capital sowed its seed in
the blood of the soldier and gathered its harvest fructified
under the rain-storm of tears and sweat of the artisan and
and productive civilian. Pride of power—lust of conquest—
the covenant of monopoly—vaulted wealth and vaulting am¬
bition, joined hands—formed league—and while clamoring,
Dozvn with the old Despotism—rwhispered, in cold, calculating
breath—Up with the New/ Ah, it was the same old sound
that issued from Versailles and rang through the streets of
Paris in the days of bloody revolution! It was but the muta-
1 See fully on these points De Bow's Review, vol. ii.
l8 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
tion of power and the dangerous re-establishment of falsely
assumed " divine right." "Le roi est mort, vive le roi/" can
never be the accepted motto, in republican. America.
The harbinger of the brewing storm came when in one wild
and remorseless moment the demon of fire held high carnival
among the proud edifices of Boston and Chicago. But alas!
and alas! that it should be true, when men enter contest
under the banners of vanity and join the greedy, grasping
and trampling chase after gold, their triumph is always dearly
obtained. There is majesty in moral sentiment, and there is
immortal grandeur in moral deed. The world had stood off
with throbbing heart and undisguised rapture, and watched
the kingly sweep of the Northern conqueror in his work for
humanity, But as unfortunately, the Northern man is very
like other men, and as unfortunately pride that comes with
the accession of power is one of those failings men most un¬
willingly part with, the empire .of wealthy vanity is the most
difficult to subvert: man appears to be unable to arrive at
truth and justice, until he has expended'his strength in travel¬
ing through the different paths of error. So the work went on:
Every interest in the land shrunk and withered under the touch
of the bondholders corrupt and corrupting sway. First the
elegancies of life had to be given up, next the luxuries, then
the conveniences, and, finally, what we call the necessities.
The manufacturing arts did not merely languish, but many
absolutely ceased to exist. The Pennsylvanian iron districts
grew as lonely as the sea—the Eastern cotton mills were as
quiet as the grave. " Ichabod!" was written on their sign
posts. And the political economist bowed his head and
wept, for the sword had indeed departed from J udah!
You say this is not true ? Then, answer, why was it that
for nearly ten years Northern industry stood idle beside the
mine, the loom, the lathe, the plow, the forge ? Why did
the tradesman bemoan his deserted counters, and the land¬
lord his tenantless houses ? Whence came those two millions
of starving, pitiful outcasts who gloomed in their garrets, or
wandered along the roadways of America? The panic came!
It was a blast that struck commerce when every sail was
spread, and ended its work with the wreck of the bold and
the reef of the timid. And then, a dull, dead calm followed.
Not the attrition of storm and tempest, but more like "the
insidious dry-rot of utter stagnation." It makes us tremble
to think of it, but it does seem God has avenged the black
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION. 19
man's wrongs—avenged them—who says unjustly ?—for is
He not Jehovah, and to Him doth not vengeance belong?
Of course there are those who will deny the entire correct¬
ness of this view. But to all such let us put the questions,
Whence came the pa'nic and bankruptcy and ruin to thous¬
ands but as the result of debt? Whence came debt—that
grinding master more inexorable than Shylock, and whose
thralldom is slavery of body, mind and soul—debt, National
and State—debt, municipal and individual—legitimate off¬
spring of illegitimate strife—until it has piled up a huge
pyramid, its crushing weight resting on the tender shoulders
of the people ? Whence all this debt of twenty hundred
millions of dollars, but as the result of war, which was the
result of the enslavement of the African ? Some will say
that this was but the natural outcome of the personal extra¬
vagance of the people—the ruinous policy of living beyond
individual incomes, and to great extent the influence of corrupt
or vacillating legislation. That venerable Southern states¬
man, the Hon. Alex. H. Stephens, in a late interview said,
" The real cause of the panic in 1873 was the demonetization
of silver in Europe. Germany took the lead, the Latin States
followed, and it was brought about without the people's un¬
derstanding or knowing anything about it, and it was followed
up in 1873 in this country, about six months before the panic."
A late Southern journal explains it in this way; "In 1873,
the panic which occurred was merely a symptom of a general
and inevitable decline. The entire business of the country
was involved in the mad rush and pitched upon a high key.
The break occurred in the Stock Exchange because there
was the wildest, maddest overreaching, and the most reck¬
less gambling, but it extended from these to involve every
interest in the country, because the disease pervaded the
entire system.. It was a constitutional malady, and not a
local affection. The country was like a thoroughly unsound
man, whose whole system is out of gear, so that any slight
injury or ordinarily inconsequential malady, brings out the
wide-spread unsoundness."1 Still, while all this is quite true,
it does not exactly answer our questions. The panic was but
incidental to, and a part of the multiplied evils tramping
on the heels of war—the war, as we firmly believe, Heaven's
judgment on the United States for the enforced enslavement
'Nashville American, Nov. 23, 1879.
20
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
of the African. That this is true we cannot get over the
idea, however much it may be denied. That this is true
there are enough precedents in the ruins of history to rivet
the fact in our hearts. Slavery has never prospered a nation.
Rome tried it when, by military exploitation, she made the
world her vassals, but the inhumanity and the crime were
their own speedy and proper avengers. Spain attempted it,
when she neglected the useful arts at home, and sought to
dominate the nations through the force of her Western Col¬
onies ; but from that moment her prestige declined—her
rich argosies of tropic wealth, her treasure-laden galleons
departed from the sea, and decay has been written across
the face of her once glorious kingdom.1 Portugal tried it;
Holland and Greece and other nations—the result has always
been the same. One of the most absurd laws in Athens,
was the prohibiting the exercise of the fine arts to any but
free-born men. As if any man ought to have been consid¬
ered unworthy to exercise any powers of mind, by any law of
any creatures who, like himself, were obliged to eat and
sleep to keep up existence, if the Almighty God had not
thought him unworthy of his gifts !* On this delightful prin¬
ciple, what would have become of the Fables of yEsop, or
the Comedies of Terence? both of whom were slaves. Or
what would have become of the Odes of "Horace ? who was
the son of a slave. No, indeed! A man may be a servant
and serve with honor. But God never intended that one
man made in His image should ''crook the pregnant hinges
of the knee " as a life-long slave to another cast in the same
mould—whether potentate or priest, whether monarch or
master. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" stands
first in the Decalogue.2 Genuflection to mortal is the first
step towards idolatry, as it is among the first requirements
in that blind obeisance of blighted souls—conjured and cursed
by the wizard-craft of Rome.
But the axe was now laid to the root of the tree. The
hoary-crowned outgrowth of Wrong and Injustice must come
down—must give way—must make room—before the sturdy
blows wielded by the pioneers of advancing civilization. Oh,
1 At last Spain has been aroused to a sense of her enormity. Even while we have
been engaged on this work the Spanish Cortes has determined to abolish slavery in Cuba
and other Spanish dependencies. Thus, after nearly four hundred years of servitude,
Christian civilization has reached those unhappy souls. These are signs of the better
times.
2 See Moses in Exodus xx, 3.
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION.
21
how it assails our pride in a tender—nay, in a vital spot, to
admit these things. And yet it proves the patent fact, that
the nature of man is the same to-day that it always wtas. In
every age men have more or less followed the trail of the
previous generation. They have kept close column at half
distance with conventional forms. They have hugged the1'
darling treasure of tradition to their souls, and done this or
that simply forsooth, because our purblind forefathers did it.
But not so with this and with succeeding generations. We
would be but dull pupils of that hard and exacting master—
Experience—to adopt their errors as our own. The scales
have fallen from our eyes, and we must be equal to the emer¬
gency in this new era of responsibility. The river of destiny
must sweep on—proceeding from the fountains of purity—it
must sweep on and ever until it reaches the illimitable sea
of God's completeness. And though the mere practical
philosopher may deny God's interference in these matters,
and though he may attribute this grand and mighty revolu¬
tion, this astonishing renovation of the social fabric to the
force of ' public opinion—the progress of knowledge—the
softening of manners—the power of numbers—still we shall
see anon
"Earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice."
And we shall see anon there certainly was a higher Power
above and beyond all of these shaping and directing the des¬
tinies of this country.
In the South the general impression prevailed that the
"abolition idea" was of spontaneous outburst and confined in
the North to a few choice and rampant fanatics, who charged
about with firebrands in hand and hungry to devour some¬
body. The name of "Abolitionist" was held to be the sum
total of human baseness, just as in the South, strange to say,
the business of " nigger trader" was regarded as the lowest
round of contemptibility. Abolition literature was excluded
from the Southern States—abolition oratory was never heard
—practically, there was no freedom of the press, nor freedom
of speech—those inestimable boons have come to us of late—
came to us, we may say, when the Negro was declared a free
man. Our people, as a general thing, were ignorant of the
fact that Anti-slavery claimed the support and enlisted the
talents of the best speakers and writers of the other section.
22 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Briefly, then, let us look into these points. The Quakers,
we believe, were first in the field. The Abolition Society of
Pennsylvania was formed in 1774, and enlarged in ijSy, and
Dr. Benj. Franklin was made president; Dr. Rush and other
distinguished men were members. In 1777, Vermont formed
her Constitution, which prohibited slavery. It is said, that
soon after the revolutionary war, a suit was brought before a
Vermont judge involving the title to a negro. The plaintiff
produced a regular bill of sale of the negro to himself, and
rested the case ; the judge then inquired, " How did the man
you bought of acquire title?" A regular bill of sale to him
was produced. " But," said the judge, " how did this man
acquire title?" "Mr. Attorney," continued the judge, ad¬
dressing the counsellor for the plaintiff, "nothing will be
regarded as evidence of title to a man by this Court, but a
bill of sale from Almighty God. Unless you can procure that
your case will be dismissed."
In 1770, movements were made against slavery in Massa¬
chusetts, and in 1780 it was judicially settled that slavery
could not exist under the Constitution which declared "all
men are born free and equal."1 In New Hampshire slavery
was abolished by the declaration of rights in 1784. Rhode
Island, provided by law that all persons born in that State
after March, 1784, should be free. Pennsylvania, in 1780,
passed a law for gradual emancipation ; Connecticut in 1784 ;
New York in 1799; New Jersey in 1804. Thus, the move¬
ment went on gaining in strength slowly but surely—like the
progress of durable fame or the growth of an easterly storm.
It enlisted under its banners such men as John Jay, Hamilton,
the Adams' family, Webster and others. The North began
to educate her people into hatred of slavery by newspapers
and books and lectures and speeches. Then arose that class
of extremists who knew no compromise. Wm. Lloyd Garri¬
son, who declared the Constitution "a covenant with death—
a league with hell"; Channing, Theodore Parker, Thurlow
Weed, Wendell Phillips, the Beechers, and, last but not least,
Horace Greeley—Democratic candidate for President in 1872.
1 Humboldt says: "In 1769, forty-six years before the declaration of the Congress
of Vienna, and thirty-eight years before the abolition of the slave trade, decreed in
London and at Washington, the Chamber of Representatives of Massachusetts had de¬
clared itself against < the unnatural and unwarrantable custom of enslaving mankind.' "
■—Equi. Reg., vol. iii, p. 276. See also Walsh's Appeal to the United States, 1819, p.
312.
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTIO/S. 23
The Border Slave States soon began to declare in favor of
emancipation, though the wisdom of their leaders preferred a
gradual system. Arnold, the biographer of Mr. Lincoln,
who has said many hard things about the South and but few in
its favor, makes a confession which strikes us as conspicuous
on account of its oddity. He says, " It ought to be stated in
vindication of the early statesmen of Virginia, that they appre¬
ciated the injustice and wrong of slavery, and that as early as
1772, the Legislature of that Commonwealth addressed the
King of Great Britain, exposing the inhumanity of slavery,
and expressing the conviction that it was opposed to the
security and happiness of the people, and would, in time,
endanger their existence. The king, in reply, answered, that
' upon pain of his highest displeasure the importation of slaves
should not be in any respect obstructed.'"1 The distin¬
guished statesmen of the Border States — Washington,
Jefferson and Madison began early to favor emancipation,
although they were slaveholders. Jefferson, the author of
the Constitution, and frequently referred to as the " Father
of the Democratic Party," made an unsuccessful move
in the Virginia Legislature for abolishment. Randolph
manumitted his slaves—three hundred in number—and pro¬
vided a fund for the purchase of a tract of -land for them.
Henry Clay and many others were on the side of emancipa¬
tion. In a speech on African Colonization, delivered in the
House of Representatives at Washington, January 20, 1827,
Mr. Clay said:
" If I could be instrumental in eradicating this deepest stain (slavery) from
the character of our country, and removing all cause of reproach on account
of it, by foreign nations; if I could only be instrumental in ridding of this
foul blot that revered State that gave me birth, or that not less beloved State
which kindly adopted me as her son ; I would not exchange the proud satis¬
faction which I should enjoy, for the honor of all the triumphs ever decreed
to the most successful conqueror.
"We are reproached with doing mischief by the agitation of this question.
. . If they repress all tendencies towards liberty and ultimate emanci¬
pation, they must do more than put down the benevolent efforts of this
society. They must go back to the era of our liberty and independence, and
muzzle the cannon which thunders its annual joyous return. They must
revive the slave trade, with all its train of atrocities. They must suppress
the workings of British philanthropy, seeking to ameliorate the condition of'
the unfortunate West Indian slaves. They must arrest the career of South
American deliverance from thraldom. They must blow out the moral lights
1 See Arnold's History of Lincoln, p. 27.
I^EGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
around us, an(J extinguish that greatest torch of all which America presents
to a benighted world—pointing the way to their rights, their liberties, and
their happiness. And when they have achieved all these purposes, their
work will be yet incomplete. They must penetrate the human soul, and
eradicate the light of reason and the love of liberty. Then, and not till
then, when universal darkness and despair prevail, can you perpetuate
slavery, and repress all sympathies, and all humane and benevolent efforts
among freemen, in behalf of the unhappy portion of our race doomed to
bondage."1
It is curious, then, to turn to the North for a sentiment
seemingly at variance with this. Hon. R. W. Thompson,
(now United States Secretary of the Navy,) said in a speech
atTerre Haute, Indiana, August n, 1855 :
" These men (the Northern Abolitionists) charge upon the South what
they call the sin and curse of slavery, and claim that it is the high destiny
and duty of the North to wipe off the foul blot from our national escutcheon.
Now, although I might with great propriety, as one of the sons of the South
—proud of my ancestry and incapable of forgetting the home of my youth—
enter upon her defense, yet I will not, because she does not need it. To
borrow the language of Mr. Webster: 'There she is—behold her and judge
for yourselves. There is her history: the world knows it by heart. The
past at least is secure.' But I will say to my New England friends who
often tauntingly charge the South alone with the responsibility for this blot
upon our institutions, that their ancestors and not mine fixed it there. At
every stage of the controversy in the Convention, New England favored the
continuance of the slave trade, while my native State of Virginia opposed it
with all the power of her great men who were there. Had New England
voted with Virginia, the twenty years of slav^e importation would have been
cut off, and there then, in all probability, would, by this time, have been very
few, if any, slaves in the United States."2
Still the evils of the institution were well known to the
Pro-slavery advocates, for their writers and speakers were men
of ability. The opposition of the North—of England—and
of civilized Europe, to the slave system was pronounced and
positive.3 The barbarous enormity as practiced by other
1 See Life and Speeches of Henry Clay: Leary & Getz, Philadelphia, 1859, vol. i, pp.
281-283. Also, Colton's Life of Henry Clay, vol. i, p. 189.
2 Terre Haute Express print, August, 1855.
3 We have said elsewhere that the Quakers were the first to oppose slavery and the
slavery trade in the United States, this may be repeated, with the additional remark
that from the beginning of their existence as a body they led in the cause in England,
but neither their influence nor their numbers were large. In the eighteenth century a
sentiment of hostility to the system of slavery was shared by many literary men, philo¬
sophers and statesmen of England, who labored with zeal for its suppression. The
famous decision by Lord Mansfield in the case of. " Somerset," given in 1772, gave an
impetus to the cause. This decision was that the master of a slave could not by force
compel him to go out of the kingdom, though it is stated that seventy years before
Chief Justice Holt ruled that "as soon as a negro comes into England he is free; one
may be a villein in England, but not a slave"—and later: " In England there is no
such thing as a slave, and a human being never was considered a chattel to be sold for
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION.
25
slave-holding nations was confessed, though we speak the
truth in saying that in the United States inhumanity was the
exception and not the rule. In the South there were thous¬
ands of masters who were kind-hearted, considerate, Chris¬
tian gentlemen. And what is more, only, about one man in
twenty in the South was a slaveholder. Still the system was
pregnant with wrong. The blended blood of Japheth and
Ham toiled in the cotton fields or performed the menial ser¬
vices of the slave—here and there, for some inhuman and
sinning father. But let us pass over this dark page. Our
people are very sensitive of rebuke. This step may gain the
writer enemies in the South. Our friends all live here—this
is our land, our birthplace. We love every mountain and
valley, in its domain. We love every dale, every dell, every
brook, every river. We love the genial air that gently
sweeps over its fair sunny face, every flower that blossoms on
its lovely bosom. And it is because we love the South we
would see her just and noble and right. Some old men of
the South may not brook this recital of the past. They may
say it is untimely rash, unkind—they cannot say it is untruth¬
ful. And besides what does that matter when a man feels he
must do a work, that he cannot avoid a task. " Let a man do
his work," says Carlyle, "the fruit of it is the care of Another
than he." This is encouraging, and strengthens us to go
forward.. Slavery then brought other evils. It made our
people imperious and hypercritical. It made them proud and
a price." In 1785, Sharp, Clarkson and Wilberforce began their Anti-slavery labors,
and later on (1790 to 1823) Pitt, Fox and Buxton joined them. The agi-tation, like a
troubled sea, surged to and fro, until finally, in 1843, Great Britain emancipated more
than 12,000,000 slaves in her East Indian possessions. France had been as much com¬
mitted to negro slavery as England, but moved sooner for its abolition. The National
Assembly, May 15, 1791, virtually granted equal political privileges to all free men,
without regard to color, and this led to those struggles in St. Domingo which put an
end to slavery there. Napoleon I succeeded in restoring slavery in most of the
French colonies, but failed in Hayti. In 18x5, during the Hundred Days, he issued
an order for the immediate abolition of the slave trade, which the government of
Louis XVIII re-enacted, and the French slave trade ceased in 1819. The Congress
of Vienna, composed of representatives of eight "Japhetic" nations, met in 1815, and
denounced the slave trade. After much discussion in the reign of Louis Phillipe,
slavery in the French colonies was abolished by the Provisional Government in 1848,
without indemnity to the masters. Sweden abolished slavery in 1846-7. Denmark in
1848, and Holland in i860. Spain agreed in 1814 to abolish the slave trade in 1820.
The Netherlands abolished it in 1818, and Brazil in 1826, but the Brazilians continued
to prosecute it notwithstanding. In 1820 the United States .passed a law declaring the
slave trade to be piracy, but no conviction was obtained under this statute until Nov¬
ember, 1861, when Nathaniel Gordon, master of a vessel called the Erie, was con¬
victed at New York. Since the Vienna Congress the slave trade has been practically
outlawed by all civilized nations, while the British Government expends at present
$700,000 per year for its suppression.—[See fully on, these points Appleton's New
American Cyclopaedia, p. 707']
26 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
self-consequential. It alienated them from the rest of the
nation and built up sectional ambition and jealousy. It
brought them factitious, cheating, transitory wealth—wealth
which in the end impoverished us because it put our faculties
asleep. And when a man begins to turn his whole attention
to the accumulation of wealth it is only the sign of his ulti¬
mate degradation, or when a nation is bent upon abundant
possessions it is but the signal of her decline.
But there will arise a class of captious disputants who will
dig up the exploded system of Hobbes and assert that the
primum mobile of all human actions is selfish interest. They
will say the Negro is free—now let him go. He has worked
for us, now let him shift for himself. And there will arise
another class of philosophers of the Jeremy Bentham sect,
who love to prate about the utilitarianism of the age; who
are perfectly charmed with the conceit that they are practical
men—men of hard common' sense—men with no nonsense
about them—men who have no time to regard the sentiment¬
ality of justice, virtue, morality and religion. To the four
winds with their practicability! It is true that utility, inter¬
est, pleasure, personal well-being, is the rule, and the only
rule for conduct to be drawn from the principle that sensation
is the sole motive of volition. But nothing can be more widely
separated than this rule and that of general interest. For what
does the law of general interest prescribe ? Let that close
reasoner Jouffroy answer: " It commands the individual to
act with reference, not to his own private good, but to the
greatest good of society and mankind; or, in other words, it
sets before him as his end, not his own peculiar interest and
utility, but the sum total of human interests; the interests of
all men must he labor to increase, and for their utility is he
bound to exert his energies. . . . Nothing can be plainer
than that this is true; for according to the first of these ex¬
planations of the rule of general utility, if I feel that the
pleasure of possessing another's good is greater than the pain
of sympathy in seeing him deprived of it, I have, then, a
right to rob him; and, according to the secon4 explanation,
I have the same right, whenever I find it more profitable, on
the whole, to violate than to respect his claims. Singular
rule of general utility, indeed, that thus authorizes me to
steal."1 Such cold-blooded indifference will not do. It is
1 Jouffroy's Ethics and Critical Survey of Moral Systems, vol. ii, p. 53.
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION. 27
about equivalent to robbing a man of all he possesses and
then abusing him for possessing no more. It is about equiv¬
alent to appropriating a man's labor and then cursing him
not because he demands pay, but because he refuses to labor
longer under such manifestly unjust conditions. Happy for
the South! happy for the world men of this class are few.
" In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." This was
the curse. We know of no exceptions in favor of any man.
Thank Heaven there is no kingdom of God from which the
obligations of labor and the rewards of labor are excluded.
In whatever light we regard it then, slavery has its dark
side. If we open a volume about Africa to see how the slave
trade is conducted there it horrifies us. Still the system now
is conducted on a commercial basis, whereas formerly the
Negroes were kidnapped. Mr. Stanley, who looked about
him with the eyes of an accomplished reporter for one of the
most careful journals of our times, (the New York Herald)
has in his book a paragraph which puts the matter most tell¬
ingly: "We will suppose," says he, "for the sake of illus¬
trating how trade with the interior is managed, that the Arab
conveys by his caravan $5,000 worth of goods into the in¬
terior. At Unyanyembe the goods are worth $10,000; at
Ujiji they are worth $15,000, or have trebled in price. $7.50
will purchase a slave in the markets of Ujiji, which will bring
in Zanzibar, $30. v Ordinary men-slaves may be purchased for
$6 which would sell for $25 on the coast. We will say he
purchases slaves to the full extent of his means. After de¬
ducting $1500 for expenses of carriage to Ujiji and back,
viz: $3500—he would buy, at $7.50 each, four hundred and-
sixty-four slaves, on which he would realize $13,920 on an in¬
vestment of $5,000, or nearly $9,000 net profit for a single
journey from Zanzibar to Ujiji."1
In Dr. Baldwin's book, already quoted, we find a compila¬
tion of figures too matter-of-fact and too forcibly illustrative
of the subject to refuse them admission to these pages.
After admitting that "the slave trade was pronounced piracy
by the agreement of Japhetic nations," he says, (pp. 384, 385,)
"The slave trade may be computed from 1503 to 1825, a
period of three hundred and twenty-two years. During one
hundred and fifty-five yeara, or from 1670 to 1825, Humboldt
says that nearly five million Africans were imported into the
1 Life of Livingston, p. 417.
28 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Archipelago of the West Indies; and two million, one hun¬
dred and thirty thousand into the British West Indies in the
space of one hundred and six years, or from 1618 to 1786.
If to this sum we add all that were imported from 1503 to
1824, the aggregate cannot be less than three millions, if not
four millions.1 Mr. Gallatin, former United States Treasurer,
estimates the entire importation into our republic at three
hundred thousand. The number transported to South
America was probably five millions, if not more. ... In
the West Indies British inhumanity diminished the number
of imported negroes from three millions to four hundred
thousand; while in Australia the blacks are treated like beasts
of the forest. In America, the so-called free blacks, though
elevated above the level of native Africans and Australasians,
are yet, in average condition, inferior to plantation'slaves.
Proscribed as a natural caste of subordinates, they are, by the
force of public opinion, natural instinct, and law, kept at a
respectful distance from Japhetic immunities. A few are
suffered to exist as artisans and traders; but the greater pro¬
portion are barbers, cooks, chambermaids, washerwomen and
scavengers. In some of the free States the law proscribes
them with a severity equal to banishment; and where legal
restriction is hot imposed, social affiliation is regarded by the
white population generally as grossly degrading."
Nor was'there scarcely any hope of even gradual emancipa-
1 We desire to add here a remark by Humboldt, which Dr. Baldwin omitted. It is
this: "These revolting calculations respecting the consumption of the human species,
do not include the number of unfortunate slaves who have perished in the passage, or
• have been thrown into the sea as damaged merchandise."—Humboldt's Equinoctial
Regions, vol. iii, p. 278. However, as all figures on this point are of interest now, we
add also the following from the New American Cyclopsedia, p. 710, "The whole num¬
ber of Africans taken for slaves is estimated at 40,000,000, or not quite 100,000 per
annum since the beginning of the traffic ; but for eighty years after the trade began,
their exportation was very limited, and probably not 30,000 were taken by the Por¬
tuguese between 1444 and 1493. The weight of the exportation has been during the
years that have elapsed since movements for the abolition of the trade were com¬
menced, the demand for tropical products has immensely increased in the present cen¬
tury. Some of the slaves were sold in European countries, and it was supposed there
were 15,000 in the British islands at the time of the decision of the Somerset case.
African slaves were said to be " dispersed all over Europe." Spain and France took
some of them, as well as England. The number of slaves imported into those British
colonies which became the United States in 1776, is computed at 300,000 down to that
year. At the first census, in 1790, the slaves in the United States numbered 697,897,
all the States but Massachusetts (which then included Maine) having some servile inhab¬
itants, though Vermont had but 17, and New Hampshire only 158. In 1800 their
number was 893,041, slavery having ceased in Vermont, and but 8 slaves being left in
New Hampshire. The census of 1810 showed 1,191,364 slaves, there being none in
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Ohio, the last a new State, created out
of territory that was a wilderness in 1776. In 1820 the slaves numbered 1,538,038;
in 1830, 2,009,043; in 1840, 2,487,455; in 1850, 3,204,313; and in i860, 3,952,801.
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION.
29
tion twenty years ago. On this point we shall quote again from
Dr. Baldwin. He says, (p. 4.58): " A gradual emancipation
of all the slaves in our country, and their transmission to Af¬
rica, under present (1858) values of labor, is an impossibility.
To colonize the qualified free blacks and occasional emanci¬
pated ones, is as much as can be now accomplished. Accord¬
ing to'the most feasible plan of emancipating the slaves of our
country and sending them to Liberia, under present circum¬
stances, were all parties agreed, the cost would be not less
than twenty-seven hundred millions of dollars.* This consid¬
erable difficulty closes the door of hope against freeing the'
country of slaves by gradual emancipation."
Was there ever so gloomy a picture ? Drawn from life, on
the spot, by one whose claims to honest report no one will
deny, it is absolutely sickening to read. Can any one won¬
der that the Negro was downcast and desolate and hopeless ?
" Give a dog a bad name and it will stick to him through life."
Put it in the minds of men that the Negroes were born to be
slaves, and truth will , have hard work to uproot the errof.
Yet this is just the error that found lodgment in the bosoms
of many of the brave-hearted, noble-souled, chivalric. South¬
ern people. But was it just ? was it even generous ? Let
every man who reads these pages answer for himself. Let
him place liberty and slavery in juxtaposition—what is the
conclusion ? Liberty is germinant, so too is slavery. Hiit
liberty is the tender flower that must be nurtured, a'nd culti¬
vated, .while slavery is the rank, noxious weed that grows up
with spontaniety. Some enemy .of mankind hath sown the
tares of slavery among the wheaten grains of liberty. If left
alone they will overrun the world and encroach upon the
rights of every man less strong than his neighbor. If they
be not cut down and plucked up by the roots they can pension
life upon the bleak rocks of prejudice and self-interest and
grow up to choke and poison all the better impulses of the
human heart and stifle the unlimited possibilities of the im¬
mortal soul. Liberty, therefore, is good—slavery is evil.
Liberty is light, slavery is darkness. Liberty is the sym¬
bol and the gift of God, but slavery is the tyranny of the Evil
One. Whoso loves liberty let him deny these facts if he can.
Personal freedom is the foundation-stone of the world's
freedom. It is the basis on which is built civil and political,
1 See fully on this point in De Bow's Review, vol. i, No. 3.
30 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
intellectual, moral and spiritual liberty. Man—the freeman,
but little lower than the angels, is the god-like superstructure
of this noble edifice. Personal freedom therefore, is the very
heart and core and centre of man's highest earthly existence.
Let the sword of aggression assail liberty in one quarter and
its effects are felt to the outer rim of the world's circumfer¬
ence. The history of one people or nation or race cannot be
written without touching in somewise upon the history of
some other. Every being exists, not only for himself, but
forms necessarily a portion of a great whole, of which the
plan and the idea go infinitely beyond him, and in which he
is destined to play a part. Thus the whole human race is
bound together by an invisible but actual bond of fellowship.
Thus the birth of a child or the death of a man affects or dis¬
turbs the relation of the whole of mankind. And this is true
in other respects. A drop of water cannot be removed from
the ocean, a grain of sand cannot be displaced from the
desert without changing the condition, however slight the
degree, of the whole created universe. If it were possible to
annihilate a single moment of time—to blot it out—to sever
it from the linked chain of duration, the effect of this action
would be felt throughout all future ages. Little deeds!
There are no little deeds in life. The performance of an
action ceases not in its operation until its influence reaches
the farther boundary line of the Hereafter, as a pebble
dropped into the ocean may send its radiating waves to pilfer
the sands from the shore and so change the contour o£ a con¬
tinent. Small words! There are no small words spoken.
A single thought once fashioned may set in motion a train of
influences which only the trumpet of the archangel will ar¬
rest. And so. Jeopardize the liberty of one man or one
nation or one race, and the liberty of the world is endangered.
But raise the standard of freedom—advance its lines, and
though empires may crumble and armies be slain—freedom
will triumph—-for Ff^eedom is immortal /
Nevertheless, if a candid man will only read the record of
the efforts for and against slavery in this country during the
present century, he will conclude that the "door of hope"
had certainly been shut forever in the face of the Negro.
The Monroe Doctrine—the Missouri Compromise—the eman¬
cipation policy of the South American States—the Fugitive
Slave Law—the Kansas and Nebraska Bill—the Wilmot Pro¬
viso—the annexation of Texas—the Dred Scott decision
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION. 31
the conferences and consultations—measures and movements
—debates and discussions—in Congress and in Legislatures
—in Church as well as State—in camp and court—all, all,
seemed to preclude the vaguest possibility of their full eman¬
cipation. The country was kept at red-hot heat between the
incandescent fires of peril and agony. Exaggerated and
distorted delineations of the subject were made on both sides,
which seemed only to widen the breach instead of remove
the cause. Mrs. Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," justly
regarded as a fanatical and inflammatory view of the subject,
yet had more influence in overthrowing the system, perhaps,
than any other one human work. As a matter of interest in
this connection it may be stated that this celebrated book first
appeared as a serial in the Washington National Era, in
1851—1852; then in two volumes, in Boston, in 1852. It has
been translated six times in French, twelve times in German;
and in Italian, Spanish, Danish, Swedish, Flemish, Polish
and Magyar. It has been dramatized, and eulogized, and
quoted from, and still finds large and ready sale in this
country and in Europe. The next literary firebrand thrown
into the midst of all this combustible material, was Helper's
"Impending Crisis," which reached a sale of more than one
hundred thousand copies in the North, though strictly inter¬
dicted in the South. All of this but proves that the civilized
world was being educated against the South. Still, as we
say, if a candid man will only read ex-Vice President Wilson's
book oji .the "Rise and Fall of Slave Power in America," he
can judge for himself how slim the chances for emancipation
seemed. We merely refer to these works, and do not wish
to discuss them, for we are studiously and honestly endeavor¬
ing to avoid what is known as the political sides of this
question. But they are matters of history, and if any objec¬
tion is raised, let it be directed only towards the makers of the
history. We refuse to acknowledge this responsibility, and
only propose to be responsible for writing fact. Would to
God our duty were a pleasanter one. Would that we could
record only the moral, intellectual and material march and
growth of our beloved country. But we search in vain for
the pure gold. It is mixed with dross everywhere. Sickened
to the very soul we open the history of savage Africa, and
read there of the kingdom of Dahomey—a kingdom which
was begun in blood and cruelty, and which has maintained its
existence for more than two centuries in spite of the terrible
3
3 2 NEGR O CI VILIZA TION IN THE SO UTH.
scenes continually enacted—scenes which would drive any
other nation to revolt—there almost under the shadow of
Christian mission stations, are still enacted the bloody dramas
of human sacrifices—human skulls are drinking cups! Hor¬
rified, we fly to the annals of barbarism. The war-cry of
Tamerlane, the Tartar, as it rings through the trembling date
groves of the Orient—as it rises above the pride of "Araby
the Blest"—stirs us like a trumpet call. But there on the
plains of Bagdad we behold his monument of forty thousand
human skulls—and our soul sinks back aghast from the
sight of human slaughter. Surely, then, in Christian America
there yet remaineth a brighter and a sweeter picture. We
open again the cherished volume of our country's history—
the Apocalypse of the Republic. With the hot heart and
eager eye of the enthusiast we look for its sacred antiquities.
Art, science, literature, music, poetry—where are these thy
hallowed records ? Benevolence, piety, religion — alas!
alas ! how few thy monuments. And yet we know that our
country is rich in annals. Since childhood we were taught
this is "the land of the free and the home of the brave."
We know that our Union was rich in associations that make
her plains historic—her mountains, her valleys, her lakes and
rivers remarkable. We know that her name is beloved and
honored in many a clime. We know that she has furnished
to the world a galaxy of enlightened, loyal and intrepid sons
—whose deeds stand out distinct as the clear-cut stars on a
winter's evening, and rising beyond death's dark night are the
guiding stars of our national polity. To their patriotism,
their zeal, their labors, their influence, their talents, their
wealth, we must ever acknowledge paramount and permanent
obligation. For in so far as they sowed the seed the gener¬
ation of to-day reaps the harvest in all of those grand conser¬
vative principles of civilization, truth, virtue, learning, liberty
and good government; and to them are we largely indebted
for many of the useful laws, morals, enjoyments, comforts,
conveniences and blessings of our refined society. They
have left us a goodly heritage. It stretches over the far-
reaching fields of human glory. It is bounded only by Time.
Boasting, then, of the great and the honored in theology,
in statesmanship, in military renown, in law, in medicine, in
judicature, in journalism, in commerce, in agriculture, are
there not countless thousands of the loved and lost—the
leathern-aproned sons of Anak, who were drawn into the
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION\
33
great current of human life and swept away with it, as by the
suction of Fate itself? Where are the records and who is
the historian of the "gloomy generations" on whose brows
man — not God — had stamped the, signet of servitude?
These treasures of art and industry—these triumphs of
architecture — but above all, these laughing fields of
plenty—these leveled forests and rescued swamps—these
evidences of labor dotting the land—say liberty - loving
friend, do we read our history through the kaleidoscopic
glass—is this Dahomey? and yonder Tamerlane's monu¬
ment?—or do we read, This was the throne, and this the
domain of the mighty monarch—the contented monarch—
King Cotton!
It is unnecessary, however, to paint more vividly these
life-pictures. By allowing the reader to exercise his own
imagination, we possibly also escape the rough handling of
the critics, though we do not in the least fear them. On the
contrary, we dare assert, that a lover of liberty and of justice
with his heart in the work, and courage to write what he thinks,
cannot touch on this subject without writing strongly. To
exaggerate or to adulterate, therefore, would lessen the force
of a statement. Men who habitually swear acknowledge by
the employment of profanity the weakness of their word
and the necessity of a bolstering oath. But men who write
the truth—though it may cut to the quick, will command at¬
tention and gain respect. We have already said that the
"peculiar institution" of slavery brought with it many evils.
We propose now to show that it also prevented much good to
the South, and bore in its birth a germ of death which its
illustrious founders had the weakness not to stifle. We pro¬
pose to show that during the slave regime the North pro¬
gressed, the South declined. Proofs of this strange contrast
abound.1
According to the census of i860, the Slave States had an
area of 851,448 square miles, or 544,926,720 acres; the Free
States, 612,697 square miles, or 392,092,080 acres. Conse¬
quently, the South had 238-,851 square miles, or 152,834,640
acres more than the North. Notwithstanding, the white pop-
1 These figures and those which shortly follow have been derived from the United
States Census Reports, and compared with the figures given in Helper's "Impending
Crisis," and in the admirably written work, "The Results of Slavery," by M. Augustin
Cochin, ex-Maire and Municipal Councillor of Paris—a work which was crowned by the
Institute of France, and translated by Mary L. Booth. Boston: Walker, Wise & Co.,
1863, pp. 45"52
34
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
ulation of the North amounted to 18,669,061, while that of
the South was but 8,038,996, that is 10,630,065 less inhabit¬
ants ; and if the colored population, slave and free, be added,
the North had in all 18,893,856 inhabitants, or 3°-^4 Per
square mile; the South, adding slave and colored, 12,240,294,
or 14.34 Per square mile; that is, 6,653,562 less inhabitants.
' This is a most astonishing" exhibit, when we remember that
the physical condition of the South is admitted as infinitely
superior to that of the North. Indeed, it is the boast of the
South that her geographical advantages are peerless—her cli¬
mate excellent, equable and inviting ; the fertility of her soil un¬
surpassed'; her water-power immense; her mineral wealth inex¬
haustible ; her timber ample for a population many times mul¬
tiplied ; that, in fact, it is a land that can produce everything
that can tempt the palate of man—certainly everything that is
absolutely necessary and of utility. There were no draw¬
backs in the way of soil, climate, seaboard outlets, or situation
as regards favorable commerce with other countries. Excel¬
lent harbors thickly indent the coasts, as if human ingenuity,
guided by engineering skill, and not Providence cut them
there. Clear, bright, deep, swift-rolling streams track and
intersect the land in every quarter. Hard by the cotton
fields towered mountains of iron and coal, but unpolished
steel has no attractive qualities, and the sky-kissing peaks
grew old and bald in looking down upon the few scattered
scenes of manufacturing toil and thrift. ^Adjoining the sugar
plantations were dense forests undisturbed by portable saw,
and beyond unclaimed marsh and swamp. Beneath richest
meadows lay imbedded wondrous wealth—so weary of
lethargy that here and there it outcropped and sunned itself
in the idle atmosphere—-just as tiny blades of grass peep out
in early spring to see if God's beautiful sunshine has come
again. There can be no doubt, then, that the South had all
of the elements of prosperity—all of the requisites necessary
to attract population and to command success in manufactures
and productive pursuits. This is an almost inexhaustible
subject, and we could enlarge on it ad infinitum, but space
forbids. Enough to say, 1st. The South was in possession of
incalculable supplies of the raw materials used in manufac¬
tures. 2d. She commanded the natural means and agents
best fitted tb produce power. 3d. Her position as respects
other countries was all that could be desired. 4th. The
nature of the soil and climate was altogether in her favor.
SLA VER Y AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION. 35
5th. She had ample capital if rightly used. Aside from
these, and with these, what did .we lack for aught that wisdom
could employ or skillful labor produce? But let us draw-a few
comparisons. Take the barren and sterile soil of New Eng¬
land, it will not compare even with North Carolina in natural
richness. Compare the rich district of Central New York
with the blooming valley of the Shenandoah; the hills of
Pennsylvania with the arable plains of Georgia; and as for
the boasted prairies of .Ohio, Indiana and Illinois they can
only be conh'asted with the charming Highlands of Middle
Tennessee, while the wonderful Blue Grass Region of Ken¬
tucky seems to be the garden spot of creation. The State of
Georgia has a combined water-power greater than the whole
of New England. Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mis¬
souri each quite equal Pennsylvania in mineral resources.
Kentucky alone has a superficies of coal lands greater than
the coal area of Great Britain. Tennessee, in its three great
Belts, or iron-producing regions—the Eastern, the Dyestone
and the Western, according to geological report, has enough
iron and coal to supply the world for centuries.1 The Missis¬
sippi valley is richer than the valley of the Nile. Every State
has the elements of an empire. Scarce a county that would
not make a wealthy dukedom.
Why was it then our land drooped and withered in the
summer sunlight of God's favor? Was it the fault of our
people? We are not their Judge. The whole world ac¬
knowledges them a gifted, noble people; a people of warm
strong feelings—the characteristics of noblemindedness and
good citizenship. And our women—God bless our women;
they have ever been remarkable in that exquisite womanliness
which is rare among women, and found never, save in women
of the highest and fairest organization. These are our jewels,
the crowning glory of our sunny south, and springing, as it
were, indigenous from the soil, are like the influence of cli¬
mate which no resistance can overcome. Oh, then, this was
the land where—
" The old bright wine of valor fills
The chalice of romance."
1 Professor Safford, State Geologist of Tennessee, estimates the coal area of the State
equal to a solid stratum eight feet thick,.covering an area of 5100 square miles—under¬
lying more than one-eighth of the entire surface of the State, and equal in volume to a
block of coal eight feet high, fifty-one miles wide, and one hundred miles long. Re¬
duced to bushels this would make 23,393,323,008,000 bushels, to which must be added
the incalculable value of iron ore and uncut timber—enough to purchase a kingdom.
36
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
and this will account for the dauntless valor of our heroic sons
who faced death on storied battle-plains "with fearless souls,
like ample shields"—presented to every uplifted blade and
verge enough for more.
But the land suffered from a scourge. It was under the in¬
fluence of slavery !
Let us see how far this affected the education of the masses
in the two sections—not to condemn—not for ignoble motive,
for every line we write in this comparison brings us deep and
poignant regret. In 1850, the North had 62,433 public
schools, 72,621 teachers, and 2,769^01 pupils. At the same
time the South had only 18,507 schools, 19,307 teachers, and
581,861 pupils. In the North 422,515 white adults could not
read or write; in the South 512,882. The whites therefore
suffered from slavery as well as the blacks. The following
list will show the number of whites under twenty in each State
who could neither read nor write:
Connecticut,
Vermont,
New Hampshire,
Massachusetts,...
Maine,
Michigan,
Rhode Island,....
New Jersey,
New York,
Pennsylvania,....
Ohio,
Indiana,
Illinois,
one jn 568
" • 473
" 3IQ
" 166
" 108
97
" 67
« 58
" 56
" 5°
43
" 18
« 17
Louisiana,
Maryland,
Mississippi,
Delaware,
South Carolina,
Missouri, .!..
Alabama,
Kentucky,
Georgia,
Virginia,
Arkansas,
Tennessee,
North Carolina,
one in 38^
" 27
" 20
. " 18
" i7
. " 16
■ " 15
■ " 13^
*3
11
7
The cost of churches in the North in 1850, was estimated
at $67,773,477 i m the South $21,674,581. The subscriptions
for Bibles and religious tracts, the .support of missionaries,
and the return of free Negroes to Africa amounted, in 1855,
to $1,005,743 in the North; while in the South they did not
exceed $222,402.
In the North the number of journals in i860 amounted to
2,888, issuing 735,520,708 copies annually; in the South to
1,193, issuing 192,430,840 copies per year. At the North,
there were, in 1850, 14,911 public libraries, containing 3,888,-
234 volumes. In the South, 695 public libraries with 649,577
volumes.
In 1855, $4,670,725 were collected for mail service in
the North. In the South $1,553,198. The number of
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION.
37
patents issued for new inventions in 1856 amounted in the
North to 1,929; in the South to 268.
To these figures let us add those of the industrial, agricul¬
tural, financial and economical condition of the sections.
" Compare" says Theodore Parker,1 "these two systems of
machinery; the North has reduced iron and fire to slavery;
the South has transformed men into machines; compare
the machinery of the nineteenth century after Jesus Christ,
with the machinery of the nineteenth century before Jesus
Christ; calculate how far the productive power of the North
prevails over the productive power of the South."
To begin, compare the custom-house receipts for 1854. In
the North these amounted to $60,010,489; in the South $5,-
!36,930. In 1855, the banking capital of the North amounted
to $230,100,340; of the South, $107,078,940.
Up to 1855, the North had excavated 3,682 miles of canals;
and had expended $538,313,647 in the construction of 17,855
miles of railroads. The South had only 1,116 miles of canals,
and 6,859 miles of railroad, at a cost of $95,252,581.
In the manufactures of the North (1850), with 780,576
workmen, and a capital of $430,240,051, the value of the
products amounted to $842,586,058; while in the Southern
States, with a capital of $95,029,879, and a corps of 161,733
workmen, they did not exceed $165,413,027.
Just here it is pertinent to inquire why this discrepancy in
the manufacturing prosperity of the sections ? And at this
day of practical observation, and in the light of results, none
will attempt to disguise the fact—slavery did not encourage
manufactures. Nay. the slave system was opposed to manu¬
factures, and invested the bulk of its capital in agricultural
and kindred pursuits under the slave system. But in discuss¬
ing this point it is well to observe that while capital and ap¬
propriate natural objects are vitally essential they are not the
only requisites necessary for manufactures. The efficacy of
all productive agents, however it may vary at different times
and different places, depends upon a variety and due combi¬
nation of circumstances moral as well asphysical. Foremost
among moral causes conducive and essential to prosperity are:
1. Freedom of industry and reasonable hopes of patronage.
2. General diffusion of intelligence among the people. 3. An
abundant supply of the most effective laborers and of those
1 Letter to the People of the United States, iii, 42, 1848.
38 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
qualified to direct labor. 4. The combination of labor. We
can only briefly examine these points.
1. Was there freedom of industry in the South? that is,
did the institution of slavery—supporting an aristocracy^ in
the heart of a republican form of government, and widening
the breach year after year between the non-producing and the
producing classes, foster and encourage manufacturing arts ?
We answer, No. Was there that dignity belonging to labor
justly accorded it in the South? We answer, No. W7hat
hope of reward had the manufacturer in the Southern States?
The answer is—the hope was meagre—home manufactures,,
in general, were only patronized when sudden necessities
arose—partly perhaps, on the principle that " charity begins
at home," and seldom with a view of upbuilding the indus¬
trial arts in our midst. It will be vain to interpose in defense
the possible superiority of Northern material, for we have
shown that the richest fields of the most valuable material are
within the South. Vain to say Northern workmanship was
more skilled, more dexterous, and better finished. We meet
that objection with the incontestable assertion that increased
consumption stimulates effort and the rich rewards of labor
excite invention.
2. Was there general diffusion of intelligence among the
people? We merely refer to the half million illiterate adult
whites in a population of six and half millions that there was not.
The system of education was against the mechanic. The
lack of public schools to educate his children turned him back
when he reached Mason & Dixon's "imaginary line." There
were no Boards of Immigration—no agents at the seaports to
invite foreigners hither. The institution of slavery was a wall
the European just escaping from the monarchies of Europe
did not care to scale. It was to the interest of the system to
keep foreigners at a distance.
The 3d and 4th points are answered already. In the
absence of the essentials enumerated there could be neither
an abundant supply of laborers, nor a combination of labor.
What was the result? We will let another tell it.
" It is a well-known fact, that we are compelled to go to
the North for almost every article of utility and adornment,
from matches, shoe-pegs and paintings, up to cotton-mills,
steamships and stationery, that we have no foreign trade, no
princely merchants nor respectable artists. The North is the
Mecca of our merchants, and to it they must make two pil-
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION. 39
grimages per annum—one in the Spring and one in the Fall.
We want Bibles, brooms, buckets and books, and go to the
North; we want pens, ink, paper, wafers and envelopes, and
we go to the North; we want shoes, hats, handkerchiefs, um¬
brellas and pocket-knives, and we go to the North; we want
furniture, crockery, glass-ware and pianos, and we go to the
North; we want toys, primers, school-books, fashionable
apparel, machinery, medicines, tombstones and a thousand
other things, and we go to the North for them all
In infancy we are swaddled in Northern muslin ; in childhood
we are humored with Northern gew-gaws; in youth we are
instructed out of Northern books; at the age of maturity we
sow our 'wild oats' on Northern soil; in the decline of life we
remedy our eyesight with Northern spectacles; in old age we
are drugged with Northern physic; and, finally, when we die,
our inanimate bodies, shrouded with Northern cambric, are
stretched upon the bier, borne to the grave in a Northern car¬
riage, entombed with a Northern spade, and memorized with
a Northern slab ! " 1
Fatal facts! Humiliating contrast! Where were our
politico-economists all this time? Were our leaders ignorant
of the fact that the barbarism or refinement—the retrogression
or progression of nations depends more on their prod,uctive
wealth than on any other circumstance? No people have ever
made any distinguished figure in philosophy or the fine arts,
without having been at the same time distinguished for their
employed riches—and their industry. Pericles and Phidias,
Petrarch and Raphael, adorned the flourishing ages of Grecian
and Italian commerce. Indeed, the influence of productive
wealth, is m this respect, humanly speaking, almost omnipo¬
tent. It is the true criterion of civilization. It raised Venice
from the bosom of the deep, and made the desert and sandy
islands on which she is built, the powerful " Queen of the
Adriatic;" and it rendered the unhealthy swamps of Holland
the favored abodes of literature, science and art. And yet we
were so blind as not to see.
We remember once reading of an English manual of eti¬
quette intended for persons in good society, which contained
a solemn warning against walking fast in the street, on the
ground that it would lead people to take you for a " business
man "—that is, for a man with work to do or engagements to
'Helper, p. 21, i860.
40 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
keep. It is not very long too, since a witness in an English
court turned savagely on the counsel who was examining him
because he asked him " what his business was," telling him
" he had no business, that he was a gentleman." And it goes
hard with a boy at the more aristocratic English public
schools to acknowledge that his father does anything to make
money, as hard as it went once with an American boy who
confessed to his fellows that his father did nothing. Now,
while it is not Christian to envy any man his good fortune, or
to deny that leisure and amusement are legitimate relaxations
of regular duties:—while we advance neither practical nor
theoretical ideas on communism, and make no attempt to jus¬
tify all working-class discontent, we do say the practice of such
habits, while tolerable under the regime of slavery would be
weak spots under the regime of liberty. It is true that the
citizens of Sparta and of some other Grecian cities, were pro¬
hibited from engaging in manufactures or commerce ; true that
Aristotle speaks in the most contemptuous terms of artisans
and merchants ; that. Plato proposed banishing them entirely
from his imaginary republic, and that even Cicero, who had
" mastered all the philosophy of the ancient world, and
raised himself above many of the prejudices of his age and
country, does not scruple to affirm that there can be nothing
ingenuous in a work-shop; that commerce, when conducted
on a small scale is mean and despicable, and when most ex¬
tended barely tolerable."1 But "my lords and gentlemen" of
this Practical Republic, while it might have done for the an¬
cient Spartan to turn up his Grecian nose, or the ancient
Roman to turn up his Roman nose at honest labor, it will not
do for the modern American. But let us have more figures :
The North in 1855, exported $167,520,693, and imported
$236,847,810; represented by a tonage of 4,252,615 tons.
The exportations of the South amounted to $107,480,688,
its importations to $24,586,528, and its tonage to 855,517
tons.
It is true, that the South was chiefly agricultural, and that
its products passed in a great part through the North.
Thus, for instance, New York alone represented imports
$164,776,511 ; exports $113,731,238; tonnage 1,404,221;
manufactured products $237,597,249; expense of railroads
$111,882,503; banking capital $38,773,288. This alone is a
1 De Officiis, lib. i, cap. 42.
SLA VER Y AS A COMMER CIAL Q UESTION. 41
proof that the South suffered all commercial and maritime
activity to drift to the North, although it possessed excellent
seaports and important cities.
Thus let us compare the oldest and most flourishing' of the
ante-bellum Slave States, Virginia, so favored by its great
seaports, its position between the North and South, the West
and the Atlantic, the richness of its soil and its mines, and
the mildness of its climate—let us compare Virginia with the
most prosperous of the Free States, New York:
In 1790 New York had 340,120 inhabitants ; Virginia, 748,-
308. In i860 New York had 3,^880,735 inhabitants ; Virginia,
1>59^>3i8. In 1791 New York exported $2,505,465; Vir¬
ginia $3,130,865. In 1852 New York exported $87,484,456 ;
Virginia $2,724,657. In 1791, the imports of New York and
Virginia were equal; but in 1853 the imports of New York
amounted to $178,270,999; while those of Virginia only
reached $399,004.
Shall we compare two less important States—Massachu¬
setts and North Carolina? The first has a superficies of but.
7,800 square miles; the second, of 50,704 square miles.
Nevertheless, the first saw its population increase from 378,-
717 souls in 1790, to 1,231,066 in i860; in the second it was
393»751 I79°» while it was but 992,622, of which 331,059
were slaves in i860. Both States possess excellent harbors.
Boston in i860 had become the second commercial city of the
United States; Beaufort was scarcely known by name. The
imports of Massachusetts in 1855 were $45,113,774, exports
$28,190,925, tonnage 970,727 tons; while North Carolina's
imports were $243,088, exports $433,818, and its tonnage,
60,077 tons.
In 1850, the products of the arts, manufactures, and mines
of Massachusetts amounted to $151,137,145 ; those of North
Carolina, $9,111,245. But in 1856 Massachusetts had in¬
creased the amount to $288,000,000, and valued her property
at $574,342,286; while the valuation of North Carolina, in¬
cluding Negroes, did not exceed $226,800,472 ; and as the
property in the city of Boston alone was estimated at $250,-
000,000, we see that this city alone might have bought up the
whole State of North Carolina.
But it was constantly affirmed that the North was a manu¬
facturing region, unfitted for cultivation, and dependent to
great extent on the South for subsistence. This was another
very great mistake. According to the census of i860 the
42 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
total agricultural production—general products, viz: wheat,
oats, corn, potatoes, rye, barley, buckwheat, beans and peas,
grass-seed, linseed, garden stuff, pot herbs and fruits amounted
in the North to 499,190,041 bushels, valued at $351,709,703;
in the South they amounted to 481,766,889 bushels, valued at
$306,927,067.
In special products, viz., hay, hemp, hops, flax, maple-
sugar, tobacco, wool, butter and cheese, wax and honey, cot¬
ton, cane-sugar and rice (these three last being raised only in
the South), the total amount produced in the North was
28,878,064,902 pounds, valued at $214,422,523; while at the
South it amounted to 4,338,370,661 pounds, valued at $155,-
233,415. Thus, it will be seen that the total balance of
the value of general and special products was $99,971,744 in
favor of the North.
Except in cotton, its principal wealth, cane-sugar and rice,
which the South alone produced, and corn, beans and peas,
hemp, flax, tobacco and wax, which the South produced in
greater quantity, except in these products, the North had
the advantage. "The South had cotton, which is the bread
of machinery; the North had wheat, which is the firead of
man."1
It may be even remarked, that the quantity of hay pro¬
duced by the North was in itself alone superior to the total
quantity of the special products of the South. Cochin's
figures are as follows:
Product of hay in the Free States was, 12,690,982 tons.
Which, at $11.20, worth $142,138,998
Special products of the South, 138,605,723
Difference, $3,533,275
These special products were:
Cotton, 2,445,779 bales, each 400 lbs., at $32.00 $78,264,928
Tobacco, 185,026,906 Tbs., at 10 cents per fb 18,502,390
Rice, 215,313,497 lbs., at 4 cents per lb 8,612,539
Hay, 1,137,7$4 tons, at $11.20 per ton 12,743,180
Hemp, 34,673 tons, at $112.00 per ton 3,883,376
Cane-sugar, 227,133,000 lbs., at 7 cents per lb 16,599,310
Total $138,605,723
1 Cochin's Result of Slavery, p. 49.
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION.
43
The result was again in favor of the North, if we compare
the agricultural products per acre. The North by free labor,
improved implements, deep plowing, sub-soiling and manures,
gathered to the acre 12 bushels of wheat, 27 of oats, 31 of
corn and 125 of potatoes; while the South, with far more fer¬
tile lands, gathered to.the acre 9 bushels of wheat, 17 of oats,
20 of corn and 113 of potatoes.
To this difference of products naturally corresponded an
enormous difference in the revenues and capital value of
lands. In the North the value of real and personal property
in 1850 was $4,102,172,108, yielding a revenue of $18,725,-
211. In the South the value of real and personal property
amounted to $2,936,090,737 ;* revenues $8,343,715.
In 1850, the average value of land in the Northern States
was $28.07; Northwestern States $11.39; Southern States
$5.34; Southwestern States $6.26.
We might also compare the number and value of animals,
the value of farming materials, etc., but it is enough to have
demonstrated by manifold proofs: 1st. That the agricultural
strength of the North under free labor was superior to the
agricultural strength of the South with slave labor. 2d. That
if the South had specific products—cotton most of all—these
products were far from possessing the importance assigned
them. 3d. That progress was manifesting itself more and
more in the North; that the disproportion was decreasing
from day to day in the South. 4th. That this condition was
not only injurious to the slaveholding population, but injuri¬
ous to the landholders who owned no slaves, and whose
property was depreciated by reason of this scourge. Now
landholders of this sort were numerous, for it was estimated
that of the 544,926,720 acres which compose the-superficies
of the slave States, 173,024,000 acres were held by slave¬
holders; 40,000,000 by the Government, and 331,902,720
acres by non-slaveholders.
According to the census of 1850, there were in the South
347,525 slaveholders, in a total population (in the United
States) of 23,047,898 inhabitants. These 347,525 slave¬
holders possessed some 3,200,304 slaves,2 divided as follows:
1 Cochin says, (p. 50,) "If the value of slaves, estimated at $1,600,000,000 be de¬
ducted, a difference remains of $2,766,081,371." Elsewhere, however, we cite Dr.
Baldwin's valuation of the slaves in 1858 at $2,700,000,000. We leave our readers to
adjust the difference, since the general results will not be materially altered,
z Results of Slavery, p. 110.
44
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Owners of a single slave, 69,820
from
1 to
" 5 to
" 1 o to
" 20 to
" 50 to
" 100 to
" 200 to
" 300 to
" 500 to IOOO
over 1000
5 103,683
10 80,763
20 54,595
50 29,733
100 6,196
200 r,479
300 187
5°° 56
9
2
"But lastly," says Cochin, "judging by facts, we become
sure that slavery destroys prosperity, whether we compare a
State with itself at different epochs, or draw a parallel
between two neighboring States, placed in like condition of
fertility, climate and population."1 Here are the figures:
KENTUCKY.
Wheat.
Crop of 1840 4,803,152 bushels.
Crop of 1850 2,142,822 bushels.
Diminution, 2,660,330 bushels.
TENNESSEE.
Wheat.
Crop of 1840 4,569,692 bushels.
Crop of 1850 1,619,386 bushels.
Rye.
1.321,373 bushels.
415,073 bushels.
906,300 bushels.
Tobacco.
29,55°,432 ft>s-
20,148,932 lbs.
Diminution, 2,950,306 bushels.
VIRGINIA.
Rye.
Crop of 1840 1,482,799 bushels.
Crop of 1850 458,930 bushels.
9,401,500 Tbs.
Tobacco.
75,347,io6 lbs.
56,803,227 lbs.
Diminution, 1,023,869 bushels. 18,543,879 lbs.
ALABAMA.2
Wheat.
Crop of 1840 838,052 bushels.
Crop of 1850 294,044 bushels.
Rye.
51,000 bushels.
17,261 bushels.
Diminution, 544,008 bushels.
But we close this portion of our
33,739 bushels,
work by making the
* Results of Slavery, p. 51.
2 It ought to be sta-ted in part explanation that it frequently happened the Southern
planter would put his whole crop in. cotton and in nothing else. And on the other
hand it has been said that the Northern farmer "sold everything he could eat, and ate
everything he could not sell."
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION.
45
following extract from M. de Tocqueville's oft-quoted book
on America:
"The traveler who, embarked on the Ohio, suffers himself to be floated
down the river by the current to its confluence with the Mississippi, steers,
we may say, between liberty and slavery, and he has only to cast his eyes
about him to judge in an instant which is more favorable to the human race.
" On the left bank of the river the population is thinly scattered; from
time to time, a group of slaves are seen wandering with a careless air over
the half-barren fields; the primitive forest constantly re-appears; one would
say that the community was asleep; man seems inactive, and Nature alone
offers the image of activity and life.
" On the right bank of the river, on the contrary, arises a confused hum
proclaiming from afar the presence of 'manufactures; rich harvests cover the
ground, elegant residences announce the taste and care of the workman: on
every side, competence reveals itself, man appears wealthy and contented;
—he labors;" 1
"On both banks," adds Cochin, in i860, "the air is alike
healthy, the climate temperate, the soil inexhaustible; each
of them forms the boundary line of a vast State; on the left
Kentucky, in which slaves are admitted; on the right, Ohio,
which has rejected them from her midst. Kentucky was
founded in 1775, Ohio, not till 1787; the latter has already
250,000 inhabitants more than the former."
But if we look at political influence, by an incredible con¬
trast—the scene shifts—the South predominates. How¬
ever, this is treading on dangerous ground, and before going
even one step farther, we propose to quote from an authority
of the very highest character. We refer to that distinguished
gentleman, Hon. Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, who
became (Vice-President of the Southern Confederacy, and from
whose speech delivered before the Georgia Convention on
secession, January 16, 1861, we make following extract:
"What have we to gain by this proposed change in our relations to the
General Government? We have always had the control of it, and can yet,
if we remain in it, and are united as we have been. We have had a major¬
ity of Presidents chosen from the South, as well'as the control and manage¬
ment of most of those from the North. We have had sixty years of Southern
Presidents to their twenty-four, thus controlling the Executive department.
So of the Judges of the Supreme Court—we have had eighteen from the
South, and but eleven from the North; although nearly four-fifths of the
judicial business has arisen in the free States, yet a majority of the Court
has always been from the South. This we have required,'so as to guard
against any interpretation of the Constitution unfavorable to us. In like
manner, we have, been equally watchful to guard our interests in the legis¬
lative branch of the government. ' In chosing the presiding Presidents (J>ro
1 De Tocqueville, Tom ii, p. 298.
46 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
tem.) of the Senate, we have had twenty-four to their eleven. Speakers of
the House, we have had twenty-three and they twelve. While the majority
of the Representatives, from their greater population, have always been from
the North, yet we have so generally secured the Speaker, because he, to a
great extent, shapes and controls the legislation of the country. Nor have
we had less control in every other department of the General Government.
Attorney Generals, we have had fourteen, while the North have had but
five. Foreign ministers, we have had eighty-six, and they fifty-four.
While three-fourths of the business which demands diplomatic agents abroad
is clearly from the free States, from the greater commercial interests, yet we
have had the principal embassies, so as to secure the world's markets lor our
cotton, tobacco and sugar, on the best possible terms. We have had a vast
majority of the higher offices of both army and navy, while a larger propor¬
tion of the soldiers and sailors were drawn from the North. Equally so of
clerks, auditors and comptrollers filling the Executive department, the record
shows, for the last fifty years, that of the three thousand thus employed, we
have had more than two-thirds of the same, while we have but one third of
the white population of the Republic. Again, look at another item, and one,
be assured^ in which we have a great and vital interest; it is that of revenue,
or means,of supporting government. From official documents we learn that
a fraction over three-fourths of the revenue collected for support of govern¬
ment has uniformly been raised from the North."
Comment on this is unnecessary, In a moment of mad¬
ness the people suffered passion to prevail. Quick, sharp,
suddenly, almost without warning, a frightfu calamity burst
over the land. Open war, and war in all its horrors, was now
begun. All the soft workings of humanity—what Shakspeare
calls the "compunctious visitings of nature"—were now ab¬
sorbed in the raging and insatiable thirst for battle. The
death rattle of the war drum sounded! The murderous
thunder of artillery—the lurid lightning of powder—the flash
of cold, hungry steel—the glare of the torch—these, these,
were the instruments employed by the demons of hate to
drown the whir of machinery, to stifle the throbbing heart of
trade—to blanche the rosy cheek of beauty and shed the rich
sweet blood of brothers. O, Beneficent God of Peace ! O,
Compassionate God of Love!—forgive, forgive, this people.
Our land, the richest and the fairest of the globe—from
Sumter to Appomatox — for a thousand leagues was
streaked with the graves of our kindred, shrouded with the
deadly nightshade of sorrow, and silent under the dominion
of terror. And yet the pen of the poet, the pencil and chisel
of the artist, and even the voice of God's ministers were
busied in maintaining the prestige of human havoc. But the
true philanthropist was grieved to the soul by the sad specta¬
cle of weakness and depravity manifested at almost the latest
hour of human enlightenment, and the political economist,
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION.
47
the real friend of nations, shrunk with amazement and horror
from the desolated fields, the burned and bombarded cities,
the shattered monuments of skill and industry, and the waste
of power, genius and resources, with which the insensate
fury of a few was permitted to disfigure the abode of intelli¬
gent beings.
It is true the Southern States, in the act of secession, com¬
mitted a rash and thoughtless, but surely not a guilty deed.
The right they exercised was inexpressibly injudicious, but. it
is a right that pulsates at the very core of American institu¬
tions. It was a heroic struggle for the liberties, the lives, the
consciences, the affections, the immortal hopes of eight mil¬
lions of Christian men, women and children—a grand and
glorious struggle for that same immortal freedom for which
we are now contending. Those who make their individual
opinions of right the, absolute touch-stone of human virtue
must be without sin themselves before.they can cast a stone.
Otherwise they become the persecutors of men, when they
should be the advocates of doctrine. Before a common Cre¬
ator and Judge let every man stand or fall. "The fact of
property in man is now a thing of the past in our country, and
the most zealous supporters of the policy which has cancelled it,
the most ardent advocates of human equality, ought to reflect
whether they do not violate their own almost deified i;code
when they visit still with their anathemas those who decline
to confess themselves sinners .above others because they
owned slaves. God grant that Americans may speedily out¬
grow all remaining taints of tyrrany which shows itself in
hating a man because of his creed, and stand before the
world in fact, as they do in name, a brotherhood on the
matchless basis of unfettered conscience, the keystone of the
structure which shelters them." Above all, now that slavery
is gone, let us look to it that our government becomes a gov¬
ernment of consent, and not a government of force, let us
look to it that the spirit of American liberty be not crucified
in her own temple. The Southern people are liberty-loving,
they are generous, they are humane, and the one solemn
regret that now lives in their heart of hearts, as expressed by
their recent leaders and by the people is, that the South her¬
self did not free the slaves.
The frightful waste of property in that war has scarcely
been realized. Indeed it mounts up into figures almost be¬
yond "human comprehension. It is greater in the aggregate
48 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
than the combined expenditures of all the European wars
since 1851, including the Crimean, the Italian of 1859, the
Schleswig-Holstein, the Austro-Prussian, the Franco-Prussian
and Turko-Russian wars.1 It is said that the general expen¬
diture of Great Britain upon war debt and warlike prepara¬
tions since 1851, amounts to nearly seventy hundred millions
of dollars,2 but the cost of our late war, including the value
of the slaves, will exceed this by about twenty-seven hundred
millions and run up to the almost inconceivable sum of ninety-
seven hundred millions of dollars ! This sum at $100,000 per
mile would build a railroad in length about four times the cir¬
cumference of the globe, and could make nabobs of a com¬
pany of contractors as large as the present United States
army. Figures so enormous leave the human imagination
helpless—but we gain some idea of what the tax upon the
nation is when we say that it would be equal to about ten
dollars per head for the population of the whole globe—the
vast hordes—enlightened and unenlightened, pvilized, bar¬
barous and savage—ten dollars for every man, woman and
child. And estimating the population of the United States
at 50,000,000 is equal to one hundred and ninety-four dollars
for every man, woman and child under the fair and ample
folds of our starry flag. This sum has been taken from the
productive capital of the country and utterly wasted in a con¬
flict between Christian people who might have settled the dis¬
pute by calmer arbitrament. What wonder, therefore, that
business lagged ? What wonder that the world's work was
left undone ? When men tempt God they must bitterly—and
1 Our figures are taken from a tract issued by the London Peace Society in 1877, and
are as follows :
American civil war, the North $4,700,000,000
" " " the South 2,300,000,000
To which we add—Value of slaves 2,700,000,000
Crimean war
Italian war of 1859
Schleswig-Holstein war
Austrian and Prussian war in 1866
Franco-Prusian war
Other wars, expeditions, etc
■51,700,000,000
300,000,000
35,000,000
330,000,000
2,500,000,000
200,000,000
Leaving the frightful balance against us of..
2 The exact figures of Great Britain's expenditure are $6,528,163,995. But in th.e
above list of wars, expeditions, etc., the allied expedition against China, the Indian
mutiny, Abyssian, and Ashantee campaigns are excluded.
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION. 49
they always bitterly rue it. Some cruelly sarcastic wag of
the North called the war, " the late unpleasantness another,
more philosophic, in the South, termed it, "the rich man's
war, but the poor man's fight." But enough is said, when
we make bold to assert, that while the South rallied to a man
to defend her soil, not a corporal's guard could be gathered to
r^-enslave the Negro.
The Southern people have complained bitterly against the
manner in which the Federal armies waged the war. They
think it was'dishonorable in the North to raise the cry " Pres¬
ervation of the Union !" while the freedom of the Negro was
their real object. Judged from the Southern startdpoint so it
was. The fair and manly thing, they think, would have been
to have unfurled the abolition flag in the outset. But 4'it was
not on their banners, it was not in their war-cry, nor in their
shputs of victory, nor is it on their monumental tablets, nor
in their engrossed laws and decrees." 1 Yet what is the view
from the other side? We know that there is a chivalry,
courage and dignity of character at the North just as we
know there is dauntless valor,<feind Christian conscience and a
high-toned moral culture at the South. If the South loved
the Constitution, so too did the North. If abolition was re¬
pugnant to the South, slavery was revolting to the North.
By the letter of the Constitution, to which the sons of the
North were bound by the solemnity of an oath, they had no
right to touch it. Abraham Lincoln although an anti-slavery
man, had sworn to obey the Constitution, and did not dare
violate his oath. But when the Southern States tried to dissolve
the Union—when they threw off their allegiance and refused to
return to the compact of their fathers, then came the moment
of action with the North. It had to be either a severed
Union and a meaningless Constitution, or an invaded Consti¬
tution, a solid and indissoluble Union—and freedom for all her
people.
As on the question of slavery, so too in regard to the Con¬
stitution, both North and South were blameworthy. We have
heard a vast deal of "gas" and "buncombe'" and noisy har¬
angue about that venerable document.. Much of it reminds
us of the speech Boyle Roche once made in the Irish Parlia¬
ment : " Mr. Speaker, I would give the half of the Constitu-
1 From a recent address delivered by Gen. Jno. S. Preston, of South Carolina, before
the Students of the University of Virginia.
50 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
tion—nay the whole of it—to preserve the remainder."
Humbuggery is a prominent trait, in the American character,
and, to-day when a man asserts his undying love for the Con¬
stitution one is tempted to inquire which half he means. To
be more serious—we behold a certain class holding it above
the sacred faith of,the Christian, and denying God admission
to its articles—while another, nay both, set it at defiance and
break it at will. But men cannot debar the Omnipotent
Deity from interference with their affairs. He holds the na¬
tion responsible for the sins of the politicians. The people
must be wise therefore, in choosing. And the rulers must be
just and fo^bearant, must be pious as well as patriotic—must
realize the awfu[ solemnity of duties attached to office-holding.
Come then let us reason together. Is there not apt illustra¬
tion of our system of government in 'the sacred relations of
social marriage ? Marriage' relations to be harmonious and
happy must be mutual—must be voluntary. Concert of action
binding on one side must be binding- on the other. Free¬
dom to one side to act alone is freedom to both sides. It is
not granted to the man that h? may be tolerably faithful any
more than it is allowed to the woman that she may be toler¬
ably virtuous. Loyalty in the strictest and severest letter of
the law—that is the fulfillment of the marriage contract. So
too was this the contract of marriage between the States—
the solemn and holy union of sections. "What therefore
God hath joined together, let no man put asunder!"
One word more as to Mr. Lincoln. He had not only sworn
to obey, but also to protect the Constitution. The stern justice
of the hour required heroic nerve. " Honest Abe" they called
him and as "Honest Abe" history has written his epitaph.
Then could we but forecast our vision to a future and liberty-
adoring century—what would we behold ? It would be the
picture of a grand, though uncouth man of these times, in
whose rugged but manly bosom there waged fierce conflict
between the opposing forces of duty and of conscience. We
would behold him sitting with the severity of a judge weigh¬
ing—in one scale, the merits of the Constitution—in the
other, the most stupenduous question of modern ages. The
thunders of battle without the walls of the Capitol do not move
him—but when the moment of decision comes—"with charity
to all, with malice toward none"—his heart, his heart
alone, turns the scale for Humanity's, s.ak.e and honest convic¬
tion decides for Liberty! And" we would behold a halo of
SLAVERY AS A COMMERCIAL QUESTION. 51
peculiar glory encircling his name—like that which blazes
around the martyrdom of a patriot and a philosopher—like
that which surrounds the memory of Socrates and Regulus.
And the verdict would be, he serves his party not alone, who
serves his country most. The performance of .a deed for hu¬
manity's sake does not put a jewel in the diadem of party
splendor, but embellishes the historic page of one's birthland
and one's times. ' In all the wide fields of human endeavor
those deeds that shine out conspicuously bright are those
which look' beyond self—beyond party—to country and
mankind"., We lose sight of Andrew Jackson's Democracy
when we read his stern epigrammatic sentence, "The Fed¬
eral Union; it.must and shall be preserved." We do not
think of-Henry Clay as simply an Old Line Whig while re¬
membering his noble utterance, " I would rather be right
than be President." And so the generous North of to-day
eulogizes the valor of Robt. E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson,
and so we of the South have come to respect the memory of
Abraham Lincoln and to regard it as a rich heritage of the
nation.
But the hour for the Negro's independence had struck ;
the fruit was ripe; it dropped from the tree. Things appar¬
ently incompatible and antagonistic worked in its favor.
Many men fought on the Federal side who were not aboli¬
tionists, and many on the Confederate side who were not
slaveholders. Surely then there must have been a stronger
and a higher Hand • at work shaping the destinies of this
country than that of the Federal or Confederate soldier. For
when we remember the glorious intrepidity—the splendid
dash of the Southern troops—the heroic sacrifices of the
Southern people, we believe that in almost any other cause
they would have triumphed, but in this cause God seems to
have turned his face aside, and Hope, that glittered like a
sunlit sword, was quenched in gloom !
In the midst of the frightful carnage and fearful destruc¬
tion, the Negroes stood aghast with terror. They did not fly
to arms, though their own freedom was involved. They never
fought until the arms were placed in their hands, and compar¬
atively few then. As they had been the innocent cause of
the terrible struggle, so they remained, with exceptions, to the
close. Ah, who can tell that beyond their black skins there
did not beat hpart^J^i^^S^nd love for " old marster" and
"old mistis^/^®^nd yet wl^sMo^ld they have honored and
52 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
loved us? Was it not rather *their fidelity and obedience to
God that sheathed the glittering blade, and left unlit the mid¬
night torch ? Many a matron throughout the South retired to
rest in dread of what might befall herself and her children
before morning. Many a master slept in peace and security.
But was it to the credit of the master that he slept, or to the
credit of the slave? " Two men went up into the temple to
pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The
Pharisee stood, and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank
thee,, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust,
adulterers or even as this publican. I fast twice in tlie week,
I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, stand¬
ing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven,
but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a
sinner." 1 Two men die a century apart; the one before, the
other after Jesus Christ; the one named Spartacus, the other
St. Peter. The slave Spartacus exclaims to his fellows,
"Arise, revenge yourselves!" The fisherman .Peter, repeats
to the wretched the words of the Redeemer, " Blessed are
the poor for they shall be comforted." Watching their flocks
by night some Judean Shepherds saw a blazing planet
tremble and pause over Bethlehem's plains, and an angel of
the Lord descending and saying, " Fear not; for, behold, I
bring yoju good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
people . . . Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men." 2 Toiling by day in the fields
of the South the slaves bent their ears to catch these " good
tidings" of gentleness and justice. To them liberty was
sweet—and the picture of hope—when they dared to hope,
was very beautiful. To them liberty was sweet, but the war
seemed like the very " blackness of darkness." Not a streak
of light in all the heavens! Huddled in the contraband
camps, the few fugitives congregated—" a homeless, friend¬
less, pitiable throng, suffering from cold, hunger, sickness and
death." At home on the old plantation were their kindred
faithfully serving to the last.3 But, oh, fellow countrymen,
i Luke xviii, 10-13. * Ibid, xi, 10-14.
3 We have before us a wcjrk testifying to this, and giving a Southern war-view of the
Negro's fidelity. It is entitled, " The South Vindicated," and was written by the Hon.
James Williams, late American Minister to Turkey, from the 2d American Edition,
published at Nashville, Tenn., Confederate States of America, by the Southern Method¬
ist Episcopal Publishing House, and reprinted in London by Longman, Green & Long¬
man, 1862. Mr. Williams says: "No people have ever had more unmistakable evi¬
dences that they were guided and directed by an overruling Providence, which smiled
SLAVERY AS- A COMMERCIAL QUESTION. 53
no power, no prison-wall can *hinder the voice of freedom
from reaching the heart of the captive. Valiant hearts and
strong arms, and double-shotted cannon faced the invader,
but " Liberty said, Let there be light, and, like a sunrise on
the sea, Athens arose."
We therefore, on behalf of the Americo-African challenge
all history to produce a like instance of sublime moral cour¬
age and Christian patience under wrong and oppression. We
may talk of Spartan firmness and Roman bravery—but they
were freemen. We remember the bloody revolts of the
slaves in Santo Domingo, in Greece and Sicily, but are struck
by the happy contrast our land presents. There can be but
one conclusion to the whole matter and that is this. Blessed
be God, for he is just; he does not permit liberty to be
wedded to servitude, and his sovereign hand in falling heavily
upon the United States, did not smite liberty; but it blighted,
it convulsed, it forever' condemned slavery.
Then do our fellow Southerners see nothing to admire,
nothing to pity in these poor unfortunates? Will they con¬
sent to keep up race prejudices and despise the Negro
simply because he is a Negro? Let us appeal to the infalli¬
ble oracle of equity that holds court in the conscience of
every true Southerner. Let us have the answer, gentlemen.
Before the war they were obedient, docile, patient, profitable
servants. Some brought forth thirty, some forty, some an
hundredfold on the investment. And now having enjoyed the
fruits of their labors, and the fruits of the toiling generations
gone before, with justice you might say—and ere long with
justice you ivill say, "Well done good and faithful servants.
You did not rise in revolt against us, but while we were at the
front of battle, and our homes unguarded, you remained at
home and made the crops and protected our wives and chil-
upon their undertaking, than have the people of the South since the commencement of
their great struggle. To crown all, we have been blessed with the most bountiful crops
that have ever before been garnered in recompense for the toils of the husbandman.
While our free citizens have shouldered their muskets and have gone forth to fight the
battles of their country, the Africans are contentedly working in the fields. Faithful
and true to the interests of their masters; watching with kind solicitude over the un¬
protected women and children who have been left with no other defense than their
fidelity afforded ; rejoicing in the successes or mourning over the reverses of the Southern
armies, of which they are themselves a chief element of strength by means of the pro¬
ducts of their labor; resisting alike the promises and threats of the Yankee invaders;
they have put to shame the enemies of the 'South, who predicted their unfaithfulness,
and have taught mankind a lesson of experience iff regard to the influences and nature
of the institution of slavery in the Southern States, which it is to be hoped will be more
instructive than the speculative theories which have hitherto formed the basis of public
opinion."
54
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
dren. Such faithfulness chajlenges our admiration. Such
obedience merits our gratitude. Then let the wasted treas¬
ure be a sacrifice, let the blood be a libation forever between
our race and thine. We give you the cordial grasp of
friendship. Our country is thy country, and our God thy
Cod."1
And when this generous sentiment, which is growing day
by day, takes root in the hearts of our people, a paean of joy
will ring through the land, and peace and plenty will bless our
prayers and reward our labors. But we, must hasten on.
Not, however, without touching upon a subject intimately
connected with this. The North has marked the return of
the South to power with astonishment and alarm. She
has seen the South sending Her bravest Confederate Generals
to Congress, and electing soldiers to offices in the various
States. She forgets that some of our best soldiers have also
been made bishops and clergymen, professional men, business
men—and men in all the walks of life. So, while there
is cause for astonishment there is none for alarm.1 When the
"Conquered Banner" went down in blood and tears—it fell
to wave no more, it fell to wave no more! When her heart¬
broken soldiers turned their footsteps toward their ruined
homesteads, they did so as resolutely to keep their paroles of
honor as they had been brave and enterprising and daring to
defy. They accepted the situation—they accepted the results
of the war in good faith, and having fought the good fight
they have kept the faith. It is true there have been out¬
breaks and lawlessness in certain quarters, but the par¬
ticipants were not representative of the Southern people.
A nation should not be judged by the sins of her criminals—
neither should the South be held responsible for the outlawry
1 The recent Southern General Conference received two fraternal delegates from the
African Methodist Episcopal 'Church, who, in our hearing, made a remarkable speech
each. The second speaker, Johnson, uttered one of the most beautiful extempore pas¬
sages we have ever heard. Said he, in effect: " Brethren, there happened in this ante¬
room just now a circumstance I shall never forget. You remember that David in the
cave of Adullam sighed for water from the well of Bethlehem, and three young men,
at the peril of their lives, brought the longed-for water, when David would not, after
all, drink, since it had been procured at the peril of life. He therefore poured out the
water as a libation before the Lord." Said the speaker, " When I entered this room I
was fevered, and, like David, longed for water. A gentleman took a goblet to serve me.
During his absence I learned that he was the Governor of Georgia. Realizing the chasm
between us, I thought of David, and taking the goblet from his hand I begged that I
might pour out the water as a libation forever between his race and mine." We never
saw a house more stricken, thrilled and melted by speech from any human orator.—
North-roestern Christian Advocate.
"DIVINE SANCTION" OF SI A VERY.
55
of the few. A people so rich in«all the elements of Christian
heroism cannot be kept down. Heaven and earth has need
and use for their talents, their genius, 'their wisdom, their
courage and their integrity. Divinely commissioned, they
are moving forward in the high a:nd holy privilege of redeem¬
ing their section, of adding to the brightness of her imperish¬
able glory, and -inscribing' our country's fame above the
nomina clara of all other nations. Therefore, when the
cause of the war had been removed, when the shackles of
bondage fell from' the. limbs of the Negro, God's fiat went
forth, "Thus far, no farther!"
"DIVINE SANCTION" OF SLAVERY.
It is both curious and interesting to note—now that the
Negro is free, the change of sentiment that has taken place
in the South as to "divine sanction" (?) of slavery. Here
and there may be found a former slaveholder who clings to
the old idea, arid here and there one who does not believe
much in the divinity of anything, who would wish to have his
slaves again, but the great majority freely express themselves
to1 the contrary, they believe the curse has been removed,
and are honestly and heartily rejoiced to see the rac^ exalted
to the station of freemen. The many vicissitudes that have:
come upon the South they think' are evidences of God's
determination to burn this truth into their souls with the red-
hot iron of affliction, and as amicability between the races is
extending year by year; and as the lines are becoming ad¬
justed to the new order of things, future peace, prosperity'
and happiness will be their portion. Those who wish for the
re-enslavement of the Negro are usually haTd^hearted, mer¬
cenary men, who do not consider their fellow-men from any
other point than their actual money valiiie—the cent, per
cent., rather than the goodness in their hearts or the un¬
speakable possibilities of mind and soul. However, this is
not strange. Money is mammon. Mammon is God's enemy
and theirs, and ours. Million^ of souls now accursed have
turned away from the high and holy One to fall down and wor¬
ship the other. ■ Millions are to-day bound by the same hor¬
rible creed. It has been so always, God forbid that it should
be so forever!
But let us speak of the better class of Southerners. It was
56 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
a severe blow to them to lose their fortunes. It brought
hardships and suffering upon thousands of worthy people. It
smote the just with the unjust; it did not spare the widow
nor the orphan. But it has proved a blessing notwithstanding.
It is bringing out the true manhood and womanhood of the
South. The real worthy will stand; the unworthy will fall.
The patient and the true will triumph, but the vainglorious
and the indolent must ever succumb. Sooner or later this
struggle had to come, and it is better for us that it came when
it did than to have left posterity to answer for what we might
have righted. The truth is summed up in this, The hour of
mankind's deliverance has struck, the cycle of bondage is
completed. Force, for six thousand years triumphant, must
henceforth divide empire with reason. A spirit of inquiry is
abroad. Justice has indeed arisen! The enlightened world
is on the side of liberty!
Our battles were world battles! The ideas we combatted
for, the ideas we combatted against—are essential to liberty
anywhere; and there is not an oppressed being on the globe
—oppressed by any species of usurpation—that has not an
interest in our affairs. We were watched by kings and
queens and peasants. From lordly mansions, from poor
men's cottages, eager eyes looked on. Our free institutions
—free schools, cheap government, voluntary religion, open
ballot-box—-were for years shaking the monarchies of the
old world. All eyes turned hither, for it involved the destiny
of the coronet and the sceptre, it involved the freedom of
peasant, serf, slave and savage. By our suffering we have
not only recovered all but lost manhood, but we are living a
higher and a nobler life. Above our fair flag is a fairer sky—
and America to-day wears upon her brow the jewel of the
world's freedom. '
•Nor do the Southern people expect to be remunerated for
their slaves. To look for such bounty from our Government
would be vainer than a dream, and besides, if they take it,
they may touch unholy j?old. All they want now is to be
treated fairly. Grant this, and the future of the South will
be a future of diversified industries, and busy fingers and
happy homes; a land in which brain and muscle shall unite
in common cause, and gather from Nature her choicest fruits
and her richest treasures; a land which shall meet the in¬
creasing wants of its people by a constant improvement
in the methods of production, and which shall scatter its
uDIVINE SANCTION" OF SLAVERY.
57
abundance, with a lavish hand, on all who think and all
who toil.
Twenty years ago, however, there were many people who
believed in the " divine sanction " of slavery. The advocates
of the system from a religious standpoint argued that the
curse of Noah pronounced upon Canaan (Gen. .ix, 25) inr
volved alike "the general inferiority of the Hamitic race, and
its specific condemnation to the lowest degree of political ser¬
vility, consigning it either to national or personal bondage, or
to both, 'until the times of the restitution of all things.'"1
What wonder then, a creed so solemnly taught should have
been battled for with fierceness ? And yet these words, in
one shape or another, have been uttered in the pulpit and the
Senate; on'the stump and in the forum; they have been read
in books and newspapers; they have been heard in assem¬
blies, academies and drawing-rooms. Would to Heaven, we
had been quite as zealous, quite as ardent, quite as faithful in
keeping all of the laws and commandments as this one in¬
volving the hopeless servitude of an unhappy race. And if
this condemnation was true—does not the full emancipation
of the Negroes indicate that "the times of the restitution of
all things'' are near at hand? It certainly seems so. The
whole impulse and sweep of the age is towards Christian
liberty. The Apostles of true science, of art and literature
have become apostles of the Gospel, and are extending the
triumphs of freedom, peace and joy in every direction. Surely,
then, these are lines of blazing and living light running
parallel with the deathless truths of God.
It will be interesting though to the reader of to-day
to know what were the prevalent opinions twenty years ago.
In 1858, Dr. Baidwin, in his remarkable book said:
God's plan of elevating the Hamitic. race to virtue, industry and economy
is through the humility of bondage. And this being his plan, it is the only
really feasible and benevolent one. To interrupt it, or attempt its removal
or modification before it has run its needful and natural and appointed
course, is to injure the very persons we purpose thereby to assist. It is not
philanthropic to sound the trumpet of the great Sabbatic year before the
antecedent and appointed years are ended. God has appointed a specific
time of rest. ' Six days shalt thou latjor,' is his command, 'but the seventh
is the Sabbath (not of man but) of the Lord thy God; in it thoiyshalt not
do any work.' The law of labor is as benevolent, under the present consti¬
tution of things, as that of rest will be in another."2
1 See Baldwin's Dominion, p. 53.
2Ibid, p. 24
58
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
This is a most remarkable prophecy, so remarkable as to
be overcharged somewhat with the marvelous, and so mar¬
velous as to read now amazingly like a burlesque, though it
comes to us supported by a grave authority and touches upon
a subject too serious to treat with contempt. We shall, how¬
ever, present a number of facts, which we have reason to be¬
lieve will disabuse the minds of our people of this idea of
slavery. The first is, that they who defended slavery by the
Scriptural argument (and Dr. Baldwin was among the very
ablest—perhaps the foremost Southern writer on this subject)
seem to have forgotten that the slavery for which they
pleaded,, was the slavery of the white or red race, not of the
black. Their whole defense was based on the curse pro¬
nounced upon Canaan,, but (it never has been and cannot be
proved, that the Negroes of South and West Africa are des¬
cendants of Canaan, although it has been a popular opinion
and was usually taken for granted. Secondly, It never has been
and cannot be proved that the curse on Canaan did not ex¬
pend itself on his generation. And thirdly, Whether the
Negroes are descendants of Canaan or not, in five years from
the time of Dr. Baldwin's prophecy the emancipation procla¬
mation of Abraham Lincoln was .issued—slavery was over¬
thrown, and we of the United States beheld a most wonder¬
ful spectacle in the abrogation of the Noachian curse by the
march of Christian civilization—the evident advent of the
times of "the restitution of all things," when men should
cease at once to serve the Devil and turn penitently and truly
to serve their God. It cannot be denied that this was the
general religious belief in the South. It cannot be explained
why, then, if slavery was a divine institution it does not exist.
Results are what we are looking at. Explains results. And,
moreover, if we believe that we listened to false teachings—
since the truth has dawned upon our minds, as Christians we
ought to acknowledge it. Independence has never been for¬
feited, manhood has never been lowered, by seeking to do
right, to act justly.
Now, the honest belief of no one is impugned, the upright
motives of no one is denied, but it is, nevertheless the fact,
that when men find in their hearts, a "Law" higher than the
Law of God, they often seek to justify by such a law almost
every act to which the propensities of the heart lead them.
Man likes to justify what he practices. If you talk with a
gambler, a thief Or a drunkard, or even a murderer, nine out
"DIVINE SANCTION" OF SI AVERY.
59
of ten, will show you the justification of their habits or
deeds. This very act of justification causes them to follow
the evil. To condemn a wrong is to abandon it, at least
is a step toward abandonment. History is brimful of
such instances. It was- in the name of Religion that they
burned " witches" at Salem.1 It was in the name of Religion
that the fiery zealot, Oliver Cromwell, perpetrated the most
fearful tyrannies and atrocities ;2 in the name of Religion that
a million poor Waldertses perished in France; in the name
of Religion that nine hundred thousand orthodox Christians
were slain in less than thirty years after the institution of the
Jesuits; the Duke of Alva boasted of having put thirty-six
thousand to death in the Netherlands, by the hands of the
common executioner. The Inquisition destroyed by various
tortures one hundred and fifty thousand Christians, within
thirty years.3 These are a few specimens, and but a few of
those which history has recorded; the total amount will never
be known "till theearth shall disclose her blood, and shall no
more cover her slain." (Isaiah xxvi, 21). It does seem,
then, that those who sought to justify slavery—-that act by
which the people of a whole continent and grand division of
the e^rth were in danger of passing sub jugum—under the
yoke of bondage, while they considered the possible vague
character of the curse pronounced upon Canaan should also
have considered the words of Revelation—the warning of the
Holy Ghost—given twenty-five centuries nearer our times:
" If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that Ieadeth into
captivity shall go into captivity; he that killeth with the
sword must be killed with the sword."4
Seeing however that we have touched upon a subject that
demands further elucidation, we shall endeavor to settle those
points by introducing the incontestable testimony of history.
Both sacred and profane writers record the fact that mankind
sprung from the three sons of Noah, and that after the deluge
they settled in the three old continents and have permanently
inhabited their original localities—no transitions or emigra¬
tions having materially altered their continental habitations,
except in America. The settlements of Japheth w£re princi¬
pally in Europe and Western fVsia. Those of Shem were in
Asia and America; and those of Ham were in Africa,
1 Upham's History of Witchcraft and Salem Village, vol. ii, pp. 267, 293, 301, 320.
* Macaulay's Miscellanies, vol. i, pp. 312, 3x3.
3 Fox's Book of Martyrs. 4 Revelations xiii, 9, 10.
6o
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Southern Asia and Australia. The islands pertaining to the
several continents were occupied by races from the mainland
contiguous. This general distribution was in accordance with
a Divine order given in the days of Peleg, great-grandson of
Shem, and as St. Paul says (in Acts xiii) God having created
the world, hath created from out one blood every type of men
to dwell on every face or fauna of the earth, and " hath de¬
termined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their
habitation." According to Josephus "The children of Ham
possessed the land from Syria and Amanus, and the moun¬
tains of Libanus, seizing upon all that was on its seacoasts,
and as far as the ocean, keeping it as their own. Canaan,
the" fourth son of Ham, inhabited the country _ now called
Judea, and called it from his own name, Canaan." 1 One of
the sons of Canaan, Sidonious or Sidon, built a city and called
it after himself, or as the Greeks called it Sidon. It was on
the Levant close by Tyre, and became one of the most pow¬
erful maritime and commercial cities of ancient times. But
what we wish to state just here is the fact that Ham had four
sons, Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan. From Cush, the
Ethiopians in Africa, and many tribes in Asia inhabiting part
of Arabia, were descended. Mizraim was the ancestor of the
Egyptians, Cyrgnians and Lybians; or (the word being plu¬
ral) it may be the general name of the family or tribe whence
they sprang. Phut was the ancestor of the Mauritanians.
In short all Africa—Central, Southern, East and West, is
supposed to have been peopled by Ham's posterity—descend¬
ants of his three eldest sons—Cush, Mizraim and Phut. We
are told however that divine sanction of African slavery is
based upon the curse on Canaan. What a slender thread!
What an insecure foundation. The descendants of Canaan
now traceable w^re the Canaanites, the,, Philistines, and as is
quite certain, the Phcenecians. It has never been proved and
cannot be proved that " the families of the Canaanites spread
1 The precise language of Josephus was this: "Of the four sons of Ham, time has
not at all hurt the name of Chus; for the Ethiopians, over whom he reigned, are even
at this day, both by themselves, and by all men in Asia, called Chusites. The memory
also of the Mesraites is preserved in their name ; for all we who inhabit this country (of
Judea) call Egypt Mestre, and the Egyptians MestreanSi Phut also was the founder
of Libya, and called the inhabitants Phutitfs, from himself; there is also a river in the
country of the Moors which bears that name; whence it is that we may see the greatest
part of Grecian historiographers mention that river, and the adjoining country by the
appellation of Phut; but the name it has now, has been by change given it from one of
the sons of Mestraim, who was called Lybyos . . Canaan, the fourth son of Ham
inhabited the country now called Judea, and called it from his own name Canaan."
Antiq. of Jews, vol. i, book i,. chap, vi, 2.
"DIVINE SANCTION" OF SLAVERY.
abroafl" (Gen. x: 18), went in the direction of Central and
Southern Africa—from whence our Americo-African was
stolen. But admitting that they did go in that direction it
remains to be shown how the curse affected one portion of
Canaan's descendants and not the other, -and that it is pos¬
sible some of the descendants of Cush, Mizraim and • Phut
may also have been enslaved.
It makes a great deal of difference as to how a man reads
his Bible. If it be said that the Negroes ought to have been
enslaved because Noah's curse, was a prediction, then polyg¬
amy and war are justified, for they are predicted (Deut. xxviii,
30, 68, 43, Jeremiah, Joel; etc). And does 'the punishment
of the wicked by predicting that they will be enslaved, grant
amnesty to those who will enslave them ? In that case, we
had best not condemn the Jews—they are absolved for having
crucified Jesus Christ, for it had been foretold.
But the fact is, Ham, Noah, and Canaan Had nothing to do
with this country, any more than Alexander, Caesar and Na¬
poleon. And besides, can we conceive that God would con¬
demn to perpetual and compulsory slavery a race whose
enormity—distort it as we may—does not approach ,that of
another dispersed though free, whose crime was that of cru¬
cifying His Beloved and only Begotten Son?
Nor will it do to interpret or to pretend to interpret that
all the sayings in the Bible were figurative, and should be un¬
derstood to mean only the moral enfranchisement of souls,
not the real emancipation of individuals. For while the
practice of slavery can warp and stifle the conscience of a
Christian, it is powerless to force the impenetrable entrench¬
ment—the citadel of Liberty—that shields a heart that be¬
lieves in God.
There was therefore no authority for altering the text and
reading as some did, " Cursed be Ham the father of Canaan."
It does not become us either to alter the Scriptures, or to act
unjustly to our fellowman. Coleridge says, and truly, "To
dogmatize a crime, that is, to teach it as a doctrine, is itself a
crime." On questions of mere doctrine, however, there
may be many and diverse interpretations, - and each honest
from their standpoint. But fhe historic facts of the Bible
are fundamental truths — stable and everlasting. The
early history of the world is related in but few words—
the Bible alone contains it. Every word therefore must be
of importance ' and seriousness. Having investigated this
62 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
subject, as we believe, most thoroughly, we fail to find justifi¬
cation of African slavery in the Bible. Perhaps, however,
some one more learned than the writer can explain fully—with¬
out shadow of doubt, the justice, the truth—even the plausi¬
bility of the " Canaan theory." We invite them to do so,
nay, we challenge them to prove it. And if it cannot be done,
it should be acknowledged, for this is the doctrine some of
our theologians taught. "Fiat justitia ruat cos him /"
It is true, that - the devoted nations which God destroyed
before Israel, w^re .descended from Canaan ; and so, as we
■say, were the Phoenecians and the Carthageneans, who were
at length subjugated with dreadful destruction by the Greeks
and the Romans. But we demand proof that the descend¬
ants of Ham have always in all ages since the curse been the
"servant of servants."1 Another thing, can any one be tthe
slave of a?iother slave? Mede declares that "there never
has been a son of Ham, who has shaken a sceptre over the
head of Japheth. Shem hath subdued Japheth,. and Japheth
subdued Shem; but Ham never subdued either. It is false,
for the Egyptians, who were descendants of .Mizraim, the son
of Ham, subdued Israel, the offspring of Shem. False, for
Nimrod, the son of Cush, the son of Ham, subjugated and
tyrannized over the descendants of Shem, when " went /orth
Asshur, and builded Nineveh." (Gen. x, it.) False, for
Hamilcar conquered Spain, and Hannibal gained memorable
victories over the Romans, though afterwards defeated by
Scipio Africanus. It is true, on the other hand, that Africa
for many ages has lain under the dominion of the Romans and
then of the Saracens, and later of the Turks. It is true, that
most of the inhabitants live in wickedness, ignorance, bar¬
barity, slavery and misery; true, that many hundreds of these
poor Negroes every year are bought and sold, like beasts in
the market; aad conveyed from one quarter of the world, to
do the work of beasts in another. But this in no measure
vindicates the covetous and barbarous oppression of those,
who thus enrich themselves with the products of African
sweat and- blood. God never commanded us to enslave
1 Josephus says on this point, "And when Noah was made sensible of what had been
done he prayed for prosperity to his other sons, but for Ham, he did not curse him by
reason of his nearness in blood, but cursed his posterity. And when the rest of them
escaped that curse God inflicted it on the children of Canaan." (See Antiquities of the
Jews, vol. i, boak i, chap, vi, sec. 2.) But this is the record of Josephus, not of the
Bible.
11 DIVINE SANCTION" OF SLAVERY.
63
Negroes, as He-did Israel to extirpate the Canaanites; and,
therefore, He will, as He has always done, severely punish
this cruel injustice.
What is slavery? " The condition of absolute bondage, in
which one person is the unconditional property or chattel of
another, and obliged to labor for his benefit, without his own
consent having been obtained."1 Well, then, it is not an ex¬
clusive nor a "specific condemnation." Other nations, other
families than the Hamitic people have been subdued—politi¬
cally and personally—but where is the "divine sanction" for
it f Slavery has existed in some form in all nations, and still
exists in many qountries without respect to color, race or
country. At what time it originated we have no means of
ascertaining. Joseph was sold by his brethren to the Midian-
ite merchantmen, but slaves were held in Egypt long before
that time.' Kidnapping was a common mode of obtaining
slaves for commerce, and it was extensively followed -by
the Ph(£7iicians, as much as 3000 years ago. Slavery first
appears in China about thirteen centuries B. C. It existed
among the Assyrians, the Babylonians and the Persians.
The jews had some form of slavery from the time of
Abraham, with whom their historical existence commences.
But in turn they were enslaved by the Egyptians, though
their servitude, it is said, was of a> political, not a personal
nature. Slavery meets us in the annals of Greece—was
firmly established in the Hellenic heroic age, and runs back
to the legendary period. Prof.. Carl Muller, the eminent
German philologist and archaeologist, whose authority in
everything that relates to Greece is very high, thinks that the
helots, or slaves "were an aboriginal race, which was sub¬
dued at a very early period, and which immediately passed
over as slaves to the Doric conqueror."2 In Italy, slavery
prevailed even more extensively than in Greece. Blair speaks
of "slaves being acquired at Rome in the reign of Romulus
himself." " Fronj that time the number and importance of
the slaves of the Romans are abundantly attested, by author¬
ities of all descriptions, and of every period, down to the fall
of the Western Empire."3 The Roman slaves were obtained
by war and by trade, through the operation of law, and by
1 Appleton's Cyclopaedia—Slavery—p. 696.
= Tuffnell's Translation of Muller's Hellenic Races and Cities.
3 Blair's Rome, p. 45.
5
64 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
birth. Most of the captives t^ken at the conquest of Car¬
thage, and who had surrendered, were sold into slavery.
But Corinth, one of the richest and most luxurious cities o.f
Greece, was destroyed at the same time with Carthage, and
the Corinthians were all sold into slavery. The wars in
Spain, Illyria, Syria and Macedonia, furnished Rome with
large numbers of slaves. The conquests of Sylla, Lucullus
and Pompey in Greece and the East, actually flooded the slave
markets, so that in the camp of Lucullus, men were sold for a
sum about equalling sixty-two cents of our money. Cicero sold
about 10,000 of the inhabitants of Pindenissus. The Gallic
wars of Julius Caesar furnished almost a half million of
slaves. Fifty slaves were a large number for a wealthy
Athenian to own, but some vof the Romans owned 20,000
each. Of Marcus Crassus, the wealthiest Roman of the last
century of the republic, Plutarch says: " Though he had
many silver mines, and much valuable land, and many
laborers on it, still one would suppose that all this was of
little value, compared with the value of his slaves; so many
excellent slaves he possessed—readers, clerks, assayers of
silver, house managers, and table servants ; and he himself
superintended their education, and paid attention to it, and
taught them; and, in short, he considered that a master was
mainly concerned in looking after his slaves, who were the
living instruments of domestic economy."1 Gibbon estimates
the number of Roman slaves as high as 60,000,000, for at
the height of her power Rome had slaves from Britain, Gaul,
Scandinavia. Sarmatia, Germany, Dacia, Spain, the different
countries of Africa, from Egypt to the Troglodytes of
Ethiopia, the V/estern Mediterranean islands, Sicily, Greece,
Illyria. Thrace, Macedonia, Epirus, Bithynia, Phrygia, Cap-
padocia, Syria, Media, and almost every other country to
which ambition or avarice could lead the soldier or the
trader to penetrate.2 We doubt whether they ever heard of
the "curse on Canaan." We doubt whether they cared any¬
thing about it, and we doubt wKether any one can prove to
us the "divine sanction" of Roman slavery. They spared
no nati'ons, but all races furnished their contributions to the
greatest population of slaves that ever existed under one
dominion, from the most cultivated Greek to the most stupid
1 Plutarch's Lives—"Crassus." Longhorne's Edition, p. 358.
2 Decline and Fall of Roman Empire, vol. iv, p. 296.
"DIVINE SANCTION" OF SLAVERY,
65
Cappadocian. Unlike the Greeks, the Romans "acknowl¬
edged the general equality of the human species, and
confessed the dominion of.masters to flow entirely from the
will of society;" but this did not prevent them from enslaving
all men upon whom they could lay their hands.
It has been asserted that liberty is unknown among the
Hindoostanese. As far back as reliable history and reason¬
able tradition runs, that country and people have been en¬
thralled. First came the Persian conquerors, then the Greeks,
then the Syrians, and then the Mohammedans. Genghis
Khan and Tamerlane lorded it over them; then came the
Mogul Empire established by Sultan Baber, until finally, the
British seized and enjoyed dominion. Thus from generation
to generation they owned a foreign sway, and so permanent
has been their servility that " not a word denoting freedom is
known to their vocabulary." The explanation of all this the
Pro-slavery theologians attribute to Hamitic extraction, but
they fail to prove the point in living unexplained the dynasty
of Maha-Rajah, which existed for seven hundred years be¬
fore the arrival of the Persians, as well as other points too
numerous to mention.1
But let us draw another picture. In the valleys of the
Caucasus, between the Black Sea and the Caspian, we may
distinguish, in the Caucasian family, those features which
ethnologists, without exception, agree are the nearest to per¬
fection. These people have long been noted for the beauty
of the women, and for imposing stature, elegance and activity
of the men. It is the pride -rand the boast of the great
Aryan family that we sprang from this family—that here is
the very fountain of purity. Yet those people are to-day and
have been for ages, practicing the very worst sort of slavery
—selling their own beautiful women to lives of damning degra¬
dation in the harems of the lustful Turk. Dr. Burgess, who
has written a volume on " Blushing," affirms that a Circassian
maid who blushes, brings a higher price in the slave market.
Apply the test here. Would any one blaspheme the Re¬
deemer by saying Hjustifies this?
All this may horrify a certain class who have worshipped at
this shrine so long that their knee-caps are horny. But let
them be patient. We are not laying down a doctrine, but
stating facts, which they may disprove if they can. Let them
'Baldwin's Dominion, pp. 331, 382.
66 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
remember, that all the slavery which they delighted to find in
the Bible was the slavery of white men, and that the Roman
slaves in the time of Christ, whose bondage, we have been
told, he and his Apostles approved, were held by the right of
war. Other white slaves have been held by the same tenure.
We shall present a case very near home to us.
It is a fact, although not generally known, that the conver¬
sion of England to Roman Catholicism was due to the sym¬
pathy for some English slaves shown by St. Gregory the
Great, (who occupied the pontifical throne from 590 to 604.)
Touched by the youth and physiognomy of some English
children exposed for sale in the market at Rome,1 Gregory,
before becoming Pope, ransomed and instructed them, and
prepared tKe;n to become the apostles of their country.
On becoming sovereign pontiff, he did more ; "their progress
was slow and'his zeal impatient," says Lingard;2 he sent St.
Augustine and his companions to convert the island., where
the Saxon, more ferocious than the savages of Africa, who sell
their captives taken in war, trafficked even in their fellow-
countrymen and their own children.
Thus we might multiply instances, but have room only to
mention a few others. In 1513, when the Barbary corsairs
ruled the Mediterranean, the white slaves in Tunis alone
amounted to twenty thousand.. Cervantes, the immortal
author of Don Quixote, who had himself been a slave in
Algiers, says in his writings, "For liberty we ought to risk
life itself; slavery being the greatest evil that can fall to the
lot of man." In 1793, there were one hundred and fifteen
white American slaves in Algiers captured by these pirates,
and held by a Scriptural tenure, we suppose. We sup¬
pose so.
Then what can be said in defense of the slave-traders and
man-stealers whether Dutch or Spanish—whether Portugese
or English—whether from New England or from the Southern
States, who by all sorts of wicked devices kidnapped the ig¬
norant and inoffensive Negroes and transferred them to lives
of servitude and degradation. We have not the art to speak
decorously of indecorus things, and do not wish to lower our
tone, but in this enlightened age will it be overreaching the
case to employ a little of the clear-cut truth in characterizing
1 Bede's Eccl. Hist., Lib. ii, chap. i.
2 Lingard's Antiq. Anglo-Sax., chap. c. i.
"DIVINE SANCTION" OF SLAVERY.
67
them as assassins of liberty, and bold, unscrupulous despoilers
of human freedom ?—and will any one give his con-,
science to the belief that they stole Negroes in accordance
with the curse upon Canaan ? Do we plead in extenuation
that the Negro in Africa was in the lowest depths of degrada¬
tion, of mean and ignoble savagery—and given over to feti-
chism and cannibalism ? "Iam willing," says Cochin with
power and with truth—" I am willing to believe that the
Negro was more unhappy in Africa; but the question is, not
to know how he was treated in the land of Mahomet, but how
should he be treated in the land of Jesus Christ." 1 Do we
argue that by enslaving the Negro we have lifted him up to
Christian civilization ? Oh, yes, we may say that. But we
must acknowledge also that God never justifies evil, though
He sometimes overrules evil that good may foliow. Trans¬
port missionaries to the Soudan, to the East and the West
coast of Africa, go instruct these heathens, " Go ye into all
the world and preach the gospel to every creature"—that was
the command of Jesus. But to ravish them of all the gifts
of God, of country, of family and liberty, and say to them—
with or without whip in hand " Work! work or starve! work,
for the curse of labor is upon you and not upon us," then, with
the same breath exhort them to " pray !"—do we call this hor¬
rible constraint conversion ? Strange compensation ! Com¬
pulsory labor without wages, religion without liberty, a dish
of pottage for a birthright.
Can anything whatever be said in defense of the buccaneer
gentry who roamed the high seas a ce,ntury back—men who
seemed to have formed league with Satan and gloried in the
wicked federation ? The word Humanity has had wonderful
effect 011 the hearts of the noble and the good ; it has checked
the ambition and the despotism of modern nations; it is a
word very dear to Christian hearts, for it is preparing the
world for the coming reign of Peace and Love—but what did
eighteenth century pirates care for that ? Sighs, and tears,
and agony—tfee pleas of want and the plaints of woe—seem
to have given out renewed zest to their remorseless greed.
Cold, cruel, stern and pitiless, they struck down the weak and
staggering prosperity of a continent that they might clutch
the fragments of its wreck. " Robbery, by the strong hand,
is as old as man; the plunderer's creed is, 'thou shalt suffer
1 Results of Slavery, p. 79.
68 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
ere I suffer;'-the spoil changes hands, but the robber's gain'
is the measure of the robbed one's loss. Larceny is as old as
man; the child instinctively appropriates whatever it covets,
and careful training is,necessary to implant or cultivate the
moral principle, yet even then, imperious necessity will often
condone an act of theft. Oppression is as old as man; but
the world's greatest scourges, half demon and half god, have
yet left the blazon of their public virtues to illume their
darkest crimes." But what shall be said of the robbers of
hu,man rights who stole the liberties of a race and turned
their tears and blood into filthy gold ? who desolated, decim¬
ated and crushed the lowest races of Africa? who sullied,
divided, and imperilled the highest races of the New World?
who blighted germs which might have taken root ? who with¬
ered the fruits of conscience, and warped the work of reason,
courage, virtue, wealth and liberty ? Th'ey fill up the full
measure of human baseness, and become, we had almost said,
joint-heirs with Judas Iscariot. And yet these are the men
who left to us the fatal heritage which the South dragged after
it, as the convict drags his ball and chain.
Still, numerous apologies are put forth. One man con¬
vinced of a large self and a small world, feeling his personal
superiority over the entire balance of the human race, argues
with settled conviction, that somebody, some race had to be
enslaved. Another, looking alone to the welfare of society
thinks it positively necessary that we should have a perma¬
nent laboring class in absolute and perpetual subjection, and
still another, bringing the matter home, actually believes that
God foreordained that we should be free and rich and power¬
ful through the misery and the toil of the Negro. Away with
such shallow apologies! That sort of argument will not
stand the test-:—will not fit in the exacting scales of justice,
but must fly away from the broadening sense of Right as
night evanishes before the invincible advance of morning. It
reminds us forcibly of Hogarth's caricature of fat men and
lean men. It is necessary to the equilibriurn^of the world
that every fat man should have a lean man—otherwise human
society would be in perpetual revolution, the world would be
overturned—antipodes would not be antipodes, and the green
globe would lose its equipoise.
But who would consent to be for a single day the slave of
even his most loving friend ? What man is happy if he be
the slave of his own passions, and not of those of another
"DIVINE SANCTION" OF SLAVERY.
69
weak and sinful mortal whom God gave over to a reprobate
heart when Humanity fell? No one finding" himself free
would wish to become a slave; no one finding himself a slave
but would wish to be free. This settles that question.
On the question of labor, God commanded man to labor,
but not to serve. Therefore, we cannot escape the command
to labor by imposing that labor upon another. Noah cursed
Ham, but Ham does not labor—the curse, so they say, falls
on innocent Canaan. Still if Ham was cursed or if Canaan
was cursed, what malediction was powerful enough to outlive
the pardon of Jesus Christ ?
There is no need to argue this question more, though we
cannot resist making' one more extract from Dr. Baldwin's
beautifully written but exceedingly lugubrious—nay, terribly
ominous book. He says (pp. 376-377):
"The prophetic history of Ham is brief but mournful. As the second
member of the human trinity, 3. curse is on his fortunes, and the form of a
servant on his gloomy generations. Isolated and inferior, he is the national
or personal bondman, first of Shem, and then of Japheth. Without polit¬
ical supremacy or divine right to social equality, he is an appointed ' servant
of servants to his brethren,' till 'made perfect through sufferings,' The
malediction of Jehovah is the comprehensive description of his rights and
destiny from Noah to the Judgment. His brethren may advance to domin¬
ion, and he also may ascend from primordial degradation ; they may ex¬
change relations and rights, and Ethiopia may stretch forth her hands to
God. but his political relation remains intact and unaltered. Unlike Esau,
he shall not ' rise to dominion, nor break from his neck the yoke of his
brothers.' To him dominion and equality are unpledged by the Lord, and
what is unpromised is precluded from hope. Barbarism may be banished,
amelioration may be realized, and the race may be useful to all nations, but
full emancipation can only transpire when nature is re-organized, and the
great era of the kingdom dawns on the earth, like immortality on the grave.
At the trumpet of jubilee he may leap to liberty, and shout full redemption
when the curse, like a tempest, shall fly from creation; till then he will serve,
till then be a slave ; so the Lord has declared; so. the Lord will fulfil."
There is a dense opacity or rather an air of delicious
mysteriousness, about this prediction, as there is about much
that Dr. Baldwin prophesied. It should not detract from our
sincere reverence for that gentleman's memory if we venture
to say it is a very convenient, self-adjusting, "back-action"
mode of prophesying (and ought to have been patented) to
declare startling things couched only in the potential mood;
though it reminds us of the old Greek prophet, quoted by
Rabelais, who by way of preface used to say, That what he was
to tell would either come to pg.ss or not. N<5 matter for that
70 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
What is most objected to in this extract is the exaltation of
the mortal, as is implied in the phrase, "the human trinity."
Aside from the syntactical error, it is a phrase belonging-
alone to our high and holy Divinity, whose Godhood should
be regarded as too sublimely sacred even for contrast. And,
again, as to the Negro being made "perfect through suffer¬
ings" is employment of a similitude not warranted. We
must in all our doings keep ever in view „the fact that the
tyranny man imposes upon man is not and cannot be charge¬
able, to God. We must remember that if a nation is con¬
quered or enslaved through the fortunes of war, it comes from
the avarice, the arrogance or the ambition of the one or the
debasement of the other,^ and that we cannot justify the
bondage of a distant, unknown, unoffending people by any
such plea. More than this, we must remember that the God
of Christians is love, benevolence, justice; that He is the
Creator of the whole of mankind, and "wishes for_universal
happiness; that He gives the same laws to all, makes no ex¬
ceptions, and pays no attention to the appearance of persons;
that He is a Spirit, that cannot be confined to temples—is not
confined to nations, but 'is to be adored by every person
—Jew and Gentile—white and black, in spirit and in truth.
Or to put it still stronger—God is our Father, and not our
Master: we are His children and not His slaves. How is it
possible, then, that we dare assume for political power, what
we refuse to divine Omnipotence ?
After the manner, then, of the Wise Man, let us sum up
the argument. '"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole
matter."1 And permit us to present it in the words of M.
Cochin, whom one is never weary of citing:
"Christianity has destroyed slavery.
"Yes, He who i.s pre-eminently the Redeemer, he who
has ransomed woman from degradation, children from aban¬
donment, subjects from tyranny, the poor from contempt,
reason from error, the will from evil, the'human race from
punishment, Jesus Christ has restored fraternity to mankind
and liberty to man, Jesus Christ has destroyed slavery.
" I find this fact established or affirmed by the most impar¬
tial, the most severe, the most renowned writers ; it is written
in a long series of laws, decisions and canons, in an uninter-
1 Eccles. xii, 13.
A GLANCE AT AFRICAN HISTORY.
71
rupted train of historical monuments. This irnposing unan¬
imity of testimony confirms the presentiments of universal
instinct. Before all demonstration, we comprehend, we
divine that Christianity must abolish slavery, as daylight
abolishes darkness, because they are incompatible.
"Yes, Christianity has destroyed slavery,"2
A GLANCE AT AFRICAN HISTORY.
Suppose, however, it could be proven that the Negroes
are descendants of Canaan, is there anything in history that
justified their enslavement, or marked them ab origine as an
inferior race? We propose to inquire into these points, and
shall dive down into the pages of the past and bring up facts
that cannot be controverted. Readers of history and scholars
in general are well acquainted with what we shall have to
say, but there is such widespread and lamentable ignorance
on prominent historic truths, one should not begrudge the
space. This ignorance cannot be charged to the lack of edu¬
cational facilities, and must follow from the taste of the day,
though from whatever cause, it does not matter, we all know
that truth lies neglected on the book shelves, while grace and
fiction occupy the centre-table.
Our proposition then, is this, not to assert that the Phoeni¬
cians descended from the Canaanitish tribes, but to say that
the weight of proof is that they did, and that if they did, the
Negro may boast a lineage and an ancient glory as grand
even as that of the Greek and the Roman. Indeed, the
Phoenicians deserve to be commemorated in history by the
side of the Greek and Latin nations as pre-eminently the
diffusers of civilization. They were a race essentially mate¬
rialistic and commercial. They were the most renowned
and the earliest merchants, carriers and colonizers, and might
be called the Yankee nation of the ante-Christian ages.
Ancient Sidon, the mother-city, was made "very glorious in
the midst of the seas," for many isles bought merchandise
of th&r hands; and of .far-famed Tyre, the Hebrew
prophet has said, " The harvest of the river is her revenue ;
and she is a mart of nations—the crowning city, whose mer-
1 Results of Slavery, Book viif p. 282.
72
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOlfTH.
chants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the
earth."—Isaiah xxiii, 3—8.
Phoenicia-—a name derived from the Greek word phoenix—
a palrn-tree,1 is the name given by the Greek and Roman
writers to the narrow region which lies between the hills of
Palestine and the mountains of Syria on the east and the
Mediterranean on the west. By the Phoenicians themselves
thier country was called Canaan. The Phoenicians were,
almost without doubt, Canaanites by descent.2 A portion of
the posterity of Canaan left the shores of the Red Sea, and
settled in Phoenicia, or the immediate neighborhood. The
descendants of Canaan were Heth, and the Jebusite, (who
laid the foundation of the city of Jerusalem), the Emorite,
the Girgasite, the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, the Arva-
dite, the Zemarite and the Hamathite, " and afterwards (as
is stated in Genesis x) were the families of the Canaanites
spread abroad." Well, what of that? Does by being
"spread abroad" signify that they were enslaved? or does
it justify their enslavement? Has not the whole of mankind
spread abroad until now all of the continents and the re¬
motest islands are peopled. One portion of Canaan's des¬
cendants we may say spread abroad in the direction of
interior Africa, while the Phoenician branch in the course of
civilization colonized along the Mediterranean, occupying the
islands of Cyprus and Crete—along the shores of Northern
Africa, establishing themselves at Carthage, Leptis and
Utica—along the coasts of Sicily and Sardinia—beyond the
Pillars of Hercules—to the Western and Northern coasts of
Spain, and even to the British islands and the borders of the
North Sea—here and there, they founded cities, planted
colonies and built naval stations. In the East their richly
freighted vessels sailed down the Persian and Arabian Gulfs,
and thus, as Humboldt says, "The Tynan flag floated
simultaneously in the British and Indian seas,"3 while their
bold and enterprising circumnavigators, according to Hero¬
dotus,4 made the voyage around the continent of Africa.
They lived in walled cities at the gates of which public
'Some writers derive its name from Phoenix, one of its ancient kings, and the son of
Agenor. The above though, is commonly accepted.
2 In the Scriptures they are always termed Canaanites, and are classed among the des¬
cendants of Ham. They were of darker complexion than the other Syriars, and the
Greek writers frequently speak of them as Ethiopians.
3 Cosmos ii, 499. t Herodotus iv, 42,
A GLANCE AT AFRICAN HISTORY.
73
business was transacted. They cultivated the earth, raised
corn and made wine. They used silver as a medium of ex¬
change, and were very prosperous in all their dealings. They
were also distinguished for their skill in manufactures; the
textile fabrics of the Sidonians, and the purple cloths of the
Tyrians, were celebrated from remote antiquity. They also
manufactured glass and were excellent metallurgists—their
bronzes, their gold and silver vessels, and other works iij metals
had a high repute. As hewers of timber and stone their-skill
was remarkable, and their knowledge of the solid, great and
ornamental in architecture was very superior. Indeed, the
fame of the people of Sidon for elegant taste, for arts of de¬
sign, and ingenious invention, was such, that whatever was
elegant, neat or pleasing to the eye, in apparel, utensils, orna¬
ments or toys, was distinguished, by way of eminence, with
the epithet of " Sidonian." Their artisans were among the chief
builders of Solomon's Temple. The friendship and alliance
of Hiram their king, and the wise Monarch of Israel, and the
voyages of their fleets to Ophir in search of gold, are fully re¬
corded in Scripture. But their chief glory perhaps, was the
invention of the letters of the alphabet. And thus as they
extended the triumphs of commerce they transplanted on for¬
eign shores the fair flowers of their wonderful genius, and
contributed incalculable benefit to the art and the literature
of the world.1
Pretty soon Carthage, her favorite daughter flashes like a
jewel on the bosom of the Dark Continent. Carthage the
classic and the glorious. Carthage, the famous republic, the
envy of all the falling kingdoms of later times. A narrow
1 Humboldt says of this people: "Although circumscribed in many spheres of
mental cultivation, and less familiar with the fine arts than with mechanics, and not en¬
dowed with the grand form of creative genius,_ common to the more highly gifted in¬
habitants of the valley of the Nile, the Phoenicians as an adventurous and commercial
race, and especially by the establishment of colonies (one of which far surpassed the
parent city in political power), exerted an influence on the course of ideas and on the
diversity and number of cosmical views, earlier than all the other nations inhabiting the
coast of the Mediterranean But that by which the Phoenicians contributed
most powerfully to the civilization of the nations with which they came in contact, was
the general spread of alphabetical writing, which they had themselves employed for a
long period. Although the whole mythical relation of the colony of Cadmus in Boetia
remains buried in obscurity, it is not the less certain that the Hellenes obtained the al¬
phabetical characters long known as Phoenician symbols, by means of the commercial
intercourse between the Ionians and Phoenicians."—[Cosmos, vol. ii, pp. 490-91.
To this we may add the testimony of Strabo : "The Sidonians are described as in¬
dustrious inquirers in astronomy, as well as in the science of numbers, to which they
have been led by their skill in arithmetical calculation, and in navigating their vessels
by night, both of which are indispensable to commerce and maritime intercourse."—
[Strabo, lib. xvi, p. 75.
74 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
strip of light fringing the sea, but losing its rays in the mys¬
terious and unknown waste beyond—she rose, she sunk, amid
a blaze of peculiar and exceeding glory. Her whole history
is one of beautiful interest—whether we read from the scanty
pages of authenticity or from those which are involved in ob¬
scurity and mixed with fable. The story of Pygmalion's tyr-
rany in Phoenicia—the exile of his sister Dido—the founding
of Carthage—the romantic visit of /Eneas and the love of the
beautiful queen for the Trojan hero—all readers of Virgil are
familiar with as their recital forms one of the most entertain¬
ing portions of the /Eneid. Thus living a life of alternate
splendor and misfortune ; opulent and enlightened ; boasting
its sages, generals, artists and musicians—Carthage stands
out brilliantly conspicuous on the motley pages of the past.
No wonder haughty Rome looked across the sea with envy
and alarm. No wonder Cato thundered in the Senate,
"Carthage must be destroyed!" But Carthage was not to
die without a desperate struggle for the mastery. For more
than a hundred years she defied the legions of the "mistress"
and plucked the plumage of conquest from her Hungry eagles.
Her armies led by Hamilcar, Hasdrubal and Hannibal, the
latter one of the greatest military geniuses that ever lived,
crossed the Pyrenees—crossed the Alps, and waved the ban¬
ners of the African Republic above the snowy crags. Des¬
cending thence to the plains of Italy, moving hither and
thither, out-generaling Scipio and Flaminius, wary Fabius
and bold Marcellus, they scattered the Romans like chaff, ex¬
hausted the finances of the State, detached the Italian nation¬
alities from their allegiance, and came near making an end of
Rome. But alas, for Carthage, the tide of battle turned
against her, and ere long the beautiful city was given to
sword and bfand, and thus the lust of conquest—the greed
of Rome, put out the camp-fires of liberty on the coast of
Africa, and drove her children back into melancholy silence.
Vicissitudes also visited Phoenicia. Her wars with the
Assyrians, under Shalmaneser; with the Babylonians, under
Nebuchadnezzar, whose siege of Tyre lasted for thirteen
years, and is one of the most celebrated in history; her final
subjugation by the Persians under Cyrus and his successor
Cambyses; the invasion by Alexander; the conquest of the
country by the Romans sirice which time Phoenicia has shared
the fate of Syria—all of these facts are well known to students
of history. During the Crusades Tyre was a port of conse-
A GLANCE AT AFRICAN HISTORY.
75
quence, but under the depressing rule of the Turks, and
especially since the commercial changes consequent upon the
passage to India by the way of the Cape of Good Hope, it
became what it remains to this day, "a rock for fishermen to
spread their nets upon."
Admitting all this, we see no reason for the enslavement of
the Africans in America. If they are with the Phoenicians
and the Carthagenians, descendants of Canaan, they have been
an unfortunate but none the less glorious people. If their
land was conquered—their cities leveled, their nations sub¬
dued—what is all this but a part of the world's history ? Like
things have occurred in other quarters of the earth since re¬
motest antiquity. Remorseless Rome bent her neck when
the Hun, the Goth, and the Vandal sacked her provinces, laid
waste the plains of Lombardy, and wrecked and pillaged even
the Imperial city without mercy. Athens—"mother of arts
and eloquence" is now but the shattered and crumbling mon¬
ument of Grecian greatness. Thebes and Memphis, Nineveh
and Babylon—Babylon "the glory of the Chaldee's excel¬
lency" all tell the same sad story. Even Jerusalem, the Holy
City, has felt the blight of war and travail, and withered away
with decay. Like the stars-of heaven they rose to shine for
a season. Like the stars they have set—perhaps to re-appear
with renewed brightness when the star of God's empire
dawns on earth " and He shall set up an Ensign for the nations,
and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together
the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."
If then we find nothing in history peculiarly ignoble and
condemnatory charged against the immediate descendants of
Canaan, certainly the "curse" does not rest upon the des¬
cendants of the other sons of Ham. It is interesting re¬
search and perhaps not beyond our province to look into
history on these points also. The descendants of Cush are a
remarkable and eminently distinguished people. Nimrod,
"the mighty hunter before the Lord," was a son of Cush.
He was a man of great courage and address; and, in fact the
first king of whom we read in authentic history as waging
war to extend his conquests,, and enlarging his acquisitions by
violence. He founded the Assyrian empire, and built the
magnificent cities of Babylon and Nineveh, The Book of
Genesis reveals to us the existence of a Tetrapolis or confed¬
eration of four cities, that ruled over the Empire established
by Nimrod, namely: i. Babylon; 2. Erech; 3. Accad; 4.
76
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Calneii—all of which places have been identified in modern
times. After Nimrod came Ninus, who conquered Babylon,
Armenia, Media, and other countries. At his death his infant
son Ninyas succeeded, nominally, to the crown; while the
real sovereignty was exercised by the queen mother, Semira-
mis in her capacity of regent. Semiramis appears to have
been one of the greatest female sovereigns in history. She
strengthened and adorned the capital of the empire; built
walls around Nineveh, and embellished it with costly struc¬
tures. Having finished these monuments of her power and
grandeur, she determined to augment it by conquest, and
commenced making war upon her neighbors. Her most
famous campaign was against India, in which she signally
routed her enemy and penetrated into the heart of his domin¬
ions. She also marched in the direction of Africa, and it is
said, added Ethiopia to her possessions. After the reign of
Semiramis came Ninyas and Sardanapalus who were the be¬
ginning of a -long line of effeminate monarchs. For thirty
generations, the empire remained in such a state of tranquility
as to offer nothing worthy the notice of history. It after¬
wards passed into the hands of the Medes and the Persians.
We may next examine briefly the history of Ethiopia.
Many writers are of opinion that Ethiopia received its first
inhabitants from the countries east of the Red Sea. Accord¬
ing to these authorities, one portion of the descendants of
Cush, having settled in Arabia, gradually migrated to the
south-eastern part of Africa. "This is plausible, for in addi¬
tion to Nimrod, Cush had other sons: " Seba, and Havilah,
and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha," all mentioned in
Genesis. Bruce mentions a tradition among the Abyssinians,
which they say, has existed among them from time imme¬
morial.1 It is to this effect: Cush, the grandson of Noah,
1 Bruce's Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, vol. ii, pp. 303-305 ; see also
Herodotus on same point, lib. ii, cap. 29.
Sir Roderick Murchison, the learned devotee of science, and President of the Royal
Geographical Society, holds the opinion, we believe, that the Africans are not of
Noachian descent, though he grants them Adamic extraction. He maintains that they
were not destroyed by the Deluge, but took themselves to the "mountains of the
moon," and thus escaped the dreadful destruction. Late explorers, however, have de¬
termined that there are no "mountains of the moon," that the chain of mountains
which was supposed to run east and west separating Central from Southern Africa, do
not run in that direction, and are but a continuation of the plateau of Abyssinia run¬
ning north and south. However, this is of no consequence to us, as we only wished to
remark, if Sir Roderick's view is leastways correct, it would seriously interfere with the
curse on Canaan. For, if the Africans were not in the Ark, and are not descendants
of Noah, they certainly are not under Noah's curse.
A GLANCE AT AFRICAN HISTORY.
77
with his family, passed through a country destitute of
inhabitants, called Albara, till they came to a ridge of
mountains which separates it from the highlands of Abys¬
sinia. Here, still terrified with the remembrance of the
deluge, and apprehensive of a return of the same calamity,
they took up their abode in caves among the mountains,
rather than trust themselves in the plains. Here the Cush-
ites, with unparalleled industry, and by the help of instru¬
ments utterly unknown to us, formed commodious yet won¬
derful habitations in the heart of mountains of granite and
marble, which remain entire, in. great numbers, to the present
day, and promise to remain so till the consummation of all
things. Here they built the superb city of Axum, and their
magnificent and,renowned capital, Meroe. Here they made
improvements in architecture, cultivated commerce, agricul¬
ture and the arts; applied themselves to the study of astro¬
nomy, and the natural history of the winds and seasons.
Less is known of the arts and sciences of Ethiopia than
of the Egyptians. The pyramids of Meroe, though inferior
in size to those of Egypt, are said to surpass them in archi¬
tectural beauty; and the sepulchres evince the greatest
purity of taste. But the most important and striking proof
of the progress of the Ethiopians in architecture, is their
knowledge and employment of the arch. The Ethiopian
vases depicted on the monuments, though not richly orna¬
mented, display a taste and elegance of form that has never
been surpassed. In sculpture and painting, the edifices of
Meroe, though not so profusely adorned, rival the choicest
specimens of Egyptian art. They were also a great commer¬
cial people—their country, situated at the intersection of the
leading caravan routes—was the headquarters for an immense
trade with India, and with the interior and west coast of
Africa. These people were undoubtedly of Hamitic descent.
They differed from the Indians and other Asiatic people in
color, hair and language. Their complexion was very dark,
and the hair of the Western Ethiopians was frizzled. It ap¬
pears also, that Judaism was, at one time, the prevalent
religion with them.1 From the time of Moses to that of
Solomon, there is a chasm in -their history. In the reign of
1 In Acts viii, may be found ail account of the conversion and baptism by Phillip of
"a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Can lace, Queen of the
Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to
worship."
78
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
the latter monarch, the Queen of Sheba, noted for her
wealth, wisdom and beauty, paid' him a visit in Jerusalem.
The Ethiopians affirm that she had a son by King Solomon.
Among other noted sovereigns Zerah and Queen Candace
were most celebrated. Indeed, according to all accounts, the
Ethiopians must have been a nation of first importance in the
world. The ruins of cities and monuments south of the
Lybian Desert in Ancient Ethiopia; the vast armies that
came up from them, like that of Zerah's, who went forth
against King Asa of Judah, with a million men and three hun¬
dred chariots—all these facts have led many to believe that
civilization had its origin oa the banks of the Nile in Negro-
land. In fact, Herodotus wrote for us four hundred years
before the annunciation that the Egyptians came up from
Ethiopia; however this may be, there is no doubt as to the
early existence of a very powerful Egyptian civilization.
Inasmuch, then, as the Egyptians are also descendants of
Ham, we will next speak as concisely as possible of their
career.
We are well aware that a class of writers deny that the
Negroes are entitled to rank with the Egyptians, or to claim
Hamitic honors in that direction. They seem determined to
claim for Shem and Japheth all the good there is in humanity
and give all that is bad to Ham. Even in the ordinary text¬
books of our common schools we find such statements as the
following: "The Hamitic family were the ancient people of
Palestine, the Nile basin, and the shores of the Arabian Sea
and Persian Gulf. They have either passed away or have so
blended with their Semitic and Japhetic conquerors as to be
scarcely distinguishable."1 And, again, "the Egyptians were
not Africans, as we understand the term. They belonged to
the Caucasian race. Still, they were neither Aryans nor
Semites, and hence scholars call them by a special designa¬
tion, namely, Hamites, or Khamites. Khame (literally the
Black Land) was the native name of Egypt."2 Neverthe¬
less, Ham is the name by which Egypt is repeatedly called in
Scripture, as "Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham," "won¬
ders in the land of Ham," " Mizraim was glad when they de¬
parted." Dr. Lardner — good enough authority — says,
"The name of Ham is identical with that of Cham,- 01
1 Guyot's Physical Geography, p. 118.
2 Swinton's Outlines of History, p. 16.
A GLANCE AT AFRICAN HISTORY.
79
Chamia, by which Egypt has, in all ages.been called by its
native inhabitants; and Mizer, or Mizraim, is the name by
which.it, or rather the Delta, is still called by the Turks and
Arabians."1 This is further strengthened by Humboldt, who
says "It is not at all improbable that 'the Ethiopians of
the sun-rising' mentioned by Herodcftus were diffused much
further towards the north-west than at present," and gives it
as his firm*conviction that the inhabitants of the ancient Egyp¬
tian empire were "the actual woolly-haired negro races."2
Then, again, the Scriptures plainly say,3 Mizraim was the son of
Ham, and " Mizraim begat Ludim, and Ananim, and Lehabim,
and Naphtuhim, and Pathrusim, and Calushim, (of whom came
the Philistines), and Caphthorim." The coincidence of
family names and the names of their countries are too striking
to pass unnoticed. We accept, therefore, the Bible account
in preference to any other, and confidently refer to it as our
authority, defying the production of a better. Indeed, as
Bishop Patrick has well said, "No book in the world shows
the original propagation of mankind, but only the Holy
Scriptures. They who are ignorant of them, having nothing
of true antiquity, devised senseless fables of their descent
they knew not how, nor from whom. . . . This was the
peculiar glory of the Jewish nation that they alone were able
to derive their pedigree from the first man that God created;
of which no other nation could boast or make a shadow of
pretense."
So we come now to speak of Egypt, that wonderful land
involved in so much obscurity and uncertainty, as to appear
almost fabulous. But Egypt, as we certainly know it—the
cradle-land of science, the nursery of art, the "homestead of
the nations."4 Older than any known organized government
on earth—older than Chaldse and India—rich in wisdom,
famous for abundance, and renowned for elegance long be¬
fore the Israelites, the Greeks or the Romans can begin
record of their civilization. " When Greece was under the
tumultuary sway of a number of petty chieftains, Homer
already celebrates the nundred gates of Thebes and the
1 Credibility of Gospel History, vol. iii, chap, iv, 2.
2 Cosmos, vol. ii, p. 531. 3 Genesis x and 1 Chronicles i.
4 One of the most charming works on Egypt lately published is Edward L. Clarke's
"Daleth, or the Homestead of the Nations"—a work we have consulted with much
pleasure.
6
8o NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
mighty hosts which in warlike array issued from them to
battle." "Before the faintest dawn of science had illumined
the regions of Europe, the valley of the Nile was the abode
of learning, and distinguished for its incomparable works in
sculpture, painting and architecture." What a land! What
a history! Centuries tfaere are but as a day. Time, the bald-
pated ruler of the centuries, who needs must travel swiftly in
this age of steam, could, however, well afford to lay aside his
scythe and reverse the old-time hour-glass to tell to us, his
anxious but ignorant children, the multiplied wonders of those
far-off ages. And yet, that which we do know is glorious.
This is Egypt—the kingdom of the Pharoahs—a powerful
monarchy as far back as the time of the patriarch Abraham.
The land to which the merchants of Gilead took Joseph a
captive and sold him as a slave. The land where Jacob went
to buy corn—the land of Israel's bondage—birthland of
Moses and of Aaron, and after-refuge of God's Holy Child,
our gentle Lord and Savior.
What brilliant dynasties of kings she boasted! Saophis
and Menes, Cheops and famous Sesostris—the latter com¬
memorated in the hieroglyphical paintings, under the name
of Rameses the Great. And in' after centuries, what a
gorgeous panorama of events! This was the kingdom of
the Ptolemies. And yonder the classic waters whence came
the galley of Caesar—"the foremost man of all the world,"
and after, that of Mark Antony, throbbing with the impulse
of an hundred impatient oars, yet moving too slowly toward
the colonnades of Cleopatra's palace, which, like long ranks
of marble sentinels in silence guard the sacred shore. Ah,
indeed, this was Egypt with her magnificent cities of Mem¬
phis and Heliopolis, and Thebes with her four millions
of people; Egypt with her vast armies, her massive walls, and
her knowledge of geometry, astronomy and many an art that
has since been lost. Egypt—with her vocal statue of Meni-
non, her pyramids and sphinx, temples and tombs, obelisks
and monoliths—<-now scattered along her fertile valley, as if
this had been the burial ground of grandeur for a "nation of
gods." Here, too, is where Thales, the Greek astronomer
was taught' by the Egyptians six centuries before Christ.
Here Anacreon borrowed some, of his sweetest strains, and
here Pythagoras learned from the Egyptian priests—" in the
land of Ham" the fact that "the square of the hypothenuse
A GLANCE AT AFRICAN HISTORY. 81
• is equal to the sum of the squares of the two other sides."1 Here,
too, in later times were built the cities of Alexandria and
Grand Cairo, the former for seventeen hundred years the
chief maritime city of the world, .the seat of the largest library
of ancient days, and of a magnificent lighthouse, built by the
Ptolemies, and which for ages was recognized as one of the
wonders of the world. However, to add to these evidences
of an African civilization not only most remote, but most
powerful, Alexandria is also dear to the hearts of Christians
as the birthplace of Clement, Apollos and Origen—for as the
poet Herbert has beautifully said—
"Now with the cross as with a staff alone,
Religion, like a pilgrim westward bent,
Knocking at all doors ever as she went
To Egypt first she came."
The descendants of Phut are the Mauritanians and the
present Berbers of North Africa. Very little is known of their
history though they are believed to have been the inhabitants
of ancient Libya. . The prophet Jeremiah (in chapter xlvi,)
predicting the destruction of Pharoah-necho's army, says,
" Comfe up, ye horses; and rage ye chariots; and let the
mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans,
that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle the
bow." Commentators are of opinion that these were the
Egyptians' allies, which makes it probable that they were all
Africans. They were famous for the use of the bow. By
consulting Ezekiel (xxvii: 10) it will be observed that they
were also allies of the Tyrians—" in thine army, thy men of
war." For many long centuries they were lost to sight—
buried as it were in the bosom of the wilderness. But when
the Saracen sway swept across from Asia, " even remote
Mauritania, which seemed doomed to be forever the inher¬
itance of a barbarous and nomadic race, was converted into
a civilized empire, and its capital, Fez, became a distin¬
guished school of learning." The Saracen invaders intro¬
duced the camel from the sandy wastes of Arabia, opened
paths through wilds which had hitherto defied all human
effort, and formed a trade in gold and slaves with countries
which had not been known. There in the territory distinguished
1 Here, too, perhaps, Plato first learned of the immortality of the soul—for Herodo¬
tus (somewhere, we do not remember exactly) makes the remarkable statement—"The
Egyptians are the first of mankind who have affirmed the immortality of the soul."
82
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
on our maps as Soudan, several flourishing kingdoms were
founded, which Europeans vainly sought to reach until within
a comparatively recent date. Ghana, a kingdom boasting
unrivaled splendor, whose royal master rode out attended by
obedient elephants and camel-leopards—a kingdom which,
after various fortunes as subject to Timbuctoo, Kashna, and
Sackatoo, came to be identified in the present Kano. There
too was Tocrur or the present Sackatoo, and Kuku, the Bor-
nou of to-day. Farther South was the ancient city of Kangha,
famous for its industries and arts, which modern historians
have recognized in the city of Loggun, celebrated by Major
Denham, for "its ingenuities, its manufactures, and its witty
women."
Thus we see ancient Africa is rich in history. Even as the
terra incognito of mythology it is described in picturesque
terms in the legends of the classic bards. Northern Africa
which we now know as one vast connected sea of sand, and
lying there like a withered arm of the ocean, was invested by
the ancients with strange, weird interest. Mt. Atlas, rising
like a solitary aerial pillar—upholding the heavens over the
region once so famous, but now so downcast and lonely is
known from the traditions that run through the songs of the
poets. In the deathless epic of Homer we read of an Atlas
who bore upon his shoulders the great columns which sepa¬
rate earth from heaven.1 Here too was the land whither Her¬
cules went in search of the golden apples of Hesperides.2
Here were the Elysian Fields3 and the Islands of the Blessed,
mentioned by Herodotus, and which the ancients believed
were destined to be the abode of good men after death.4
Thither, also, according to Diodorus, the " ancients referred
the early reign of Saturn under the appellation of Ouranus
or Heaven ; the birth of Jupiter and his nursing by Amalthsea ;
the impious race of Titans and their wars with the gods;
Cybele with her doting love for Atys and frantic grief for his
fate." And there were placed the hideous Gorgons, and the
serpents hissing in the hair of Medusa. And thence came
the stories of those dreadful Amazons, "gallant viragoes,"
who ravaged all the region and carried victorious arms, accord¬
ing to the historian, into Syria, and Asia Minor.
" But mingled with so much fable the ancient writers had
1 Odyssey, i, 52..
4 Op. et Dies, v, 167.
2 Iliad, iv, 561.
3Theog, v, 517.
A GLANCE AT AFRICAN HISTORY.
83
also pome just conceptions of this region, and' many things
mentioned by Herodotus, Diodorus, and particularly by
Strabo, who wrote after the Roman sway was fully estab¬
lished over Africa, indicate that greatest care was used in
treasuring the scraps of knowledge which floated up out of
the deeper wilderness beyond. Yet that wilderness kept its
secrets so jealously that the diligence of historians and the
eagerness of explorers and the power of armies were equally
ineffectual in extending the range of precise knowledge be¬
yond the narrow confines on the north and a limited extent
of western coast. The light struggled to penetrate the
gloom, its blunted rays rested against an opacity, and rose in
towering brilliancy, and stood awhile flashing like a resisted
sun, then paled and quivered and fell, and left the continent,
a heritage of darkness to the future!"
Wonderful Africa! Hapless Africa! The soldiers of Cam-
byses and Solomon and Alexander, the legions of Greece and
Rome, of Saracen and Christian, have contributed to the
story of its sorrows, but even these tales were written in the
sand. Great pageants have crossed its plains. Great pro¬
cessions to Jerusalem and Babylon and Mecca have crept over
its hills. Yet the desert has no historian—no resting place—
no resting place for the departed save in the flying sand that
forms its ever-shifting sepulchres. Thus for six thousand
years Africa has stretched forth her hands to God. Thus for
nearly two thousand years she has stood with open and
empty arms longing to clasp therein the blessed Redeemer.
But oh! shame upon the world, she has been crowded back
to the outer edge of the swarming millions that have pressed
forward if but to touch the hem of His garment.
There are islands in the Pacific which it is said had no vices
until the Christians went there. And of Africa it may be
said that the cup of her sorrows was not full to overflowing
until the modern white man set foot upon her soil. Hence
the history of Central and Southern Africa is brief and ob¬
scure ; cpnsisting chiefly of an account of the modern dis¬
coveries made, and colonies founded, by the Europeans.
Abyssinia, the ancient Ethiopia, was imperfectly known during
the middle ages, although it had been converted to Christi¬
anity in the third century ; but we must pass over its ^history
till the Portuguese mission of Covill&n, about 1490; whose
reports hastened^ the discovery of the southern passage to
India. In 1516, the Portuguese aided the native king, David,
84
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
in recovering his throne from the Turks; and, in 1543, they
extended like aid to Claudius, the next negus or king. The
Roman Catholic religion was established there in 1604; but
overthrown in 1632, by the negus Basilides or Facilidas.
The country has since been involved in civil war, and is now
divided into the states of Amhara, Tigre, and Shoa-Efat.
Melinda, in Eastern Africa, was taken by the Portuguese,
about 1500 ; but re-captured by the Arabs in 1698. Mozam¬
bique, taken by the Portuguese in 1508, still remains in their
possession ; and the Portuguese settlements in Lower Guinea
were founded at about the same time.1
The Cape of Good Hope was colonized by the Dutch, in
1615. It was taken by the British in 1795; and again'in
1806; since which time it has remained in their possession.
In 1797, the "African Association" was formed in England,
by Sir Joseph Banks and others, for the purpose of exploring
the interior of Africa. In the same year Sierra Leone was
colonized by Negroes from England, and being surrendered
to the British crown in 1807, it has since been made the home
of Negroes rescued from slaveships. The " American Coloni¬
zation Society," was formed in 1816; to colonize in Africa
the free Colored people of the United States. Liberia was
purchased by it in 1821; and settled by the first emigrants in
1822, under Governor Ashmun. The delta of the Niger,
and other lands have since been settled by English people.
But there is hope, bright hope, that Africa will be restored
to the waiting world. For we behold evidences of a restora¬
tion drifting out from those dark shores, as the seaweed of
the New World floated out to meet Columbus. To those
nations that have awaited the son of God for so many long
and dreary centuries, we have borne alas! a divided truth.
To them it has not been the message of love, and everywhere
there has been grievous obstacle to the propagation of the
Gospel. " But the men who have the courage to spread it in
the centre of Africa, whatever be their communion," nobly
says Cochin, " are men who honor humanity and serve it." Itis
impossible to read their narratives2 without emotion. Liv¬
ingstone admirably remarks, that " all classes of Christians find
1 See Pantology, or A Systematic Survey ofr Human Knowledge. By Roswell Park,
A. M., Philadelphia, Hogan & Thompson, pp. 216-217.
aTwenty-three years in the South of Africa, by Robert Moffat, 1864; Les Bassoutos,
by M. Cazalis, Paris, i860; Life and Labors of David Livingstone, 1876; Stanley's
Across the Dark Continent, etc., etc.
A GLAJVCE AT AFRICAN HISTORY.
85
that sectarian rancor soon dies out when they are working to¬
gether among and for the real heathen."
Thus, these men went forth rivals, precursors of mission¬
aries or missionaries themselves, ambassadors of civilization,
heralds announcing to the world the coming of truth, prepar¬
ing the path, making " straight in the desert a highway for
our God." In Abyssinia and Eastern Africa, Bruce, Baker,
Grant, Speke, Burton, Kraff, New, and Dr. Schweinfurth,
the German botanist; while in the South, the heroic travelers,
Barth, Vogel, Hope, Barrow, Lichtenstein, Campbell, Trutter,
Somerville, Moffat, Richardson,- Overweg, Baikie, Gullain,
the brothers d'Abbadie and Raffanel, intrepid rivals of
Mungo Park, Hornemann, Lander, Andresson, Du Chaillu,
Denham and Clapperton, have explored Central Africa,
Soudan, the source of the Nile, the course of the Niger, the
shores of Lake Tchad, of Victoria Nyanza, and Albert
Nyanza, in every direction; from Bernghazi to the Cape of
Good Hope, they have marched from one coast to the other,
teaching Africa the worth of Christian civilization, and the
outside world what is contained in Africa. But of all the
travelers who have excited most interest—possibly because
nearest our day, most prominent are David Livingstone, the
martyr tQ duty, Lieut. Cameron of the Royal Navy, and our
own heroic American journalist, Henry Moreland Stanley,
who has "flashed a torch of light across the Dark Continent."
These men have crossed South Africa from east to west, ex¬
plored the Nile, the Zambezi and the Congo rivers, and
reached the Nyassa lake and the Shire country. They have
traced the great Lualaba river through the Bangweolo, the
Moero, and the Kanalondo to its junction with the Lomame.1
They have penetrated to the very heart of the continent,
'■The writer recently had the pleasure of listening to a lecture on "Africa," by the
venerable JDr. J. Leightan Wilson, who was for eighteen years a missionary on the West
Coast, but is now at the head of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, Balti¬
more. He spoke most glowingly of the work performed by Livingstone, Cameron and
Stanley in determining the course of the Lualaba river, and amoirg other bright antici¬
pations for Africa, predicted that before twenty years shall have passed steamers will
be loaded at Liverpool, and in two weeks time discharge their'freight in the very heart
of Africa. Afterwards, in a private interview with Dr. Wilson, we learned much that
was interesting in regard to that wonderful African language the Mpwongwe or Pongwe,
which has some three or four hundred inflections of the verb, far surpassing the Greek,
which has only about seventy. And this reminds us that Latham speaks of the Tumali,
a truly Negro language of Kordofan, which in respect to the extent to which its inflec¬
tions are formed by internal changes of vowels and accents, it is fully equal to the
Semitic tongues of Palestine and Arabia. [See Latham's Man and his Migrations,
P- *55-]
86 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
south of the equator, visited mountains, lakes, rivers and
people before unknown in the annals of the civilized
world. We wish we could speak more fully of their
brilliant exploits ; a sketch so imperfect only aggravates both
reader and writer. But space forbids. Enough to say the
eyes of the whole world are now fixed on Africa. More
books are being written on this subject that most any other.
Newspapers, magazines, reviews, are taking up the torch of
enlightenment in her behalf, and they will pass it into the
hands of the next generations. Africa will—she must be
saved! Not only the curiosity of the world calls for her re¬
demption ; commerce calls for it; there may be vast treas¬
ures concealed there; there may be nations easily advanced
in industrial interests. Philanthropy calls for it; there are un¬
doubtedly wrongs crying to the world for redress; there are
evils of ignorance and superstition which must be mitigated.
Science calls for it; her commission embraces the whole
world, and while there is a rock unbroken or a star without a
name, she must not rest. But, most of all, religion calls for
it-—Christianity—there are in that region souls to be saved.1
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NKGRO.
Having satisfactorily settled the foregoing points we may
next inquire into the ethnological status of the Negro. Much
has been said—much has been written on this important
question of the human races—one of the most difficult and
the most delicate the science of nature and history can
propose to itself. It is not intended, even if we felt able, to go
into extensive discussion here, but we shall present a number
of facts, gathered from eminent and learned authorities, put
in popularized form, establishing the black man's just claims
to honorable position among the peoples of the earth. One
reason for thus, seeming to step out of the way, is, that in a
certain city, which is to-day the very centre of culture, where
the black man is in an advanced state of civilization—blessed
with colleges that are admirably conducted—blessed with a
score of churches whose spires are "like pencils on the sky
tracing silently life's changeful story"—blessed with social
advantages and by material advancement—only twelve years.
1 Chambliss' Life of Livingstone, p. 44.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO.
87
since a book was issued to prove that the Negro is not the
progeny of Ham, not a descendant of Adam, but is a beast
m Gods nomenclature, and has no soul!
We make it a point to exaggerate nothing, and yet how
can we do violence to the truth by withholding it? We would
much rather be silent altogether, but the truth must be told.
And, therefore, we calmly submit, that as a perfect chrysolite
of welded error and polluted prejudice; nay, as a bold,
heartless, immoral and blasphemous libel on the whole
human race that pamphlet stands unequalled and unap-
proached. We do not intend to reply to it. What honor
would a man gain? We have too much respect for ourself,
for the Colored man, and for humanity in general, to dip into
such matters. We fling it aside, for the measure of its influ¬
ence was limited—its defenders are few; but, as the culmin¬
ating outgrowth of an isolated prejudice, baneful and blight¬
ing "in its evil intentions, it seems to have been vomited
forth upon the world from the very "belly of hell" itself.1
However, very many very ridiculous hypotheses have been
assumed on this subject. Some of them, perhaps, attributable
partly to the fact, that every man thinks himself superior to
every other man, and his particular race superior to every
other race, or as the metaphysicians state the idea, it is "the
ego and the non-ego, or that which is myself, and that which
is without me." There have been persons who have most ear¬
nestly protested against their own noble selves being placed in
a natural system in one common species with Negroes and Hot¬
tentots. And again, there have been other people who have
had no compunction in declaring themselves and the orang¬
outang to be creatures of one and the same species. Thus,
the renowned philosopher and caprice-mong'er, Lord Mon-
boddo, says in blunt words, "The orang-outang are proved
to be of our species by marks of humanity that, I think, are
incontestable." On the other hand, another but not quite so
candid a caprice-monger was the German doctor, whom
Blumenbach calls Theophrastus Parcelsus Bombastus, who
could not comprehend how all men can belong to one and the
1 Shortly after the appearance of this libelous pamphlet a distinguished clergyman
published a " Reply." While it was undeniably correct on ethnological questions, and
able and pointed in many particulars, the Doctor's " Reply" did not squarely meet ex¬
pectation. The trouble seems to have been it ran in the same old rut worn deep by the
Pro-slavery writers; hugged the phantom of "divine sanction" too closely, and, we
are sorry, on his account, to say it, fell "flat and unprofitable."
88 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
same original stock, and contrived on paper for the solution
of the difficulty, his two Adams—one white and the other
black. Then again, Lord Karnes, one of the principal cham¬
pions of the theory that there are different species of man,
was of the opinion that the Giagas, a nation in Africa, could
not have descended from the same original with the rest
of mankind, because, unlike others, they are void of natural
affection; kill all their own children as soon as they are born,
and supply their places with youths stolen from neighboring
tribes. This is absurd, for "common sense," as has been well
said, "would answer, that if such a species were created, it
could not continue longer than the primitive stock endured.
The stolen youths would; resemble their parents, not those
who adopted them, and would soon be the sole constituents
of the nation."1
Coming down to later times, we are confronted by the
variformed, subtle and perplexing theories of cotemporaneous
scientists. For, as Prof. Schmidt says, "with the exception,
of the ecclesiastico-political question, no sphere of thought
agitates the educated classes of our day sp profoundly as the
doctrine of descent. On both sides the cry is, 'Avow your
colors!'"2 Thus, Mr. Darwin, Mr. Matthew Arnold, Prof.
Tyndall, and others, give us some knotty points in the
"evolution" idea, the "struggle for existence," "survival of
the fittest," "selection," etc. Then, Prof. Huxley comes for¬
ward and advises us to go deep into biology, and promises,
entre nous, "we shall see, what we shall see." Next,
Hseckel, concludes that "the human race is a branch of the
catarrhine group; he was developed in the old world, and
spra.ng from apes of this group, which have long been ex¬
tinct."3 And so it goes. But the result and the fact is this;
that all theories as to primitive man must necessarily be very
uncertain. Granting the doctrine of evolution to be true—
even then can men tell what their common ancestor was
like ? Moreover, a possible descent or ascent from an ape or
orang-outang does not lower but heightens the attributes of
a developed humanity, and whether evolution be a correct
theory or not, it does not demonstrate the non-existence of
that incumbrance called Conscience—which Shakspeare has
1 Spurzheim's Education of Man, p. 25.
2 Schmidt's Doctrine of Descent and Darwinism—preface.
3 History of the Creation of Organized Beings.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. 89
truthfully declared "doth make cowards of us all." Never¬
theless, our scientists, leaving the physical, soar aloft to psy¬
chologic fields. Thus, Mr. Spencer traces all morality back
to our inherited experience of utility. Mr. Darwin ascribes
it to an inherited sympathy, while Mr. Mill, with character¬
istic courage undertakes to build up the whole moral nature
of man with no help whatever either from ethical intuition or
from physiological instinct. Here we are content to leave
them, to return to our immediate subject, and also for fear we
might, as Sir William Hamilton used to say, "truncate a
problem which we cannot solve."
We do not deny that it has been customary with many
writers to place the Negro lowest in the scale of humanity,
but this is easily explained. Blinded by tradition, there are
eyes that cannot see; hardened by prejudice, there are hearts
that cannot feel; and, beclouded ,by ignorance, there are
minds that will not be convinced. So, whether it results from
tradition, prejudice or ignorance, the conclusion is incorrect
and unjust, as we shall see by examining the best authors on
the subject. The one grand and salutary fact, however, has
been established and cannot be denied, viz.: the unmistakable
evidences of the unity of mankind. A comparison of the dif¬
ferent tribes and races of men, reveals the fact of a gradual
' o
modification of types, on every side of the central and highest
race, until, by insensible degrees, the lowest and most
degraded forms of humanity are reached. But even then,
in the central race—among the individuals of which there is
greater diversity in form, features, temperament and mental
characteristics, than in any other—there are persons of pure
blood who show almost every distinguishing feature of each
of the lower races. These facts, although they seem to show
that the White is the normal race, from which the others have
gradually deviated, also establish a bond of union among all
the varieties of mankind, however remote they may appear to
be from the most noble type.
The main point ethnologists have raised is, that a wide dif¬
ference in the physical qualities of the races exists. Com¬
plexion, it is said, is the most easily changed. Climate, diet
and the'manner of living, may change the whole human con¬
stitution. In his history of ancient art, Winckelmann seems
to attribute all to climate; not only the perfection of form in
the inhabitants of Greece, but their serenity of mind, sweet¬
ness and love of beauty. The only objection to this we have
90
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
come across is that of Sir Charles Bell, who in his "Anatomy
and Philosophy of Expression," says, "It is strange that
Winckelmann should attribute so much to the influence
of climate, seeing that where the olive still ripens, in the. long
summer of Greece, not a vestige of those virtues which were
the admiration of the world now exists; and centuries have
passed without a poet or philosopher appearing in the coun¬
try of Homer and Plato." This, though, refers rtiore espec¬
ially to the mental degeneration 'of the Greeks, and we
merely interposed this view here in order to give all sides of
the question. There can be no doubt that climate does
operate on the physical man, and to great extent makes him
what he is physically. The Portuguese in Africa become
black, but preserve their original configuration. The Jews
in northern countries are fair, but become brown and tawny
towards the south, while their configuration does not undergo
proportionate changes. Zimmermann shows how color is
changed by climate — heat producing Negroes, and cold
Esquimaux; cites the old traveler Benjamin, of Tudela, for
Jews turning black in Abyssinia, and credits a story related
by Caldanus, how once he saw, at Venice, a negro who,
brought there in childhood, had, in his old age, become yellow¬
ish! Thus, says Zimmermann, "The white man can become
black, and the black man on the contrary white, and this
change is again carried on through the different degrees of
heat and cold"—his conclusion being that—"man possessing
himself thus little by little of all climates, becomes through
their influence—here a Georgian, there a Negro, elsewhere
an Eskimau!" 1 Indeed, arguing from this point, as a distin¬
guished writer has said, "It seems difficult to say whether
the original color of man was white or black, but it is certain
that white people grow black sooner than Negroes becomes
white."2
Authors have however labored most in endeavoring to ex¬
plain the color of the Africans which above all other national
colors from the most remote period has struck the eyes of
naturalists and excited their minds to inquire. Nor is it "sur¬
prising that with ^hat object all sorts of hypotheses should be
elaborated. A heap of authors could be cited, and indeed
we have waded through- a formidable array of volumes in
1 Zimmermann's "The Earth and its Inhabitants," vol. iii, p. 384, London.
2Spurzheim's Education of Man, p. 26.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. 91
search of the truth, but limited space only permits us to notice
briefly without quoting verbatim in every case. ' One writer
attributes'the tawny skin of the Greenlanders to their par¬
ticularly oily diet. Another declares that the skin of Euro¬
peans in the East Indies becomes yellow from copious meals
of dishes prepared from the calipash of turtles. Among the
Indians those who inhabit the northern part of America are
so much whiter than others, that they nearly lose the red
color altogether.1 The Chinese are of all colors between brown
and white; in the south, brown; towards the north, white.
The Ethiopians on the north shore of the Senegal are tawny,
on the south, black. We are told expressly about the Mal-
abars that their black color approaches nearer to tawny and
yellow the further they dwell toward? the north. Thus we
might quote from a cloud of witnesses who have observed the
same well-known effects of climate, and mode of life in other
parts of the world, but a few other examples out of the many'
will- suffice. The women of Biscay'are of a brilliant white,
while those of Granada on the contrary are brownish, so that
in this southern province the pictures of the Virgin Mary are
painted of the same national color. The Moors are by no
means naturally black, spite of the proverb, though many
persons think so; they are born white and remain white all
their lives, when their business does not expose them to the
heat of the sun. In the towns the women are of such a bril¬
liant whiteness that they eclipse most Europeans; but the
Mauritanian mountaineers, burnt unceasingly by the sun and
always half-naked, become, even from infancy, of a brown
color, which comes very near to that of soot. Many inhab¬
itants of Timur are of a copper color with red hair; and
Marcgrav, the traveler, reports having seen an African
woman with an undoubted red skin and red hair. Raynal
says, "The circumstances that seem to confirm the opinion,
that the color of the Negroes is the effect of the climate, of
the air, of the water, and of the food, of Guinea, is, that this
color changes when the inhabitants are removed into other
countries. The children they procreate in America are not
so black as their parents were. After each generation the
difference becomes more palpable. It is possible that after
a numerous succession of generations, the men come from
1 Catlin in his History of the North American Indians, has contended that the red
man is of Jewish origin.
92
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Africa would not be distinguished from those of the country
into which they may have been transplanted."1
Then again, Dr. Geo. S. Blackie, of Nashville,* a distin¬
guished graduate of the Universities of Edinburgh and Bonn,
and one of.the most learned scientists in the South says:
"It is authoritatively stated that the third generation of our
late household slaves lost much of the flattened nose, and
acquired longer head and beard, while the ugliness of a field-
hand is proverbial. Bojesman, the lowest type, perhaps,-give
evidence of the ugliness produced'by moral degradation and
external circumstances. These facts have illustrations every¬
where. Among the Irish, the French, the Germans, and the
Spaniards we find the same. Coarse, unwholesome diet, and
ill-prepared food will make the human race degenerate. All
people who live miserably are ugly and ill-made. On the
other hand, luxury and good living have a tendency to develop
beauty, as well as long life and refinement, as we see in the
aristocratic families of England." 2
These views are correct, and we dare assert as a fact, and
therefore call the attention of savants to it, that the Negroes
of the South are improving in physical characteristics since
their emancipation. Freedom, education, better food, more
of the luxuries of life, less work, and more leisure are bring¬
ing this people out. It is so in the cities and towns, and dis¬
coverable also in the country districts. But we will continue
citing authorities, for they are numerous. In 1845, Sir Chas.
Lyell, President of the Geological Society of London, made a
tour of the United States and noted that "the Negroes in
America are undergoing a manifest improvement in their
physical type. He had no doubt that they will, in time, show
a development of skull and intellect quite equal to the
whites." Dr. Nott, of Mobile, commenting on this in 1855
has this to say, though it must be remembered he wrote
under the slave regime :
" That Negroes imported into, or born in the United States,
become, more intelligent and better developed in their phys¬
ique generally than their native compatriots of Africa, every
one will admit; but such intelligence is easily explained by
their ceaseless contact with the whites, from whom they de-
1 See the Abbe RaynaFs Philosophical and Political History of the West Indies, vol.
iv, book xi, p. 35.
zSee Dr. Blackie'sletter to Dr. Young on the "Ethnological Status of the Negro,"
Nashville, 1867, p. 45.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO.
rive much instruction; and such physical improvement may
also be readily accounted for by the increased comforts with
which th£y are supplied. In Africa, owing to their natural
improvidence, the Negroes are, more frequently than not, a
half-starved, and therefore half-developed race; but when
they are regularly and adequately fed they become healthier,
better developed, and more humanized."
This is all very well so far as it goes, and but for the fact
that Dr. Nott allowed his prejudice to carry him into the fol¬
lowing sneering conclusion which, from all appearances,
was evidently done to bolster up the institution of slavery.
He says:
" Wild horses, cattle, asses, and other brutes, are greatly improved in like
manner by domestication; but neither climate nor food can transmute an
ass into a horse, or a buffalo into an ox.
" One or two generations of domestic culture affect all the improvement
of which Negro-organism is susceptible. We possess thousands of the
second, and many more of Negro families #of the eighth or tenth generation,
in the United States; and (where unadulterated by white blood) .they are
identical in physical and intellectual characters. No one in this country
pretends to distinguish the native son of a Negro from his great-grandchild
(except through occasional and ever-apparent admixture of white or Indian
blood); while it requires the keen and experienced eye of such a comparative
anatomist as Agassiz to detect structural peculiarities in our few African-born
slaves. The ' improvements' among Americanized Negroes noticed by' Lyell,
in his progress from South to North, are solely due to those ultra-ecclesiastical
amalgamations which, in their illegitimate consequences, have deteriorated
the white element in direct proportion that they are said to have improved the
blacks."1
Ah, there was the point. Amalgamation, which was the
bete noir of Messrs. Nott, Gliddon, et id omne pecus—ex¬
plains much of this thinly veiled sarcasm. But before pro¬
ceeding further we shall state emphatically that this being by
no manner of means a matter of our business we do not pro¬
pose to discuss it. What we shall say in this paragraph shall
be " the butt and very sea-mark of our utmost sail." It is a
question that regulates itself. And for the relief of many,
we will remark that amalgamation has not taken place to any
very great extent in the North, nor is it more likely to take
place in the South unless the South invites it, and in that case
a man should be like Von Moltke,. who is passive if any man
ever was passive; who is "silent in seven languages."
Let us turn now to the further discussion of the question in
lNott and Gliddon's Types of Mankind, p. 260.
94
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOTUH.
hand. We have not been very particular to arrange our cita¬
tions in chronological order, for this would be useless waste
of time, seeing there are so many " standing, waiting to be
heard." However, for the sake of a little contrast—light and
shadow as it were, permit us to introduce .the opinion of M
Quatrefagas, who is among the very latest authorities, being,
we believe, at present, Professor of Anthropology in the Mu¬
seum of Natural History, Paris:
"There still exist Whites in a distinctly*savage state. We need only read
the details given by Cook, La Perouse, Meares, Marchand, Dixon, Dr.
Scouler, and others, upon some Kolushes, whose women besmear themselves
with grease and soot, and wear a girdle, as both true Whites and true Savages,
who in many respects must rank below the Negro of Ardra or Juida. On the
other hand, enough is known to pro,ve that the most strongly characterized
Negro, the typical Negro, has the power of raising himself to a considerably ad¬
vanced social condition. It has been said, that, without being a savage, he
has remained a barbarian, as was the case with our German or Gaulish an¬
cestors. This view is not a just one; the Negro has risen much higher.
The annals of Amed Baba show that in the Middle Ages the basin of the
Niger contained empires very little inferior in many respects to Europeain
kingdoms of the same epoch. As to the yelloiv races, it will b,e sufficient to
remember that the whole of the Aryan race was plunged in barbarism at the
time when China was acquainted with the calendar, had determined the
form of the earth, and recognized the flattening of the poles, had woven
materials in silk, and possessed a coinage." 1
But it may be said there are other racial peculiarities
among the blacks that make them of a different species. To
this we answer that there are racial peculiarities among other
peoples as well. The Calmuck Tartars are nearly all bandy-
legged from being accustomed, as is said, from riding horse¬
back from tender age. The great artist, Benj. West,
President of the Royal Academy of Arts, was of the opinion
that tfae racial face of the Jews, above all others, had some¬
thing particularly goat-like about it, and was of further opin¬
ion that this peculiarity ''lay not so much in the hooked nose
as in the transit and conflux of the septum, which separates
the nostrils from the middle of the upper lip."'
Perhaps it will contribute something to the tra-nquilization
of many upon this common family affair (and there is really
no need of so much ado about a mere family matter) if we
name three philosophers of quite a different kind, who how¬
ever much they may have differed otherwise in many of their
ideas, still were completely of accord with each other on this
'Quatrefagas, "The Human Species," New York, D. Appleton & Co., 1879, p. 88.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO.
point; possibly because it is a question which belongs to
natural history, and all three were the greatest naturalists in
the world at their time—Haller,1 Linnaeus,2 and Buffon,3 all
these three considered man different by a whole world from
the orang-outang and all other brute creatures, and on the
other hand all true men, Europeans, Negroes, etc., as mere
varieties of one and the same species. And to which Blum-
enbach adds this valuable testimony:
" I am acquainted with no distinctive bodily character which is at once
peculiar to the Negro, and which cannot be found to exist in many other and
distant nations; none which is in like way common to the Negro, and in
which they do not again come into contact with other nations through im¬
perceptible passages, just as every other variety of man runs into the neigh¬
boring populations. The color of the skin they share more or less with the
inhabitants of Madagascar, New Guinea and New Holland. And there are
imperceptible shades, up from the blackest Negroes in North Guinea to the
Moors; amongst whom many, especially the women, according to the assur¬
ance of Shaw, have the very whitest skin that it is possible to imagine. The
curly, woolly hair is well known not to be common to all Negroes, for Barbot
says, even of those in Nigritia itself, that some have curly and some
have straight hair; and Ulloa says just the same of the Negroes in
Spanish America. Secondly, this so-called woolly hair is very far from being
peculiar to the Negroes, for it is found in many people of the fifth race, as in
the Yglotes in the Philippines, in the inhabitants of Charlotte Island and
Van Diemen's Land, and also in many of the third variety who are not reck¬
oned as Negroes. Many Abyssinians have it, as the famous Abbe Gregorius.
To this may be added the testimony of Le Maire, who says in his travels
through Senegal and Gambia, that there are negresses, who, abstraction being
made of the color, are as well formed as European ladies. So also Adama-
son, that accurate naturalist, asserts the same of the Senegambian negresses;
' they have beautiful eyes, small mouth and lips, and well-proportioned fea¬
tures; some, too, are found of a perfect beauty; they are full of vivacity,
and have especially an easy, free and agreeable presence.' As to the good
disposition and faculties of these our black brethren, as well as in natural
tenderness of heart, they can scarcely be considered inferior to any other
race of mankind taken altogether."4
This is the weighty testimony of Blumenbach, the illustri¬
ous naturalist, in whom the whole scientific and cultured world
has acknowledged the very father of anthropology. We have
quoted from his writings in several places already, and intend
to make draft on his vast treasure-house of knowledge else¬
where, but we here entreat the reader's permission to step a
little out of our way to say a word about Blumenbach him¬
self. At the time when the Negroes and the savages were
1 Elements of Physiology. 2 Mat. Med. Reg. Anim. vol. i p. 276.
3 Natural History, vol. ii, p. 185.
* Anthropological Treatises of Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, edited by Thomas Ben-
dyshe, London, 1865, pp. 64, 65.
96 ■ NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
still considered as half animals, and no one had yet conceived
the idea of the emancipation of the slaves, Blumenb.ach raised
his voicfe, and showed that their physical qualities were not
inferior to those of the Europeans, that even amongst the
latter themselves the greatest possible differences existed, and
that opportunity alone was wanting for the development of
their higher faculties. His connections with the learned were
both numerous and honorable. His pupils were such distin¬
guished men as Alex, von Humboldt, Hornemann, Langsdorf,
Seetzen, Sibthorp, and others. His studies upon various sub¬
jects were taken up by great thinkers—Kant, Fichte, Schelling
and Goethe—and were made use of, though with alterations
of expression and manner of representation, as foundation
for further development. Indeed as Marx says in his memoir,
" it might be sufficient to mention that seventy-eight learned
societies elected him as a member. There was scarcely any
scientific body of reputation in the wide extent of cultivated
nations which did not send him its diploma by way of testi¬
fying their respect."1 And this from M. Flourens:
" He raised the science out of chaos, and drew a distinction everywhere
between what belongs to the brute and what belongs to man. A profound
interval, without connection, without passage, separates the human species
from all others. No other species comes near the human species; no genus
even, or family. The human species stands alone. Guided by his facial
angle, Camper approximated the orang-outang to the Negro. He saw the
shape of the skull, or more precisely, the form and prominence of the upper
jaw,2 which gives an apparent resemblance; he failed to see the capacity of
the skull, which makes the real difference. In form nearly, the skull of the
Negro is as the skull of the European ; the capacity of the two skulls is the
same. And what is much more essential, their brain is absolutely the same.
And, besides, what has the brain to do with the matter? The human'mind
is one. The soul is one. In spite of its misfortunes the African race has
had heroes of all kinds. Blumenbach, who has collected everything in its
favor, reckons among it the most humane and the bravest men; authors,
learned men and poets. He had a library entirely composed of books
written by Negroes. Our age will doubtless witness the end of an odious
traffic. Philanthropy, science, politics, that is true politics, all join in attack¬
ing it; humanity will not be without its crusades."3
It affords us peculiar gratification to be able to quote from
so' wise and distinguished an author. It will stop the
wagging tongues of rattle-pated scribblers, and lead the
superficial into water clear over their shallow heads. And,
1 Marx's Memoir of Bhunenbach, p. 31.
2 See Hist, des t. et des i. de Buffon, p. 183.
3 Flouren's Memoir of Blumenbach, p. 57.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. 97
besides, it is an admirable thing that science—though maligned
and perverted in many quarters, seems to add to Christian
charity, or, at all events, to extend it, and invent what may
be called human charity.
'Some one, however, may say, give us examples of the
Negro's condition to-day. Well, we will. We have before
us a copy of the "Life and Labors of David Livingstone,"
with the adjunct explorations of Henry M. Stanley, the
American journalist. We shall quote examples as they
come:
Of the Zulus, Livingstone (p. 332) says: "They have the
lofty forehead, the prominent nose, and high cheek bones.
They are a good humored, generous and independent people,
and love to number among the excellencies of their king,
thatt 'he chooses to be black, he might have been white, but
would not.'"
Of the Baulungu men, he says, (p. 522), "They are in
general tall and well formed. The facial angle is as good in
most cases as in Europeans, and they have certainly as little
of the 'lark-heel' as the whites."
Of the people of the district of Hara, (p. 528), he says,
"The only difference between them and Europeans is color.
Many of the men have very finely formed heads, and so have
the women; and the fashion of wearing the hair sets off the
forehead to advantage. The forehead is shaved off to the
crown, the space narrowing as it goes up; then the back hair
?s arranged into knobs of about ten rows. They are quite
intelligent and evince considerable quickness of perception."
The people of Itawa he describes (p. 546) as-follows:
"Many of the men have as beautiful heads as one could find
in an assembly of Europeans. All have very fine forms, with
small hands and feet. None of the West Coast ugliness,
from which most of our ideas of the Negroes are derived is
here to be seen. No prognathous jaws nor lark-heels offended
the sight. My observation deepened the impression first ob¬
tained from the remarks of Winwood Reade, that the typical
Negro is seen in the ancient Egyptian, and not in the
ungainly forms which grow up in the unhealthy swamps of
the West Coast. Indeed, it is probable that this upland forest
region is the true home of the Negro."
Stanley, writing of the Wanyamwezi, says, (pp. 661, 662):
"They are generally splendid specimens of the genus homo, so far as phy¬
sical proportions make it up; tall and manly-looking, and endowed with re-
93
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH
markable strength and powers of endurance. But they are genuine sons of
Ham notwithstanding; the deep brown hue and negroid features are unques¬
tionable. . . . Like all negroes they are great lovers of music, and
among them there are artists, who, in spite of the barbarous monotony of their
strains, furnish real amusement. Many of these individuals are great impro¬
visators, and delight to weave the latest political news or personal scandal
into their merry songs."
The Wanyamwezi, he says, (pp. 666, 667) :
"Are the typical race of Central Africa, and their industry and commer¬
cial activity have won for them quite a reputation. These are the people
whom we have seen among the hills of Itawa, in the forests of Lunda, on
the banks of the Lualaba, in the wilds of Manyuema, on the banks of all
the lakes—who are foun-d in the mountains of Kavangerah, on the plains of
Uvinza, on the barren plateau of Ugogo, in the park lands of Ukonongo, in
the swamps of Useguhha, in the defiles of Usegara, in the wilderness of
Ubena, among the pastoral tribes of the Watuta, trudging along the banks
of the Refugi, and in slave-trading Kilvva, everywhere; weighted with the
bales of Zanzibar, containing cottons and domestics from Massachusetts,
calicoes from England, prints from Muscat, cloths from Cutch, beads from
Germany, and brass wire from Great Britain. In caravans they are docile
and tractable, on trading expeditions of their own they are keen and clevef;
in'their villages they are a merry-making set. As Ruga Ruga or forest men,
the Wanyamwezi are unscrupulous and bold; in Ukonongo and Ukawendi
they are hunters; in Usukumathey are drovers ajid iron-smelters; in Lunda
they are energetic searchers for ivory; on the coast they are a wondering,
awe-struck people."
But one of the most curious, "and indeed wonderful facts re¬
lated by Stanley, is concerning the "king of mountains"—
Gambangara, which attains an altitude of between 13,000 and
15,000 feet above the ocean. He says, (pp. 835, 836):
"On the summit of this high mountain we came across a strange pale-
faced tribe of natives, complexion almost European, a handsome race, some
of the women being singularly beautiful. Their hair is kinky, but inclined
to brown in color. Their features are regular, lips thin, but their noses,
though well-shaped, are somewhat thick at the point. Several of their des¬
cendants are scattered through Unyoro, Ankori and Ruanda, and the royal
family of the latter powerful country are distinguished by their pale com¬
plexions. The Queen of Sasua Islands, in the Victoria Nyanza, is a descend¬
ant of this tribe." . . " This discovery is of very great interest in an
ethnological point of view, establishing the fact that there are as many dif¬
ferent types of the African family in Africa as there are of the Caucasian race
in Europe."1
Still another curious discovery was made by Stanley in
Usongora, the great salt fields of Central Africa. Here the
TThis fact is corroborated by the recent discovery of a race of " White Negroes" in
the heart of the continent, by Major Serpa Pinto, the Portuguese explorer of Africa,
an account of which recently appeared in the Paris journals.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. 99
sole occupation of the natives consists in watching their cows,
of which they have an immense number. Like the inhabitants
of Ankori, they care for nothing but milk and goat skins, and
are "a race of such long-legged natives that ordinary mortals
regard them with surprise and awe. The Waganda, who have
invaded their country for the sake of booty, ascribe a cool
courage to them, against which all their numbers and well-
known expertness with shield and spear were of little avail.
They are, besides, extremely clannish, and allow none of
their tribe to intermarry with strangers, an$ their' diet con¬
sists solely of milk." (p. 838.) Here, then, are two instances
showing conclusively the effect of climate and diet on com¬
plexion and physical form. ,
Facts are stubborn things, and practical demonstration
constitutes incontrovertible testimony. Science, however,
backs these examples, and the most eminent scientists of
this enlightened century stand in solid phalanx to prove
them. We could quote at length from such distinguished
naturalists as Cuvier, the two Humboldts, Bunsen, Muller,
Lepsius, Agassiz, Owen, Lavater, Bachmann, Pritchard,
Latham, Martin, and others, but a few must suffice. Let us
take them at random.
First, Agassiz, who says, "I still hesitate to assign to each
race an independent origin. Man is everywhere the one
identical species." And again, "I cannot repeat too em¬
phatically, that there is not a single fact in embryology to
justify the assumption that the laws of development, now
known to be so precise and definite for every animal, have
ever been less so, or have ever been allowed to run into each
other. The philosopher's stone is no more to be found in the
organic than the inorganic world; and we shall seek as vainly
to transfer the lower animal type into the higher ones by any
of our theories, as did the alchemists of old to change the
baser metals into gold."1
Next we quote from Prof. Richard Owen, of the Royal Col¬
lege of Surgeons—the foremost among comparative anato¬
mists of the world. He says, " In reference both to the unity
of the human species, and to the%fact of man being the latest,
as he is the highest, of all animal forms, upon our planet, the
interpretations of God's works coincide with what has been
revealed to us, as to our origin and zoological relations in the
1 Agassiz's Methods of Study in Natural History, p. 319.
IOO NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
world. Man is the sole species of his genus, the sole repre¬
sentative of his order." And again, Dr. Owen says with
truth, " If the physiologist and pathologist had done no
more than demonstrate the universal law of our being, they
would deserve the gratitude of the Christian world."1
Prof. Muller, of Berlin says: "The different varieties of
species (not excepting maii) may be accounted for by suppos¬
ing the original existence of a pair of individuals of opposite
sexes, belonging to the same species, and the constant action
of different external modifying agencies, such as climate, upon
several, or many successive generations."
Buffon says: "Upon the whole, every circumstance con¬
curs in proving that mankind are not composed of species
essentially different from each other; that, on the contrary,
there was originally but one species, which, after multiplying
and spreading over the whole surface of the earth, has un¬
dergone changes from the influence of climate, food, mode of
living, diseases, and mixture of dissimilar individuals; that at
first these changes were not so conspicuous, and produced
only individual varieties ; that these varieties became after¬
ward more specific, because they were rendered more general,
more strongly marked, and more permanent by the continual
action of the same causes, and that they are transmitted from
generation to generation."
To which we add a quotation from Dr. John Bachman's
" Unity of the Human race"—the same made use of by Dr.
Y oung:
"In the number of separate bones composing the human skeleton—
amounting to two hundred and forty—in the peculiar structure of the breast¬
bone, there being eight pieces in infancy, three in youth, and but one in old
age; in the dropping out of the milk-teeth, between the sixth and fourteenth
year, which are replaced by thirty-two permanent teeth, there is perfect uni¬
formity in every variety of man. So also in the period of gestation—the
number of young at a birth, generally one, very rarely two; the period of
longevity, etc., the different varieties of men present a perfect similarity.
They all possess those high prerogatives of man, the attributes of speech and
the faculties of thejnind, with capacities for transmitting any improvement
to their descendants. In all there is a capacity to acquire the languages and
songs of other tribes, whilst they may forget those of their forefathers. Thus
whole nations have forgotten thei# languages, and adopted those of other
nations. But no species of quadruped or biped has ever lost its native notes,
and adopted the notes of another species. In all we discover the same in¬
stincts ; in afl, the power of conscience, the recognition of truth, and a sense of
1 Richard Owen's Comparative Anatomy and Physiology of Vertebrates, vol. iii, p. 825.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. IOI
right and wrong ; in all, some sentiment of religion, some recognition of a
higher power ; in all, the hope of immortality ; in all, the idea of a happier
life, and the dread of punishment beyond the grave. Positive Atheism is
excluded from the creed of all nations."
Then comes Quatrefagas, who says:
''These human groups, however different they may be, or appear to be,
are only races of one and the same species and not distinct species. Therefore,
there is but one hitman species, taking the term Species in the acceptation em¬
ployed when speaking of animals and plants. . . I wish that .candid
men, who are free from party spirit or prejudice, would follow me in this
view, and study for themselves all these facts, a few of which I have
touched upon, and I am perfectly convinced that they will, with the great
men of whom I am only the di^cipte—with Linnceas, Buffon, Lamarck,
Cuvier, Geoffroy, Humboldt and Muller, arrive at the conclusion that all
men belong to the same species, and that there is but one species of man.''''1
Such an accumulation of evidence ought to satisfy the most
skeptical, but we desire to add here the opinion of our Dr.
Blackie: "The origin of the Negro, as I have been taught at
the great seminaries of learning which I have the honor to be
an alumnus, and have satisfied myself in my researches in the
study, and in the two great books of Nature and of God, is
the same as that of the Caucasian."
However, there is an answer conclusive and final to this
portion of our subject, and. we are enabled to present it in
the succinct and powerful language of Spurzheim, whose
eminent ability is held in the highest esteem by scholars
everywhere. He says :
" If there be several species of Man, there can be no universal principles
of human conduct; human nature cannot be included in any one system ;
and the rules which are suitable for one nation will not be fit for another.
If, on the contrary, there be only one species.. general principles of educa¬
tion, general rules of conduct and national laws, may be established. More¬
over, if there were several species, and one superior to the otjiers, the White
to the Negro, for example, slavery might be contended for as an institution
of Nature; but if the species be only one, neither the primitive moral char¬
acter, nor Christianity can excuse this most selfish df all barbarities."2
And yet still another argument to prove that there is only
one species of man—a point hitherto not sufficiently under¬
stood in education, nor taken into due consideration in
ethnology, concerns the organiij conditions on which the man¬
ifestations of the mind depend. The general fact should be
admitted that the great proportion of mankind can be modi-
*The Human Species, p. 88.
2 Education of Man, p. 19.
102
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
fied by education and circumstance; and that there are some
so constituted, inefficiently or powerfully, that no circumstance
or training in the one instance shall ever turn them aside
from realizing their burning" impressions, or, in the other ever
elevate them to produce anything. But this has only a re¬
lative value-, and does not hold good universally. It applies
individually, not collectively; to families, not to races.
Everywhere, and at all times, the same primitive faculties,
however modified the actions flowing from them, may be, are
to be observed.
It will not be at all superfluous to point out here some not
so well known, though remarkable examples of the perfect¬
ibility of the mental faculties and the talents of the Negro,
which, of course, will not come unexpectedly upon any one
who has perused the accounts of the most credible travelers
about the natural disposition of the Negro. Thus, the bene¬
volent Bisho,p Gregory,1 and Herder,2 and Raynal, in various
passages of their works, quote instances of extraordinary
talents, virtue and morality, observed among the savage and
barbarous nations. And thus the classical Barbot, in his great
work on Guinea, expresses himself a's follows:
"The blacks have, for the most part, head and understanding enough;
they comprehend easily and correctly; *and their memory is of a tenacity
almost incomprehensible; for even when they can neither read nor write,
they* still remain in their place amidst the greatest bustle of business
and traffic, and seldom go wrong. . . . Since they have been so
often deceived by Europeans, they now stand carefully on their guard in
traffic, and exchange with them, carefully examine, all our war'es, piece by
piece, whether they are of the samples bargained for in quality and quantity;
whether the cloths and stuffs are lasting; whether they were dyed in Haar¬
lem or Leyden, etc. ... In short, they try everything with so much
1 The celebrated Abbe Gre^oire, Bishop of the Department of Loire et Cher, and
Deputy of the National Assembly of France, wrote a work entitled ilDe la litterature des
A7egres," containing sketches of the lives and writings of Negroes, "who have distin¬
guished themselves in science, literature and the arts," the object of which was to de¬
monstrate the moral and intellectual capabilities of the African race. This work has
been translated into English, and published both in Great Britain and the United States,
but we regret not being able to obtain a copy. However, in a work entitled " Histor¬
ical Survey of the French Colony in the Island of St. Domingo," written by Bryan
Edwards, member of the British Parliament, and Fellow of the Royal Society, we find
a letter addressed by Gregory to the inhabitants of St. Domingo, from which we make
the following significant extract; " God Almighty comprehends all men in the circle of
his mercy. His love makes no distinction between them, but what arises from the dif¬
ferent degrees of their virtues. Can laws, then, which ought to be an emanation of
eternal justice, encourage so culpable a partiality? Can that government, whose duty
it is to protect alike all the members of the same great family, be the mother of one branch,
and the stepmother only of the others?"
2 Herder is a Dutch writer of renown, but unfortunately, few of his works are to be
found in the United States.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. 103
prudence and cunning as any European man of business whatever can do.
Their aptitude for learning of all sorts of fine handy-work is well-known.
It is estimated that nine-tenths of the ordinary craftsmen in the West Indies
are Negroes."
However, what Blumenbach has to say is still more inter¬
esting :
"With respect to their talents for music, there is no necessity for me to
call attention to the instances in which Negroes have earned so much by them
in America, that they have been able to purchase their freedom for large
sums, since there is no want of examples in Europe itself of blacks, who
have shown themselves true virtuosos. The Negro Freidig, was well known
in Vienna as a masterly concertist on the viol and the violin, and also as a
capital draughtsman, who had educated himself at the academy there under
Schmutzer. As examples of the capacity of the Negro for mathematical and
physical sciences, I need only mention Hannibal, the Russian colonel of
artillery, and the Negro Lislet, of the Isle of France, who, on account of
his superior meteorogical observations and trigonometrical measurements, was
appointed their correspondent by the Paris Academy of Sciences. Dr. Rush,
of Philadelphia, wrote a history of the Negro, Fuller, of Maryland, who be¬
came so famous through his extraordinary capacity for calculation. In order
to test him on this point, he was asked in company how many seconds a man
would have lived who was seventy years and so many months, etc., old. In
a minute and a half Fuller gave the number. Others, then, calculated it,
but the result was not the same. 'Have you not forgotten,' said the Negro,
' to bring into account the days of th,e leap years ?' These were then added
and the two calculations coincided exactly. Benjamin Banneker, a Negro
,of Philadelphia, acquired considerable astronomical knowledge without oral in¬
struction, and entirely through private study of Ferguson's works and Mayer's
tables, etc. Boerhaave de Haen, and Dr. Rush have given the most-de¬
cided proofs of the uncommon insight which Negroes have into practical
medicine. Negroes have also been known to- make very excellent sur¬
geons. Madox, the Wesleyan Methodist preacher, became famous in Eng¬
land, and so also did Ignatius Sancho and Gustavus Vasa, all Negroes.
Sancho was a great favorite both of Garrick and-Sterne, and Vasa made him¬
self a name by his interesting autobiography."
Blumenbach had a library of English, Dutch and Latin
poems, written by Negroes, and declares Phillis Wheatley,
the Negro poetess of Boston, justly famous for her scholarly
poems. Some particularly beautiful selections from them are
to be found in the famous prize essay of Clarkson on the
"Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species." However,
let Blumenbach continue:
"In 1734 a Negro, Ant. Wilh. Amo, was created Doctor of Philosophy
in the University at Wittenberg, Germany, and in an account of Amo's life,
printed in the name of the University Senate, great praise is allotted to his
exceptional uprightness, his capacity, his industry, and his learning. It says
of his philosophical lectures, 'he studied the opinions both of the ancients
and the moderns; he selected the best, and explained his selections clearly
104 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
and at full length.' Still another Negro, Capitein, by name, studied theology
at Leyden, and became^ widely known through his sermons and poems, but
more especially his famous Dissertatio Politico-theologica, de Servitute Libertati
Christiana non contraria, which ran through several editions, and was trans¬
lated into Dutch, English a«d German.
" Finally, I am of opinion that after all these numerous instances I have
brought together of Negroes of capacity, it would not be difficult to mention
entire well-known provinces of Europe, from out of which you would not
easily expect to obtain off-hand such good authors, poets, philosophers, and
correspondents of the Paris Academy; and on the other hand, there is no
so-called savage nation known under the sun which has so much distinguished
itself by such examples of perfectibility and original capacity for scientific
culture, and thereby attached itself so closely to the most civilized- nations
of the earth, as the Negro."1
It is, perhaps, needless to strengthen a fortress already so
impregnable, except that we desire to add a few names of
distinguished Colored men in the United States, and else¬
where, at the present time, to prove for one thing, that the
black race, at least, has not degenerated intellectually since
Blumenbach wrote. Our list is taken from memory, and is,
therefore, necessarily, abridged: Frederick Douglass, the
celebrated Americo-African orator; Prof. John M. Langston,
United States Minister to Hayti; ex-Governor Pinchback, of
Louisiana; United States Senator Bruce, of Mississippi;
Congressman Rainey, of South Carolina; Prof. Greener, a
graduate of Harvard University, and now in charge of the
Law Department of Howard University, Washington; Rev.
C. H. Thompson, D.D., of the Protestant Episcopal Church,
New Orleans; Bishop Payne,'ex-President of Wilberforce
University, Ohio:—all men of national and some of more than
national fame for intelligence and culture. To give a list of
the Colored men who possess local reputation for intellectual
ability, would necessarily swell this into a large volume, for,
indeed, there is scarcely a city or county in the United States,
and we dare say in the South, that cannot present a creditable
list of ministers, physicians, teachers, merchants—much more
than ordinary in intelligence. In Louisiana, Mississippi,
and other Southern States, the professions, the mercantile
branches, and the trades, are well represented, while not a
few Colored men are possessed of great wealth. Nearly all
are liberally educated; some are scholars of a high order.
Among celebrated Negroes abroad, there is the "highly
educated native black Bishop Crowther, of West Africa;
1 Blumenbach's Anthropological Treatise, pp, 305-312.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. 105
Prof. Blyden; Rev. Barnabas Root, of the A. M. A., who
graduated among the highest in a Western College, and the
Chicago Theological Seminary; and last, but not least, Rev.
Alexander Crummell, formerly of the United States but now
of Liberia. He is one of the brightest examples of the
black man, and we are glad to quote the following concern¬
ing him: " Blood unadulterated, a tall and manly figure,
commanding in appearance, a full and musical voice, fluent in
speech, a graduate of Cambridge University, England,
a mind stored with the richness of English literature,
competently acquainted with the classical authors of Greece
and Rome, from the grave Thucydides to the rhapsodical
Lycophron, gentlemanly in all his movements, language
chaste and refined, Mr. Crummell may well be put forward as
one of the best and most favorable representatives of his
race. He is a clergyman of the Episcopal denomination, and
deeply versed in theology."
Then, again, the world renowned French novelist, Alex¬
andre Dumas, may be set down as one-eighth Negro; his
father, the black Gen.. Dumas, a quadroon, commanded a
legion of horse composed of blacks and mulattoes, under the
great Napoleon. Pufehkin, the most celebrated of Russian
poets had Negro blood through his mother. Diaz, the black
commander in Brazil, is extolled in all the histories of that
country as one of the most sagacious and talented men, and
experienced officers of whom they could boast. Hannibal,
(the African mentioned by Blumenbach,) gained by his own
exertions a good education, and rose to be a lieutenant-
general and director of artillery under Peter the Great.
Don Juan Latino, a Negro, became teacher of the Latin
language at Seville. James Denham, an imported Negro,
was considered by Dr. Rush as one of the ablest physicians
in New Orleans. Placido, the Negro poet of Havana, wrote
elegant and finished verses, that were set to music and sung
in the drawing-rooms of the most refined companies which
assembled in that city; he was afterwards executed for
attempting to incite an insurrection among the slaves by his
"songs of freedom."
Among actors, the name of the late Ira Aldridge, "the
African Roscius," is at once recognized. Though at one
time he lived in the United States, he was a native of
Senegal, in Africa, where his forefathers were princes of the
Foulah tribe. He was a graduate of the Glasgow Univer-
106 NEGRO CI VILIZA TION IN THE SO UTH.
sity, obtained several premiums and the medal for Latin
composition. He adopted the stage as a profession, and
played only the leading roles of the standard drama. He ap¬
peared in a number of Shakspearian characters in all the
great cities of Europe—first at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Man¬
chester, then Paris, Berlin and Drury Lane and Covent
Garden, London. His " Shylock," the London Morning
Chronicle, placed among the "finest pieces of acting that a
London audience had witnessed since the days of the elder
Kean."
It is said that "when a bloody revolt occurred in a pro¬
vince of Ethiopia a few years ago, the Turkish officials tried
in vain to control the soldiers and restore order and quiet to
the country. A Negro Bey, who, when a boy, had been sold as
a slave into Egypt, arrived, and by his masterly shrewdness
and ability quelled the insurrection, and His Highness,
the Khedive, made him commander-in-chief of the troops
of the Soudan." " The Negroes have exhibited as much
inventive genius in Africa as was displayed by savages in
Europe and America until the people of these climes came
in contact with the civilization of the East. One of them,
on the West Coast, invented an alphabet, and another has
become, doubtless, the most learned man on the continent,
either native or foreign."
So many examples of the Negro's intellectual and moral
capacity ought to satisfy the most exacting, and it does seem
like piling Pelion upon Ossa to beg permission to add a few
more names. Since compiling the above, the writer has had
the pleasure of hearing a lecture from the highly cultivated
colored orator, Dr. William Wells Brown, of Boston, who
chose for his theme, "Hannibal, the Carthagepian Hero,"
and handled it in a masterly manner—presenting a fine
literary treat—eloquent, philosophic and finished, and, be¬
sides, showing extraordinary culture as an elocutionist and
rostrum speaker. Afterwards we had the additional pleasure
of meeting Dr. Brown personally, and learned from him that
he has already written a number of volumes concerning his
people, chief among which are "The Rising Sun" and
"The Black Man."1 This latter work is before us—a most
interesting book—abounding in fact and argument, replete
1 The Black Man : His Antecedents, His Genius and His Achievements. By William
Wells Brown. Published for Jas. M. Symms & C<?., Savannah, Ga.
E1UN0 LOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. 107
with eloquence, logic and learning, and containing biogra¬
phical sketches of about sixty colored individuals—men and
women, who have distinguished themselves in the higher
walks of learning'. Some of these we have already briefly
mentioned, those which follow are from Dr. Brown's book,
condensed and arranged by the writer, as follows:
Among distinguished orators and lecturers may be found
Charles L. Remond, of Salem, Mass.; Ge*o. T. Downing and
Samuel R. Ward, of New York—the latter called "the black
Daniel Webster;" .Robert Morris, the Boston lawyer; Henry
Highland Garnett, born a slave in Maryland, but afterwards
a writer and orator of far more than ordinary ability; Jeremiah
B. Sanderson, of New Bedford, Mass., a scholar and lecturer,
well versed in history, theology and the classics; Frances
Ellen Watkins, the Negr^ poetess of Baltimore, who was be¬
fore the public some years as an author and lecturer.
Of the Colored literati and educators mention is made of
the following: James M. Whitfield, the "barber-poet" of
Buffalo, a man noted for his scholarly attainments, as.well as
native genius; Charles L. Reason, Professor of Mathematics
and B.elles-Lettres in New Y(?rk Central College; Prof.
George B. Vashon, A.M., a graduate of Oberlin College,
and afterwards called to a professorship in New York Central
College—well-known as a lawyer, literateur and astronomer ;
John Sella Martin, born in Charlotte, N. C.—three times
sold as a slave, but who finally escaped, educated himself, and
became a writer of both prose and poetry, and a preacher
of decided ability in Boston; Charlotte L. Forten, of Salem,
Mass.—poetess, author and teacher; Henry Bibb, of Wind¬
sor, Canada; William Still, of Philadelphia; Prof. William J.
Wilson and William Nell, of Boston—all Negroes, and all
intellectual and cultivated.
The medical profession is not without its able men. Mar¬
tin R. Delany, M. D., is the name of another distinguished
pure blooded Negro, widely known as a traveler, discoverer
and lecturer. He accompanied Prof. Campbell in the "Niger
Valley Exploring Expedition" and made an official report on
the climate, soil, diseases, and natural productions of^ Africa.
He lectured in the United States and Great Britain; was
presented at the Court of St. James, and in many ways has
made himself a man of mark.
Dr. James McCune Smith, graduated with distinguished
honors at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, where he re-
io8
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
ceived his diploma of M. D. For more than twenty-five
years he has been a successful practitioner in New York, and
yet has done besides much literary work. " History, an¬
tiquity, bibliography, translation, criticism, political economy,
statistics—almost every department of knowledge—receive
emblazon from his able, ready, versatile and unwearied pen.".
Dr. John S. Rock, graduated both in medicine and den¬
tistry at the American Medical College, Philadelphia. After¬
wards, on account of ill health he studied law, passed his
examination before the Superior Court of Massachusetts, and
was admitted to practice as an attorney and counsellor in all
the Courts of that State. He has also made reputation as a
lecturer, and in i860 by invitation of the Massachusetts Leg¬
islature delivered a lecture on the " Character and Writings
of Madame DeStael." Of this lecture Der Pionier. a Ger¬
man newspaper in Boston, said: '^This thinking, educated
German and French speaking Negro, proved himself as
learned in German as he is in French literature."
Among colored artistes there are Edwin M. Bannister, of
Boston, who began life as a hair dresser, and is now a land¬
scape painter; while William H. Simpson, of the same city,
has exhibited marked ability and consummate genius as a
portrait painter. Hon. Chas. Sumner, gave Simpson a "sit¬
ting and portraits from Simpson's studio are to be found in
'many of the Northern States, California, Canada, Hayti, and
Liberia.
The clergy claims numerous brilliant, learned and eloquent
men. Rev. Wm. Douglass, rector of St. Thomas church,
Philadelphia, and Rev. J. Theodore Holly, of New Haven,
Conn., also of the Protestant Episcopal Church, are men of
finished education, versed in Latin, Greek and Hebrew; for*
cible and logical writers, of varied talents and undoubted cul¬
ture. Rov. Elymas Payson Rogers, of Newark, New Jersey,
clergyman of the Presbyterian order, is highly educated—a
forcible writer of prose, and possessed of poetical talent.
Rev. Dr. J. W. C. Pennington, was born a slave in Maryland,
and served as plantation blacksmith on the farm of Col. Gor¬
don. He had no early opportunities for learning, and was
ignorant of letters when he made his escape to the North.
Through intense application, he gained an education, studied
theology and became a Presbyterian preacher. He after¬
wards visited Europe several times, was a member of the
Peace Congresses held at Paris, Brussels, and London. While
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. 109
in Germany the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred
upon him by the University of Heidelberg, and on his return
to the United States he was settled as pastor over Shiloh
Church, New York city. Dr. Pennington has been a good
student, and is a ripe scholar, and not only a theologian but a
linguist—understanding Greek, Latin and German. He is
of unmixed African blood, and with strongly-marked African
features.
Ex-President Roberts, of the Republic of Liberia, a native
of Virginia, is a Negro. Sir Edward Jordan, born a slave in
Kingston, Jamaica, became premier of the Island, and presi¬
dent of the privy council, and in i860 was elevated to the dig¬
nity of the knighthood by the Queen of England. In a
literary point of view he is considered one of the first men in
Jamaica. Joseph Jenkins', the wonderful and most versatile
genius whom Dr. Brown met in London—who distributed
hand-bills in Cheapside in the morning, swept crossings in
Chelsea in the afternoon, sold religious tracts and sung
psalms at Kensington in the evening, played Othello at the
Eagle Theater at night, and preached on Sunday—was
nothing but a Negro. '
The West Indies are well represented in Dr. Brown's book.
Among the celebrated Colored men mentioned are Toussaint
L'Overture, the military chieftain of St. Domingo; Vincent
Oge, his famous deputy; Andre Rigaud, well educated, and
of cultivated manners; Henri Cristophe, who was master of
the French, English and Spanish languages, and was thought
to be the most polished of all of Toussaint's generals. Also,
Jean Jacques Dessalines, the African, the savage, the slave,
the soldier, the general, the president, and lastly the Emperor
of Hayti. President Geffrard, President Jean Pierre Boyer,
and President' Alexandre Petion, of the Republic'of Hayti,
were all highly educated Negroes. Petion, was a graduate
of the Military School of Paris, was a skillful engineer, and
perhaps the most scientific officer and the most erudite indi¬
vidual among the people of Hayti.
And lastly, we will- mention two most curious and interest¬
ing historical facts. By a striking coincidence, the same year,
1620, which witnessed the landing of the Pilgrims at Plym¬
outh Rock, also witnessed the landing of the first Negro
slaves for sale by the Dutch, at Jamestown, Virginia. The
other fact is this, the first blood shed in the American Revolu¬
tion was that of a Negro named Crispus Attucks, who led the
no NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Boston populace against the British soldiers who were drawn
up in line on King (now State) street, March 5, 1770. So
that if we have shown the Negroes are not wanting for intel¬
lectual representatives neither are they without their Revolu¬
tionary hero.
With these multiplied and overwhelming testimonies in
favor of the Colored man, we may as well leave the subject
with all fair-minded people. But in order that there may not
be a stone unturned, we are constrained to add a few more
points in their behalf. The investigations we have pursued,
and the corroborative proof of wisdom—acquired and natural
—establish beyond controversy the grand points we have
been aiming at, viz : the unity of the human species, and the
just claims of the black man to respectful consideration from
his brother man. We dare assert the fact, that no candid
man, thoroughly acquainted with comparative anatomy, no
candid man, capable of intelligent opinion, will make use of
stupid and nonsensical objections to the black man, simply
on account of his color. In their general economy, in the
plans ordained for their government, in the construction as
well as offices of their principal parts, there exists between all
men a close resemblance, whether they be white or black, or
red or brown. In all, life is sustained and the body nourished
by the same apparatus, The heart, the lungs, the stomach ;
the flesh, the bones, the viscera, and all the internal parts, are
of the same color in Negroes as in the Whites. The same
fluid'(for no distinction of blood has been discovered even
under the most powerful and searching microscopic tests), the
same fluid circulates through their vessels and in precisely the
same order. The lymph is equally white and limpid; and'
the milk of the nurses is everywhere the same. In this latter
connection let us state one fact, which has excited the admi¬
ration and caused the constant wonder of anatomists, viz: the
lacteal system of animals. Dr. Paley notes "that the num¬
ber of teats and paps in each species is found to bear a pro¬
portion to the number of the young. In the sow, the rabbit,
the cat, the rat, which have numerous litters, the paps are nu¬
merous, and are disposed along the whole length of the belly ;
in the cow and mare they are few. The most simple account
of this," says he, "is to refer it to a designing creator," 1 But
the point we aim at, though Dr. Paley may not have over-
1 Paley's Natural Theology, p. 147.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. 111
looked, yet failed to mention, just here is, the lacteal system
of the human being—placed as it is over the lungs and the
heart, as if the good God had intended to remind the sons of
women that the storehouse of sustenance lies near the seat
of life, and the child imbibes the distilled liquor from the very
fountain of the mother's love. But in this respect there is no
difference between the white and the black mother.
Then again, man alone is destitute of what are called in¬
stincts, but he has reason. Brutes have not reason, but have
instinct. Instinct always remains the same, and is not ad¬
vanced by cultivation, nor is it smaller or weaker in the
animal than the adult. Reason, on the contrary, may be
compared to a developing germ, which, in the process of time,
and by the accession of a social life and other external cir¬
cumstances, is as it were developed, formed and cultivated.
" Before his horns adorn the calf, they're there,
All weaponless he butts, and furious beats the air." 1
But not so with man. He is born- naked, has no hair on
his ba9k; is born weaponless, furnished with- no instinct, and
is enterely dependent on society and education. On this
point Dr. Paley says: "The human animal is the only one
which is naked, and the only one which can clothe itself.
This is one of the properties which renders him an animal of
all climates, and of all seasons. He can adapt the warmth
or lightness of his covering to the temperature of his habita¬
tion. Had he been born with a fleece upon his back,
although he might have been comforted by its warmth in
high latitudes, it would have oppressed him by its weight and
heat, as the species spread towards the equator."2
Man brought up amongst the beasts, destitute of inter¬
course with man, may lose much of his manhood, but does
not come out a beast. On the contrary, beasts which live
with man never lose their brute instincts, and never gain any¬
thing of manhood. Neither the beavers, nor the seals, who
live in company, nor the domestic animals, who enjoy our fa¬
miliar society, come out endowed with reason.
Man alone possesses speech, or the voice of reason. Beasts
have only the language of affection. On this point let us
quote from Prof. Daniel Wilson, of Toronto, Canada: " We
habitually designate all other living creatures as dumb an-
i Lucret, v. 1033.
8
8 Natural Theology, p. 123.
112 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
imals, discriminating in this between the inarticulate cries of
the lower animals, and the intelligent utterances of human
speech. Hence the legitimate "selection of language as the
most essential and unvarying index of man. No race of men
has ever been found devoid of language. No other race of
animals has been known to possess language in its most rudi¬
mentary form. We have, indeed, speech in a certain sense,
in the parrot, starling, etc., but this is no more than another
phase of the capacity for imitating sound, familiar to us in the
natural imitations of the mocking bird, and dependent in part
on physical structure. Neither in the one case nor in the
other, are the sounds symbols of thought or vocal signs of
objects or ideas." 1
Just here let us introduce an important point from Dr. Lat¬
ham, who, in speaking of the efforts to place in proper rank
of a standard, the families of mankind, refers to the investi¬
gations of philologists, thus :
"The Caucasians had been put in a sort of antithesis to the Negroes ; and
hence came mischief. Whatever may be the views of those able writers
who have investigated the SubTSemitic Africans, when pressed for definitions,
it is not too much to say that, in practice, they have all acted as if the mo¬
ment a class became Semitic, it ceased to be African. They have all looked
one way; that being the way in which good Jews and Mahometans look—
towards Mecca and Jerusalem; They have forgotten the phoenomena of
correlation. If Caesar is like Pompey, Pompey must be like Caesar. If Af¬
rican languages approach the Hebrew, the Hebrew must approach them.
The attraction is mutual; and it is by no means a case of Mahomet and the
mountain. I believe that the. Semitic element of the Berber, the Coptic
and the Galla are clear and unequivocal; in other words that these^languages
are truly Sub-Semitic. . . . But unequivocal as may be the Semitic
element of the Berber, Coptic and Galla, their affinities with the tongues of
Western and Southern Africa are more so. I weigh my words when I say,
not equally, but more: Changing the expression for every foot in advance
which can be made towards the Semitic tongues in one direction, • the
African philologist can go a yard towards the Negro ones in the other." 2
Let us proceed then to other considerations. The erect
portion of man declares him not a beast. One of Blumen-
bach's great endeavors- was to illustrate the difference be¬
tween man and beast; and he insisted particularly upon the
importance of the upright walk of man and the vertical line.
" Mankind alone can lift the head on high
And stand with trunk erect." '
1 From an address delivered by Prof. Wilson, before the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, at Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 3, 1877.
zMan and His Migrations, pp. 155, 156.
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. J 13
Man has two hands—beasts have none. Man is a perfect
biped, beasts are quadrupeds. The immobility of the ears;
the shape of the brain in man differs for all the world from
the brute. Mankind cannot, like brutes be fattened. " Man,"
as Franklin says, " is the tool making animal." Man cooks
his food, brutes do not. Man sows and reaps, brutes do not.
All of this and much more leads us to conclude that the white
man is not a brute.1 It also leads us to conclude that the
black man is his brother. "God's image too," as Fuller
says, " although made out of febony."
So, then, God speaks to the black man, as well as the white
man, not only through the robe of flesh and blood and bones that
fits upon his undying soul—a perfect net-work of moral teach¬
ing tissues—not only in the administering faculties of sense,
reason and feeling, but in the blind and voiceless elements
that fill the solid and insensible world, as well as in every
motion and harmony of the spheres* in the gorgeous banners
spread upon the boundless air and sky, and in
" The book of Nature, and the print
Of beauty on the whispering sea."
Talk then, of the black man having no soul! Why? Be¬
cause no man has ever seen it ? Has -any man ever seen a
white man's soul? No. It is strange, then, that even so bold
an infidel as Voltaire would admit,'" it is hazardous to assert,
that because we never beheld a thing, it does not exist,"
"No man hath seen God at any time," but only "the fool
hath said yi his heart there is no God."
Here, then, are humanitarian sentiments worthy to be re¬
flected upon—the soul-inspiring thoughts of the Humboldts
—which, powerful and charming and profound^—basing their
high moral value on their touching eloquence—all but rival
St. Paul's eulogia of "love" in boundless charity towards all
mankind : "Without doubt," says Alexander von Humboldt,
"there are families of peoples more susceptible of culture,
more civilized, more enlightened; but there are none more
noble than others. All are equally made for liberty, which, in
a state of society but little advanced, appertains only to
1 Of course we except here such, special pleading, or rather we recognize the rebutting
testimony which was illustrated in the examination of a ladies' class in Scotland recently,
as follows ; Instructor.—" What does Condillac say about brutes in the scale of being ?"
Young Lady.—He says a brute is an imperfect animal." Instructor.—"And what is
man ?" Young Lady.—" Man is a perfect brute."
114 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
individuals; but which, among those nations called to the
enjoyment of veritable political institutions the right of the
whole community."
Then, the idea of humanity is beautifully developed by his
brother William: "This is what tends to break down those
barriers which prejudices and interested motives of every
kind have erected between men, and to cause humanity to
be looked upon in its ensemble, without distinction of religion,
of nature, of color, as one great brotherhood, as a single
body, marching towards one and the same goal, the free de¬
velopment, of the moral forces. . . , Rooted in the
depths of human nature, commanded at the same time by its
most sublime instincts, this beneficent and fraternal union of
the whole species becomes one of the grand ideas which pre¬
side over the history of humanity."
We now leave this subject for good and all, but we leave it
with a feeling of triumph, the satisfaction of a man who has
performed a conscientious duty with credit to his subject and
credit to himself. However, we cannot resist making one
more point, submitting to those who are curious of establish¬
ing the ethnological status of the Negro—who is nearly as
strong physically as the European, and superior to the Aus¬
tralian and the South Sea Islander, and more vigorous than
the Tartar and the Chinese races—submitting the privilege
of contrasting the black man with the Indian, the so*-called
noble savage. The Indian is of a melancholy, cold, insen¬
sible race. The Negro light-hearted, affectionate, impression¬
able. The Indian, says a traveler, is "foreign to our hopes,
our joys, our griefs; it is rarely that a tear moistens his eyes,
or that a smile lights up his features." The Negro is ardent
and impulsive, his emotions respond with the vivacity of child¬
hood to every impression, whether joyous or sad. The Indian
is passive, aS in old age, alike indifferent to pain or pleasure
—let us call the Indian, the dotard of the ages, arid his life
the sunset of an epoch that Is passing away. But the Negro,
we hail and christen the child of the new civilization just
coming up—his rising, to use a metaphor, the gray dawn of
the brighter centuries. The most barbarous tortures cannot
extort from the Indian a single complaint, and his stoical in¬
difference is disturbed only by vengeance or jealousy. If he
sometimes exhibits a display of prodigious muscular force, he
is yet without endurance. "Who knows not," asks Guyot,
"that when the first invaders of the New WTorld endeavored
ETHNOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE NEGRO. 115
to compel the inoffensive Indians, who had received them as
gods, to the rude labors of the mines and thfe cultivation of
the soil, these men of the woods, incapable of enduring
fatigue, perished in agony by thousands ? And it was there¬
upon that the Europeans substituted for the Indian the robust
and vigorous native of the Old World, the Negro, who still,
to this day, used as the instruments of the white man's labor,
endures, I had almost said, gayly, a degree of toil equal to
that which destroyed the native of the country."
And yet for the Indian, when the guns of the army are not
turned upon his breast, we have eulogia and romantic notions
of his native nobility, while for the Negro, we have had
nothing but sneers and cuffs and kicks. Our country's flag
with its "stars and stripes"—what did it symbolize? Were
the stars for the white man ? and the stripes for the black ?
But which race has shown true progression? In three hun¬
dred years the social condition of the Indian, instead of ad¬
vancing, has retrograded, for it must be remembered that in
the path of development, not to advance is to go back; it is
impossible to remain stationary. He has seldom elevated him¬
self above the condition of the hunter. He has never even
ascended to the rank of the pastoral man—much less sought
nourishment from the generous bosom of mother earth.
What service has he performed for the nation ? What ser¬
vice had we the right to expect ? And yet contrast this
with the enforced labors of the Negro—who felled forests, re¬
deemed waste places, built roads and barns and farm-houses,
toiled in the mills and the brick-yards—worked with ring¬
ing trowel on temple and edifice, and made our beautiful
South, with her far-stretching fields, wave her harvests, like
the banner of divine benevolence. Take into account, too,
the rapid civilization of the African just come from the jun¬
gles, his fine capacity for improvement, and he advances
proudly and rightly to a higher position in the scale of
humanity. Even as the tropical man of the Old World, the
Negro possesses a native vigor of vital energy, manifested
by his sanguine temperament, by his gaiety, by his lively affec¬
tions and by his muscular strength, placing him higher than the
Indian of tropical America. His social state, even there, has
made a step in advance. The Negro tribes of Congo and
Soudan had formed commonwealths, and were quite well
acquainted with agriculture before visited by the Euro¬
peans.
116 NEGR O CIVILIZA T/OJ\T IN THE SO UTH.
But the Indians—nomadic bands, in undisturbed posses¬
sion of fruitful pasture lands for thousands of years, knew
nothing of pastoral life, scarce anything of agriculture, but
lived, and hunted, and battled, and died on the very plains
whereon the European pioneer and his African co-laborer
founded the most illustrious nation of modprn ages—and built
up the magnificent Republic of the New Times. •
COLORED EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH.
That point in our labors is reached where we must speak of.
the Colored man as a citizen under the new order of things.-
It is a delicate subject to handle and requires nerve, from the
fact, that most unfortunately for all, nearly everything relative
to the Negro has heretofore been made to bear political sig¬
nificance, and become a question of party rather than a ques¬
tion of humanity. But we started out with the intention of
writing only truth, and, as we have purposely repeated this, it
arms us with stout and stable confidence for the task. So far
our treatise is fortified with the opinions of eminent and
learned men. We have swept over a wide range of history
and science, and touched upon subjects capable of great elab¬
oration. This, however, seemed unavoidable—-first, to get
somewhat obscure though important facts before the public in
succinct and simplified form, and, secondly, to show the over¬
whelming and seemingly insurmountable obstacles—the mul¬
tiplied difficulties, prejudices and proscriptions that weighed
down the black race and acted as effectual barriers to their
progress. In the further investigation of this subject we
shall pursue a similar plan—not to excite controversy, but to
remove error. We shall continue writing history, (though
the true history of the Colored race in this country is only of
few years growth), and, therefore, except where it becomes
necessary to state a truth we shall peremptorily order indi¬
vidual opinions to the rear. Seventeen years only have
elapsed since the black man was freed, the old system disap¬
peared forever, and the fundamental principles of our laws
were changed. Seventeen years only since the Proclamation
of Emancipation was issued, and we shall see directly
whether the black man is proving in any way worthy of a
struggle that cost billions of treasure and rivers of blood.
COL ORED ED UCA TION IN THE SO UTH. 11J
When the echo of the death-dealing guns had died away,
when the smoke of conflict had lifted from the scene, the old
ship Constitution that had so long breasted the bloody waves
of the battle-sea, lay stranded, -with battered hulk, on the
ever-shifting sands of Time. Daylight revealed a ghastly
picture. The South prostrate and bleeding ; the North crip¬
pled and in want. .. And more than that, the country awoke
to the fact that between four and five millions of poor, home¬
less and ignorant Negroes had suddenly become the "wards
of the nation." What was to be done with them? It would
have been unjust, as it was impossible for the South to take
charge of them, though there are persons who seemed to
think otherwise. Education was the measure and the rem¬
edy, but education is of slow growth, and was attended by
many disadvantages and discouragements. It has been said
also that " there never was a class of people, who were more
heartily abused than those who first came South to teach,"
and that Colored pupils were " assailed with annoyances,
taunts and jeers." We do not deny this, nor do we affirm it.
Even if it is true, it is not unnatural. To consider this sub¬
ject with justice and equity, the people of the North must
also practice forbearance, must put themselves in our place,
and then if they would have acted differently, then, and not
until then; would they be justified in condemning. Let it be
remembered that the South was suffering under the bitter
pain of deep and galling wounds. Let it be remembered
that the North was very aggravating, and that new-found
freedom made the Negro aggressive and tantalizing. Put all
these things together, and the conclusion will be that if it was
wicked in the South to rebel, it was wicked in the North to
turn Spanish Matadore, and so to speak, flourish a red rag in
the face of a gored and maddened bull. True victory is not
to crush an opponent, but to make him a friend. A little
more of Christian patience and forbearance, oil both sides,
will bring matters once more into harmony, and cement rela¬
tions between the sections stronger than ever.
There was then, and there is but one solution of this
gigantic problem. The Colored man must be educated. He is
no longer an enigma—no longer as a dumb, driven brute.
He is a thinking, reasoning man—a man with a soul, and
capable of the highest culture. An eloquent, straightforward,
manly statement of the needs of the race was set forth by
Rev. Dr. Strieby, Secretary of the American Missionary
118 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Association, in an address delivered at the dedication of Fisk
University, Nashville, Jan. i, 1876, and from which we ex¬
tract the following:
"They are 'a nation born at once,' born in their helplessness, unskilled
in the arts of' industry, economy or of thrift; born with almost nothing on
the face of the earth; with no land, no home, no capital, no skill. Their
ignorance—while they are citizens and voters—gives«a startling preponder¬
ance to the illiteracy of the South, as compared with any other section of the
Union. The census of 1870 shows that while the West had only 409,175
persons over 10 years of age who cannot read, the South has, including both
whites and blacks, 3,550,425—an excess of over three millions! It shows that
of the voters, the West has only 2x7,403, who cannot read, but the South has,
including both races, 1,137,303, or nearly one million more! If we are
alarmed at the prevalence of ignorance through the incoming of foreigners
in the North and West, what should be the alarm at the dense illiteracy in the
South! What a theatre for demagogues of both parties and of both colors!
What a range for the growth of the vices'begotten of slavery! The Negro
is not a communist—the danger is not of violence and blood; it is rather
of stagnation. The malaria in the. low-lands hangs heavy and close to the
ground. It is only dissipated by the sun's rays and the influx of the pure
mountain winds, which, mingling with it, and lifting it up, render it harm¬
less. So is this Southern problem to be met. These colored people must
have the rays of the sun of knowledge and the pure &ir of divine truth to dis¬
sipate their ignorance. There is no hindrance. They can be educated.
They must be helped to develop whatever of talent or manhood God has
given them. They are to take their place among men, not by compulsion,
but by showing their fitness for it.
"The American Missionary Association comes to lend a helping hand.
We claim not to be alone in this work. We recognize gladly the institutions
and labors of kindred societies from the North and the co-operation of the
people of the South. We come not with Force Bills, Civil Rights enact¬
ments, nor with denunciation. We come not to seek office nor public
emoluments, but we have come simply to aid in the education and Christian
culture of the people—to help to develop in them all the manhood, the
talent, the genius and the piety with which God has endowed them. This
Christian work is the surest bond of union between the North and the South.
Men talk of political unity, but there is a far more tender and endearing tie
—that of Christian love and labor. When the Christian people of the South
see that our sole purpose in coming here is to lift up this people by educa¬
tional and religious culture, they will extend to us the hand of welcome, and
say, 'Brothers of the North, if you come for this, we are with you heart and
soul?"'
And so they are. Enough to say that much of the oppo¬
sition to Colored Schools has passed away, and the spirit of
prejudice and bitterness that once prevailed now no longer
exists. The best citizens of all parties and sects admit that
it is better for all concerned that the Colored people should
be educated, than to remain in ignorance, and liberal provis-
COL OR ED ED UCA TION IN THE SO UTH. 119
ions by city, county and State have been made for establish¬
ing and supporting Colored schools.
Education is the grand problem of the age, not only with
this country, but /with the worlok History not only affirms
the necessity of education to toe permanence and progress
of every administrative system—ecclesiastical, political and
popular, but the present declares education to be the very
breath of existence. Senator Lamar, recently said, " Ques¬
tions of Constitutional law, the relations of the States to the
Federal Government, and the relations of the people to their
State Government, will soon cease to play any very conspic¬
uous part in the issues of American politics. Questions of
tariff, trade, commerce, currency and transportation, will soon
take their places, are beginning to engross the attention of
the people, and will tax the intellect of American Statesmen."
But the Senator, who is himself an educator, surely could not
have forgotten the greatest of all social, if not politico-eco¬
nomic questions, which is bringing eminent educators and
other students of social science to the fore-front in the mag--
nificent work of lifting up and enlightening the masses.
Gen. John Eaton, United States Commissioner of Educa¬
tion, in his Report for 1877, presents the following views of
the question of Colored Education in the South, which
demand more than a passing notice:
"In order to comprehend the difficulties encountered by^ the friends of
universal instruction in the States where slavery has been more recently
^abolished, certain facts should be remembered.
(1.) That the interests of slavery did not permit the instruction of the
Colored people.
(2.) That during the existence of slavery the universal education of the
whites was felt to be in some sense a source of danger to the progress of
slavery.
(3.) That, as a consequence, the philosophy of education in its compre¬
hensiveness was not understood; the facts which illustrated the benefit of
universal education could not and did not exist in those communities.
(4.) When, therefore, slavery passed away, and the several States where
it had existed attempted to establish universal education, there was (a) a Jack
of its methods, (b) of its philosophy, and (c) of its results, either upon individ
uals or upon society, as regards its advantages in promoting virtue and social
order, or in producing wealth.
(5.) All the questions that arose were complicated by the*nfluence of race
prejudice. This is nothing new; it is only what has occurred in other lands,
and, indeed, elsewhere in our own country, as, for example, will be found
in studying the history Of the efforts to educate the Colored people in Ne\j
York city.
(6.) The Colored people on their part entertain erroneous anticipations of
12O - NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOTUH.
what education is and what it was to do for them; and not a few intelligent
whites were influenced by'the idea that education as offered to the Negro
would destroy him as a laborer. Indeed, they were not familiar with the
effect of education upon the laborers of any race.
(7.) Added to all these was the failing of extreme poverty.
(8.) The progress noted in the summaries given should be studied in the
light of these facts. It is plain that those results could not have been
accomplished without a change of position on the part of many leading
minds. Indeed, it has been true that an honest study of the facts has been
followed with the approval of the -great principle which underlies the mo^t
successful system in the country.
"The many questions of race discussed among us, render of peculiar
interest all facts in regard to the progress of education among the Colored
people."1
Are the views of the Commissioner correct ? Is it true
that " the interests of slavery, did not permit the instruction
of the Colored people ?" These are questions we have asked
ourself—and which many Southern people will ask them¬
selves. At first glance it seems like a sweeping assertion,
perhaps is too much so, for there were hundreds and indeed
thousands of Southern masters who had their slaves taught.
The Colored ministers were, as a rule, men of education, and
a great many house-servants were instructed in reading and
writing. But as for general education the statement is true.
We regret to do so, but must again quote from Dr. Baldwin,
who says, (p. 443): "The North calls upon the South to ed¬
ucate their slaves, and this they should do. But the kind of
education really demanded is quite another matter. The
Bible prescribes the education obligatory upon Southern
masters. It says not ' teach reading, writing, arithmetic,
mathematics, pneumatics nor politics,' but 'teach them all
things whatsoever I have commanded you; repentance
toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.' As for lit¬
erary education, the South cannot give it—at least while the
North will encourage slaves to desert their masters. Would
Northerners do like St. Paul—send back the fugitive slave to
his master—the South could then educate without loss; the
North prevents the Negro from literary improvement."
How or in what manner the North prevented the Negro,
still in slaver^, from literary improvement does not appear,
but if Dr. Baldwin spoke authoritatively, it is plain to be seen
the observations of the Commissioner are correct. To the
foregoing statement of Gen. Eaton, as showing a more
1 Report of the Commissioner of Education for i877> P- 33*
COL OR ED ED UCA TION IN THE SO UTH. 121
recent phase of the question, is attached the following foot¬
note :
"The attitude of the struggle is well illustrated by the discussion between
Hon. W. H. Ruffner, Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of
Virginia, and Rev. Dr. R. L. Dabney, an eminent citizen of that State.
Dr. Dabney having published an article again,st Negro education and the
school system generally, in a Virginia newspaper, a discussion ensued, in the
course of which Mr. Ruffner maintained, first, that ' Unless we propose to
abolish education wholly we must employ the public system, because we are
too poor to do without it;' secondly, Dr. Dabney errs in holding that 4 If our
civilization is to continue, there must be at the bottom of the social fabric a
class who must work and not read,' since the history of prominent industrial
nations points to a different conclusion; Virginia's greatest statesman, more¬
over, have persistently urged the policy of widespread popular education;
thirdly, admitting religious instruction to be necessary to the proper develop¬
ment of the child, and conceding that the State has no right to teach any¬
thing of a sectarian character, yet the State ' may formally teach the recog¬
nized morality of the country;' fourthly, illiteracy is not so prevalent in
countries having systems of popular education as in those without such a
system; fifthly, ignorance and crime are closely related; sixthly, the hope
of prosperity in the South is to be based on the Negro's elevation and de¬
velopment, and not on his extermination."
Superintendent Ruffner's points are well taken and are ca¬
pable of the strongest support. Let us prove these facts as
we advance. There was a time, not very far back, when men
decried the advantages of education and were outspoken in
their opposition. About the middle of the i6th century, the
old Duke of Norfolk said, " I never read the Scripture, nor
never will read it. It was merry in England before the new
learning came up; yea, I would all things were as hath
been in times past." Two centuries ago, when the English
Commissioner of Foreign Plantations, inquired of the Colo¬
nial Governors, with regard to the condition of their re¬
spective settlements, the Governor of Virginia, replied: "I
thank God there are no free schools or printing presses, and
I hope we shall not have these hundred years." And though
these were very good old times in which these dear good old
gentlemen lived—it is plain
"The old order changeth, and yieldeth place to new,
And God fulfills himself in many ways,
Lest one good custom should corrupt the world."
Contrast these opinions with those held upon the subject
by the fathers of the Republic: Ex-President John Adams,*
in his work on government, says, "Laws for the liberal edu¬
cation of youth, especially of the lower class of people, are
122 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
so extremely wise and useful, that, to a humane and generous
mind, no expense for this purpose would be thought extrav¬
agant." Ex-President Madison, says, " Knowledge will for¬
ever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their
own governors must arm themselves with the power which
knowledge gives. . . . Every class is interested in estab¬
lishments which give to the human mind its highest improve¬
ment. . . . Learned institutions ought to be favorite
objects with every free people. They throw that light over
the public mind which is the best security against crafty and
dangerous encroachments on the public liberty." These
views are admirably supported by the opinions of many other
eminent men, but we shall only quote one more : Judge
Aldrich, of Massachusetts, who wisely says: "It is too late
to deny that superior education is necessary to the State, and
it is precisely on this ground of State necessity that the
grants to, and public support of, schools should be made and
given, and not on the ground that they are made benefactors
to the grantees."
Beyond question it is both more effectual towards promo¬
ting the welfare of society, and more humane and agreeable,
to correct morals, than to punish crimes. There is nothing
more true than the homely old adage, "An ounce of pre¬
ventive is worth a pound of cure." To that end it ought to
be a serious aim with governments and States, to adopt such
means as will exclude idleness and intemperance from society.
There can be no doubt that governments are wrong in licens¬
ing numberless drinking saloons, and in affording great
facility and immunity to pawn-broking establishments. "At any
rate, the most important way of preventing crime, is that of im¬
proving mankind by every possible means, and especially by
education. Moreover, let ignorance and idleness, intem¬
perance and inexcusable poverty, twhich are the principle
causes of crime, be prevented, and there will be less need for
prisons and police. On this point the Commissioner of In¬
struction has the following to say :
'' The expenditure for police in our cities brought into comparison, with
the expenditure for education, presents many interesting contrasts. It
would naturally be thought that all the items necessary for such comparison
could be furnished from the records of every city annually; unfortunately
tiiis is not so. It is universally admitted that education which develops
aright the whole man, must bear a close relation to the evils in human con¬
dition, and among .them to crime. The most enthusiastic would hardly
claim that education at its best could perfect human condition ; they believe,
COLORED EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH.
123
however, in its power to modify and improve. From the present imperfect
condition of records and statistics, a fair mind can hardly reach a different
conclusion; but a thorough investigator will scarcely be satisfied until the
data before him shall include a fair statement of all the conditions involved
in the statement. ^ The police expenditure is but a single item in the cost
of crime ; there is also the destruction of life and property, with the evils
arising from their constant peri), to which must be added the cost of courts,
of jails, of penitentiaries, and all other expenditure on account of crime." 1
The Commissioner then gives a tabulated comparison of
municipal expenditure for police and education in various
cities, from which we take the following:
CITIES.
Year.
Population.
Police Expen
diture.
Educat'l Expend'ure.
Total
Per
Capita.
Total.
Per
Capita.
Chicago,
1876
425,°oo
$ 564,398
$1.32
$ 829,429
$i-95
Louisville,
1876
125,000
168,079
i-34
285,302
2.28
Baltimore,
1877
'3°2,839
599,no
1.97
699,5*4
2.30
Boston,
1877
34T,9I9
833,706
2-43
1,816,615
5-3i
Detroit,
1^77
110,000
135,000
x.22
213,214
i-93
St. Louis,
1877
500,000
464,584
92
1,007,830
2.01
Albany,
1877
69,422
117,689
1.69
129,125
1.86
New York,
1877
1,200,000
3.292,400
2.74
3>3i6,889
2.76
Cincinnati,
1877
267,000
271,627
1.01
673,036
2.52
Shiladelphia,
1876
750,000
1-437,546
1.91
i,99T, 364
2.65
Washington,
1877
106,000
300,000
2.83
333,766
3-i5
From the foregoing, it will, be seen that in proportion as
the educational expenditure is large the police expenditure is
small. Take, for instance, the figures given for New York—
where the police expenditure is $2.74 per capita, and the edu¬
cational expenditure $2.76 per capita,'or take those given for
Chicago $1.32 per capita for police and $1.95 per capita for
education—and no one will attempt to say this does not ex¬
plain much of the wickedness of those two cities. In Detroit
also, where $1.22 per capita is paid for police, and only $1.93
per capita for education—the whole number of arrests for
1877 was 4657. Of these, 701 could neither read nor write,
and 107 others could read only.
But the fact is patent to all that the district school-house
and the ward school-house are more efficient agents of pro¬
gress than the corner grocery—the polical. caucus—the blue-
coated policeman, or the grim-visaged walls of a prison.
1 Commissioner's Report for 1877, pp. 65, 66.
124 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Menace and punishment, moral suasion and religion have
their uses, but none separately or together, seem able to check
or withstand the present tendency of the age to immorality,
vice, and crime of almost every description. We are all,
every one of us, largely the creatures of impulse, under
opportunity. "Chance makes rogues" is a threadbare
saying, but time has proven it literally true, and in quar¬
ters we least expected. The sons of clergymen and other
upright persons, above all taint of character, frequently be¬
come the most abandoned of criminals. Neither by heredity,
nor necessity, nor by the lack of education in themselves, but
by their surroundings in society—it may be at college'or uni¬
versity, where they are far removed from the restraints of
home—or battling with the world where no friendly hand is
stretched out to save, and the joy that love once kindled has
died out in bitter disappointment. We all know these things,
for the world is brimful of dejected and heart-broken exam¬
ples. And we all know, too, that the greatest, the wisest,
the most sublime, the purest of all philosophers—He who was
God and philosopher in one, based His religious system upon
the knowledge that'we are all poor, erring beings, without
help in or of ourselves. He it is who tells us in that prayer
which must ever be a consolation and inspiration to humanity
—rwe must with all the power of heart and mind and soul
struggle, and pray, "Lead us not into temptation," "De¬
liver us from evil."
It is, therefore, to the interest of all good ..citizens, as it is
the duty of a wise and paternal government, to diffuse instruc¬
tion as widely as possible, according to the capacities of'the
people; and whoever wishes to promote the moral conduct
of mankind, to make dutiful citizens of them, and insure their
happiness, will favor public institutions for useful information.
Understanding, education, indeed, is the first condition of
civil and religious, as well as of personal and moral liberty,
and, therefore, ignorance ought to be remanded back to dark¬
ness along with superstition and slavery. The Germans ex¬
pressing civilization by the word aufklaerung (enlightening)
indicate that they consider intellect as the basis of improve¬
ment. But knowledge is not virtue—neither are charity and
justice sciences, .and hence more attention than hitherto
has been given, must be paid to the moral improvement of the
race.
There is also the vastly important question to be consid-
COL OR ED ED UCA TION IN THE SO UTH. 12 $
ered, whether education is useful, or in other words, whether
it is better to leave the common people in ignorance, or to
instruct all classes of society. There can be no opposition on
this point from enlightened sources, and just here we have in
mind the opinion of Dr. Spurzheim, which is so admirable, we
shall set it down at length:
" In following the history of mankind, we observe that in proportion as
nations cultivate their moral and intellectual powers, atrocious actions dimin¬
ish in number; the manners and pleasures become more refined, the legisla^
tion milder, the religion purified from superstition, and the arts address them¬
selves to the finer emotions of the mind. By observing also the different
classes of society, and the inhabitants of different provinces, we learn that
ignorance is the greatest enemy of morality. Wherever education is neg¬
lected, depravity, and every kind of actions which degrade mankind, are
the most frequent. Among ignorant persons ceteris paribus, rapacity, cheat¬
ing and thieving, drunkenness, and sensual pleasures are prominent features
in the character. Those, then, who object to the instruction of the lower
orders, can merely act from selfish motives. Being aware of their superiority,"
they may wish the inferior classes to be obedient to their arbitrary regula¬
tions; for unquestionably, it is much easier to lead the ignorant and unculti¬
vated than the instructed and reasoning people. Knowledge, too, and the
habit of reflection, detect abuses and errors, which selfishness and pride
may wish to keep concealed. But whoever thinks it right to cultivate his
own mind, cannot with justice desire others to remain in ignorance. He,
therefore, who is versed in history, or understands the law of Christian
charity, will join those who contend for the benefit of an instruction, adapted
tp every class of Society. This, then, will not be confined to reading* and
writing, but particularly extended over the moral conduct, and all duties and
rights in practical life."1
There remains but one point in this connection to notice,
viz.: the absurd idea that education will destroy the efficacy
of the Negro's labor. And although it is a widespread
opinion, we shall only combat it with figures taken from the
educational progress of other nations.2 Let us first give the
countries where popular education does not prevail:
The school population of Russia is 12,213,558, viz.:
5,803,656 boys, and 6,409,902 girls. Of this number only
6.9 per cent, attend school. What woader that Nihilism
flourishes, and the Czar's life is threatened three times a
day ?3
* Education of Man, pp. 34, 35-
2 For these valuable statistics we acknowledge indebtedness to the Report of United
States Commissioner Eaton.
3 It is a curious fact that in 1875, Japan had 1,828,474 pupils who received instruction,
while Russia in 1877, had only 1,074,559 pupils. This contrast is more striking when
it is stated that the population of Russia is 85,000,000, while that of Japan is 32,-
000,000.
126 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
In Turkey, a law relating to public instruction, designed to
spread over the empire, was issued by the government in
October, 1869; but there has been no attempt of any kind
made to execute the law in subsequent years. Consequently,
no one dare claim Turkey as a model government for moral¬
ity, intelligence or industry.
Look next at the enlightened States. Saxony has made
the so-called complementary schools compulsory for every
youth below the age of 17. In the Grand Duchy of Baden
gymnastic exercises are compulsory in the public schools.
Baden has also had very good industrial schools in operation
for many years, and these have had marked influence on the
industries of the country.
Belgium has its royal athenaeums, including two sections—
a classical course of six years, and an industrial course of
four years. In 1876, of the 46,000 conscripts examined in
Belgium only 8000 could neither read nor write, 2000 could
read only, while 19,000 could read and write, and 15,000 had
received a high education. In addition to schools of fine
arts, and military schools, Belgium also has schools of agri¬
culture, horticulture and veterinary surgery.
Denmark, with a population of less than two millions, has
208,000 children under instruction, and for special instruction
has'a royal veterinary and agricultural school, a polytechnic
school, two academies of fine ar.ts, a technical school, eight
navigation schools, a military academy, and the usual institu¬
tions for the unfortunate.
Next comes France with its lyceums and commercial col¬
leges—the former maintained by the State and the latter by
municipalities—affording in both classical and modern instruc¬
tion. Then there are schools of art and manufacture:—the
course of instruction limited to three years, during which it is
obligatory; including lectures, daily examinations, drawing
and graphic exercises, chemical manipulations, working in
stone and wood, physics and mechanics; and the construction
of buildings and other works; and, in addition to which, the
students are expected to visit the workshops and manufac¬
tories. For agricultural education, France has a farm school
in each department, a higher agricultural (central) school,
and a national agronomic institute, a sort of normal school
of agriculture. These farm schools are intended to furnish
a good example of tillage to the farmers of the district,
and to form agriculturists capable of working intelligently
C OL OR ED' ED UCA TION IN THE SO UTH. 12 7
as farmers or overseers. This special course extends through
three years.
Look next to England, Her great endowed universities,
her ancient and honorable private .institutions, her night
schools, industrial schools—all show tlie wisdom of wide¬
spread and non-exclusive education. The public schools of
England do not give gratuitous instruction to their pupils,
as do the schools called public in the United States, but for
elementary education the most ample provisions are made,
and compulsory laws have been enacted throughout the king¬
dom of Great Britain
Next, we would mention Germany, with its twenty-one
great universities—or more especially Prussia—which is in
advance of all States, where the universities and the Gymnasien
not only give scientific and literary culture to their students,
but develop the physical and moral power to the highest
standard. In 1876, Prussia had 34,988 primary schools, with
57/936 teachers, and 4,007,776 pupils; 176 teaohers' semin¬
aries; 37 schools for deaf mutes; 13 schools for the blind;
215 higher female schools; 90 higher burgher schools; 17
Realschulen of the second order, and 79 of the first order;
33 Progymnasien, 228 Gymnasien, 81 Agricultural and Hor¬
ticultural schools; 6 schools of forestry ; 35 schools of mining;
45 technical and industrial schools; 9 schools of building, 12
of commerce; 31 navigation schools; and several military and
naval schools. Now, mark the influence and the work of
popular education: At the examination for the army in 1876,
only 2749 recruits out of 77,194 were without a sufficient
primary education.
Austria has a splendid system of elementary and indus¬
trial schools. These latter include schools for' weaving,
schools for lace making, schools for watch making, for giving
instruction in the art of working in wood, marble and ivory,
for instruction in making toys, baskets, mats, arms and other
articles in metal, while there are schools and workshops for
the whole group of mechanical industries. Several of these
schools have been acknowledged a public benefit by the rural
population of the empire. The schools for wood carving, for
instance, have created a new kind of business in the moun¬
tainous districts of Bohemia, Austrian Silesia, and Moravia,
where great quantities of cheap toys for children are manufac¬
tured. In the Tyrol, the school of sculpture at Imst is
especially designed to develop artistic cabinet work and orna-
9
128 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOTUH.
mental furniture; at Innsbruck, the industrial school applies
itself to figures; that at Mondsee to groups of animals; that
at St. Ulrich, to the sculpture of religious statues, and that
at Wallern, to the commoner kinds of furniture, and to cases
for clocks.
Not to prolong this subject, we. abbreviate additional
points. Primary education is compulsory throughout Italy,
Brazil and Australasia; while Spain, Portugal, Sweden, the
Netherlands and Switzerland, all pay especial attention to
primary and industrial instruction, and no one has yet ap¬
peared so stupid, or so audacious, or so incrusted with hide¬
bound prejudice, in the face of contrary facts, to declare edu¬
cation has ruined the labor of any of the numerous countries
mentioned.
Nor will it jeopardize labor in this country. The total
number of children enrolled in public schools in the United
States, according to latest reports, is 8,954,478; * and the
average daUy attendance 4,919,408. The amount and .the
quality of moral and mental instruction received by these
young Americans—white and colored—is a question of
transcendent interest. Yet no pseudo philosopher comes
forward to demonstrate visible decadence of our labor sys¬
tem. Somebody does the work, somebody will always do it.
In the language of the campaign poet, "The work goes
bravely on." The greatest cause for alarm is, that while the
Negroes are receiving their share of mental culture, the
whites are devoting a good deal of time to " muscle culture."
We have had the rowing mania, long swimming matches,
base ball and pedestrianism. We have seen the man who
poises and gyrates on a tight rope fifty feet above the heads
pf the people; the man who swam the strait of Gibraltar;
we have seen the "Man with the Iron Jaw." And these
accomplished gentlemen, almost without exception, were
members of the great Aryan family. We have introduced
the Olympic games of Greece, but are lacking in Grecian art
and philosophy. We have the Turn-Verein of Germany, but
where is the culture ? Physical development, if not carried
to absurd lengths, is desirable. But this worship of muscle
will have a tendency to dwarf the intellect—muscle will soon
be worth more than mind, and men will be valued by brawn
instead of brain. Nevertheless, it is true, that if a vessel
should arrive in New'York, having but two passengers, the
one the most famous, and erudite of European philosophers,
COLORED EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH. 129
the other the "Champion Pedestrian, of the World"—the
former, with his mind stored with valuable information con¬
cerning such lofty themes as the stars, the firmament, the
ages, the seasons, the wonders of the universe, the grandeur
of eternity, and the majesty of God, would be forced to wend
his way quietly and unseen to the hotel, while the latter, with
nothing but a robust chest, strong arms, and elastic and
sinewy nerves, would be received as a conquering hero.
Or to take another view, it is safe to say the fault is
with the false ideas of education rather than with those who
are to be educated. It is a lamentable fact, but none the less
a fact, that the whole tendency of modern education is to lift
boys and girls to places they are not fitted to fill, to disgust
them with work which they are fitted to do, which must be
done, and which can easily be obtained. Our theory of edu¬
cation is continually losing sight of a fact which never
permits itself to be ignored, and teaching the young to lose
sight of it, that the mass of people in every generation and
under whatever form of government must be laborers, but
should be intelligent laborers. The old heresy that every
boy has a chance to be President of the United States has
done more mischief in the small brains of boys who, when
they attain manhood's strength, are fitted to dig trenches
and do nothing else, than it has even in the larger brains
of public men who, once infected with the idea, are good for
nothing afterward. Education should not be exclusive, nor
built on foundations of sand, nor warped, perverted or biased.
When completed it should make the subject better fitted
to pursue well the work for which he is fitted, should make
him not ashamed to do it, and thus he adorns labor while
labor dignifies him.
Then, give the Negro a chance. Help him to be a man.
If he has talent, help him to improve. If he has genius—
the country stands in need of geniuses. If he has love of
learning and desire to do something good and useful—en¬
courage him, lift him up. Aid him to be something, any¬
thing, everything but a bad man. It is not a matter of
speculation, it is a clear, fair, mutual business transaction. It
is not a matter of charity. It is justice. It is our duty, and
woe unto us if we shirk duty. Our country, great and power¬
ful as she is, does not refuse the labor of the Colored man
in time of peace ; she would not ignore his courage in time
of war, and therefore should not withhold from him educa-
130 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
tion and enlightenment—the ability to make himself a useful
and happy citizen. Education will teach him to reflect,
will give him better and sounder judgment, and more ac¬
curate discrimination. Beneath the lighter layer of orna¬
ment and accomplishments there will be a solid substratum
of piety, intelligence, good sense, manly suavity, moral
consciousness and social virtue. But we anticipate. Edu¬
cation can do that for the Colored man, and it is already
having its effects. The seed has been planted, already it is
budding and blossoming.
We shall now present some very valuable statistics show¬
ing the astonishing progress made in educating the Colored
people of the South since the close of the late war. These
tables are copied verbatim from the admirable and accurate
"Report of the Commissioner of Education for the year
1877," the last report made. In thus acknowledging our in¬
debtedness to Gen. Eaton for his kindness and courtesy, it
may not be inappropriate to publish the following:
Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Education,
Washington, D. C., October 16, 1879.
Charles Edwin Robert, Esq.,
Nashville, Tenn.:
My Dear Sir:—Your letter of the 30th ult., came duly to hand, and has
given me great pleasure. I am gratified to know from yourself, personally,
what you have already so well accomplished, and ako the excellent ob¬
ject you propose. I shall be happy to render you any aid in my power. I
find your letter, with a great number of others, waiting for me on my return
from a recent absence, and send you a Report for 1877, and ask you to look
over the points on which you are specially interested, and let me know fur¬
ther what additional items you desire. The tables of contents and index
may relieve somewhat your labor and research. Do not fail to let me know
with the greatest freedom what you desire, and I will aid you to the utmost.
I hope that all fears that your work may not be favorably received in cer¬
tain quarters of the South may prove unfounded. There is more thought in
the direction you are thinking than is generally known.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
John Eaton,
Commissioner.
COL ORED ED UCA TION IN THE SO UTH. 131
Table showing the comparative population and enrollment of the -white and colored races in
the public schools of the recent slave States for
White.
Colored.
G
0
V G
•2.2
c
0
V c
rC.O
States.
Js
1
0*3
A
v- J3
0 3
a
0
c
bfl
'a
0
c
<L> 0 •
P.
s
a
S
0
0
0
« 2 £
0
55 0 0
J5
a
c '
" <J a
S </! U
W
W
P4
en
W
fc
Alabama
0236, 520
86,485
37
a168,706
54,745
32
Arkansas
143,949
<^3,895
17
43,5i8
^7,255
17
Delaware
3^849
22,398
7o
3,800
1,663
44
Florida
40,606
3x4,948
37
42,001
<5l6,l85
39
Georgia
218,733
107,010
49
175,304
48,643
28
Kentucky
'459,253
228,000
5°
'53,I26
19,107
36
Louisiana
^88,567
<$45,000
5i
^108,548
<540,000
37
Maryland
£213,669
125,737
59
*63.591.
24,539
39
Mississippi
150,504
84,374
56
174,485
76,154
44
Missouri
692,8l8
381,074
55
32,910
r3,774
42
North Carolina
267,26;
128,289
48
141,031
' 73^70
52
South Carolina
83,813
46,444
55
144,3*5
55,952
39
Tennessee
330,935
171,535
52
"1,523
43,043
39
Texas
A 35,430
85,620
63
/3o,587
23,432
77
Virginia
280,149
140,36 3
50
202,640
65,043
32
West Virginia ."
<2178,780
<*120,657
<267
«5,98o
02,847
048
District of Columbia
20,671
i5,3io
74
11,000
5,954
54
1,827,139
i.s^oes
57i,5o6
J' j / «)' J
iifo r j875-'76. b Estimated by the Bureau.
c For whites the school age is 6-20; for colored 6-16. d Exclusive of that of New Orleans.
e Census of 1870.
/The school age in Texas at our last report was 6-18; it has been made 8-14, considerably lessen¬
ing the school population.
Statistics of institutions for the instruction of the colored race for i8"jy.
Name and class of institution.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
Rust Normal Institute
State Normal School for Colored Students
Lincoln Normal University
Emerson Institute
State Normal School for Colored Students—
Normal department of Atlanta University
Lewis High School
Haven Normal'School
Peabody Normal School
Baltimore Normal School for Colored Pupils..
Centenary Biblical Institute
Tougaloo University and Normal School
Lincoln Normal Institute
State Normal School for Colored Students
Bennett Seminary
Location.
Huntsville, Ala
Huntsville, Ala
Marion, Ala
Mobile, Ala
Pine Bluff, Ark
Atlanta, Ga
Macon, Ga
Waynesboro', Ga
New Orleans, La
Baltimore, Md
Baltimore, Md
Tougaloo, Miss
Jefferson, Mo
Fayetteville, N. C...
Greensboro', N. C...
O d
■a.s
Pi a
Meth.
Cong,
Presb .
Cong .
Meth .
Meth
Cong ,
Meth
60
81
120
147
83
168
89
125
95
134
77
106
122
7i
75
132 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Statistics of institutions for the instruction of the colored race for 1877—Continued.
Name and class of institution.
Location.
o rt
'ti.5
~ s
St. Augustine's Normal School
Shaw University
Avery Normal Institute
Fairfield Normal Institute
Freedman's Normal Institute
LeMoyne Normal and Commercial School....
Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute-
Richmond Institute
Richmond Normal School for Colored Pupils.
Miner Normal School
Normal department of Howard University—
Normal department of Wayland Seminary
Total
Raleigh, N. C
Raleigh, N. C |
Charleston, S. C
Winnsboro', S. C....
Maryville, Tenn
Memphis, Tenn
Hampton, Va
Richmond, Va
Richmond, Va
Washington, D. C...
Washington, D. C...
Washington, D. C...
P. E
Baptist. ..
Cong
Presb
Friends. .
Cong
Cong a...
Baptist.. .
Non-sect.
Baptist...
INSTITUTIONS FOR SECONDARY INSTRUCTION.
Trinity School
Talladega College
Cookman Institute
Clark University
St. Augustine's School
La Teche Seminary
St. Francis Academy for Colored Girls..
Scotia Seminary
St. Augustine's School
Williston Academy and Normal School..
Albany Enterprise Academy
High School for Colored Pupils
Wallingford Academy
Brainerd Institute
Benedict Institute
Brewer Normal School
Claflin University
Canfield School
Nashville Institute -
Wiley University
St. Stephen's School
St. Philip's School
St. Mary's School
Total.
Athens, Ala
Talladega, Ala
Jacksonville, Fla
Atlanta, Ga
Savannah, Ga
Baldwin, La
Baltimore, Md
Concord, N. C
Newbern, N. C
Wilmington, N. C ..
Albany, Ohio
Charleston, S. C
Charleston, S. C
Ch fester, S. C
Columbia, S. C
Greenwood, S. C....
Orangeburg, S. C...
Memphis, Tenn,
Nashville, Tenn
Marshall, Tex
Petersburg, Va
Richmond, Va
Washington, D. C..
Cong
Cong
Meth
M. E
P. E
Meth
R. C
Presb
P. E
Cong
Non-sect.
P. E
Presb
Presb
Baptist.. .
Cong
M '. E
P. E
Baptist. ..
M. E
P. E
P. E
P. E
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES.
Atlanta University
Berea College
Leland University
Straight University
New Orleans University.,
Shaw University
Alcorn University
Biddle University
Atlanta, Ga
Berea, Ivy
New Orleans, La—
New Orleans, La....
New Orleans, La—
Holly Springs, Miss.
Rodney, Miss
Charlotte, N. C.......
Cong
S
Cong
rn
Baptist. ...
4
Cong
7
Meth
C\2
Meth
6
Non-sect .
5
Presb
07
«In addition to the aid given by American Missionary Association, this institute has an appropri¬
ation from tfhe State. b Reported under schools of theology. c For all departments.
COLORED EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH.
133
Statistics of institutions for the instruction of the colored race for 1877—Universities ana
Colleges—Continued.
Name and class of institution.
Wilberforce University
Lincoln University
Central Tennessee College..
Fisk University
Howard University
Total..
Location.
Xenia, Ohio
Oxford, Pa
Nashville, Tenn
Nashville, Tenn
Washington, D. C..
II
M. E
Presb
M. E
Cong
Non-sect.
SCHOOLS OF THEOLOGY.
Rust Biblical and Normal Institute
Theological department of Talladega College
Institute for the Education of Col'd Ministers
Augusta Institute
Theological department of Leland University
Thompson Biblical Institute (New Orleans
University)
Theological department of Straight University
Centenary'Biblical Institute
Theological department of Biddle University.
Theological department of.Shaw University...
Theological Seminary of Wilberforce Univer'y
Theological department of Lincoln Univer'y..
Baker Theological Seminary (Claflin Univer'y)
Theological course in Fisk University
Theological department of Central Tennessee
College
Theological department of Howard Univer'y.
Wayland Seminary
Total..
Huntsville, Ala
Talladega, Ala
Tuscaloosa, Ala
Augusta, Ga
New Orleans, La
New Orleans, La
New Orleans, La....
Baltimore, Md
Charlotte, N. C
Raleigh, N. C
Xenia, Ohio
Oxford, Pa
Orangeburg, S. C....
Nashville, Tenn
Nashville, Tenn
Washington, D. C...
Washington, D. C...
Meth ...
Cong ...
Presb ...
Baptist.
Baptist.
M. E...
Cong ...
M. E...
Presb ...
Baptist.
M. E...
Presb...
Meth ...
Cong ...
M. E
Non-sect.
Baptist. ..
SCHOOLS OF LAW.
Law department of Straight University.
Law department of Howard University..
Total.
New Orleans, La,
Washington, D. C
SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE.
Medical department of New Orleans Univer'y
Meharry Medical department of Central Ten¬
nessee College
Medical department of Howard University...
Total..
New Orleans, La.
Nashville, Tenn....
Washington, D. C.
SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB AND THE BLIND.
Institution for the Colored Blind and Deaf
Mutes
North Carolina Institution for the Deaf and
Dumb and the Blind (colored department).
Total.
Baltimore, Md.,
Raleigh, N. C..
108
145
134
24
69
57
1270
18
85
28
18
14
24
9
5o
8
33
35
32
462
14
18
7 48
121 74
<rl I
014
25
31
68
99
a For all departments. ' _ W
b This institution is open to both races, and the nijmbcrs given are known to include some wnites.
c Includes other employes..
134 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH,\
Summary of statistics of institutions for the instruction of the colored race for i^>77-
States.
Alabama
Arkansas
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Louisiana.
Maryland
Mississippi
Missouri
North Carolina
Ohio
South Carolina
Tennessee :
Texas
Virginia
West Virginia
District of Columbia.
Total
Public schools,
168.
43:
3:
4.2,
175:
53'
108,
63:
174:
32:
I4I:
7o6
518
800
OOI
3°4
126
548
59i
485
910
031
144:
III:
30
202.
5:
II,
315
523
587
64O
54,745
7,255
1,663
16,185
48,643
19,107
40,000
24,539
76,154
13,774
73,i7o
55,952
43,043
23,432
65,043
2:827
5,954
57i,5o6
Normal schools.
27
14
25
119
408
83
382
95
211
106
122
513
655
499
610
3785
Institutions for sec¬
ondary instruction.
23
States.
Universities and
colleges.
Schools of theol¬
ogy-
Schools of law.
Schools.
Teachers.
Pupils.
Schools.
Teachers.
1
Pupils.
Schools. *
Teachers.
Pupils.
3
1
2
2
18
85
I
I
3
5
13
23
33
129
387
Louisiana
3
1
2
5
60
24
1
4
8
2
1
1
1
11
7
16
9
216
126
145
134
2
1
1
1
2
2
5
6
5
59
8
20
2
1
17
7
93
57
O 1
HN |
68
120
>
District of Columbia
•
Total
I
2
6
14
13
108
1270
17
44
462
2
^!
COL OR ED ED UCA TION IN THE SO UTH. 13 5
Summary of statistics of institutions for the instruction of the colored race for 1877.—Cont'd.
States.
Schools of medicine.
Schools for the deaf and
dumb and the blind.
1
Schools.
Teachers.
Pupils.
Schools. |
Teachers.
Pupils.
Louisiana
1
5
8
Maryland
I
I
II
14
3r
68
North Carolina
Tennessee
1
1
00 00
• 7
3
12
74
2
25
• 99
Table showing the number of schools for the colored race and enrollment in them by institu¬
tions without reference to States.
Class of institution.
Public schools
Normal schools
Institutions for secondary instruction
Universities and colleges
Schools of theology
Schools of law
Schools of medicine
Schools for the deaf and dumb and the blind
Total
Schools.
010,792
0571,506
27
3.785
23
2,807
13
1,270
17
462
2
14
3
74
2
99
10,879
580,017
a To these may be added 315 schools, having an enrollment of 16,548, in reporting free States, making-
total number of colored public schools 11,107 an^ total enrollment in them 588,054 ; it will be observed
that this augments the total number of schools above given by 315, and the enrollment by 16,548,
making the total number of schools, as far as reported to us, 11,194, and total number of the colored
race under instruction in them, 596,565; this, however, does not include the colored public schools
of those States in which no separate reports are made.
Here then, is the grand exhibit-—most astonishing—most
gratifying. These tables show that in 1877, nearly six hun¬
dred, thousand Colored. pupils were under instruction in the
Schools of the South, which is a larger number than the total
of white pupils, (581,861) in the South in 1850. It will be
seen, however, that these tables were made from reports re¬
turned three years ago, and at a time when there was great
political distress in the South. The Commissioner's report
for the subsequent years is not yet completed, but we dare
say the total number of pupils for 1879, will show consider¬
ably over seveji hundred thousand pupils. This estimate is not
mere guess work ; we have been able to get figures from but
two States—Tennessee and South Carolina, but the increase
136 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
in those States justify our figures. Gov. Simpson, of South
Carolina, in his late message, shows that there were 64,095
Colored children in attendance in his State for 1879, which is
an increase of 8,143, since 1877, and gives an attendance of
45 per cent, of the entire scholastic population. Superintend¬
ent Trousdale, of Tennessee, in his report for 1878, gives the
increase of Colored pupils for that year, as 11,299; increase
of Colored teachers 147 ; increase of Colored schools 177,
and an actual attendance of about 50 per cent, of the scho¬
lastic population. The figures for 1879 although not def¬
initely ascertained, Col. Trousdale states, will show an equal
increase, and this notwithstrnding the school-tax was levied
later in the year. In Tennessee the school ages is from 6 to
18 years, hence no correct estimate can be made for more
advanced scholars in the higher schools. Whatever else may
be said, these statistics demonstrate beyond controversy, the
growth of a healthier public sentiment, increased efficiency in
the management of public affairs, and the rapid abatement of
the evils that held sway over the people during the long years
of a mis-named reconstruction.
But let us bear in mind that these schools are not merely
for the purpose of teaching the three " R's," ('readin', 'ritin',
and 'rithmetic,") which were formerly declared '-the limit of
Negro-Organism," but as we see they are gaining rapidly in
Normal Schools, in institutipns for secondary instruction, in
Universities and Colleges, and in schools of theology, law,
and medicine. Graduates are being turned out in Literature,
Mathematics, in Sciences, in Languages—ancient and modern,
and in all the branches of ornamental accomplishments. We
have not the figures, but risk the assertion that not less than
one million Colored people have learned to read and write in
the South since the close of the late war—only fifteen years since.
These apt and willing pupils were not all children, but many
of them men and women in middle life, and even grey-haired
and half blind old men and women, have learned a little—
enough to write their names and to "spell out" the wondrous
truths ifl God's Holy Book'. And, moreover, we are bold
enough to say, that the white man who cannot see that the
Colored people are advancing in intellectual power, is blind
because he will not see—nay, more, he-is thick-skulled-—as
thick-skulled as a plantation Negro in slavery times.
There are secrets explaining the Colored peoples' advance¬
ment, which we shall proceed to divulge. In the first place,
COL ORED ED UCA TION IN THE SO UTH. 13 7
they are ambitious. The colored urchin is deeply impressed
with the important fact, that there is something valuable be¬
tween the lids of books, and he is going'to find out what it
is. Secondly, Colored children, ar.e obedient, tractable, more
docile than is generally supposed, and hold in affectionate
honor and reverence the man or woman who will teach them
something, and treat them with kindness. The Colored boy
will arise betimes, earn his wages, run errands, do chores,
"pick up chips" and not be ashamed; but when the school
bell taps, he bounds away with light step and lighter heart,
and thus completely reverses the received opinion of Shake¬
speare's school boy:
"With his shining morning face,
Creeping like snail, unwillingly to school."
But there is another, and a more important characteristic
in Negro-Organism which our philosophers all seem to have
overlooked. To state it fully, we will say, that there is noth¬
ing in which men differ so much as in their customs. They
are of innumerable origin, climate, soil, diet, occupations,
laws, religion, individual men, government, the institution of
monarchy or a republic, with a thousand other things, create
and alter their customs. But however various the causes
may be, which create and alter the customs of men, there is
but one which can make them lasting, stable, and, as it were
eternal. This is imitation, the most powerful principle in
man. By this we acquire customs, manners, and almost
everything. Sometimes indeed its power is such that against
our will we are compelled to imitate others. From this source
depends the resemblance of customs in the family, the city,
or in the whole nation. This was well known to the great
poet, who had seen through the whole range of the human
mind. In the drama of King Henry IV., we find Falstaff
thus philosophizing: " It is a wonderful thing to see the sem-
blable coherence of his men's spirits and his; they, by ob¬
serving of him, do bear themselves like justices; he, by con¬
versing with them, is turned into a justice-like serving man.
Their spirits are so married in conjunction, with the participa¬
tion of society, that they flock together in consent like sc
many wild geese. It is certain, that either wise bearing or
ignorant carriage is caught, as men take diseases, one of
another." This imitative faculty is'perhaps one of the most
important gifts of Heaven, and to the Colored race it has
133 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
been given with the lavish love of God. It is one of the
chief characteristics of the black race. By nature they are imi¬
tative. If well directed, this faculty is capable of the noblest
efforts of human intellect. It has been well and forcibly ob¬
served that a boy without power of imitation is destined to re¬
main all his life a one-sided character. " He has no range of
^sympathies, he has been fused only once in life, and been
poured into a mould, and there he cools and will never be
other than you see him. His creed on all matters is already
formed, and you no more need hope to see him change be¬
neath the generous and genial sympathies of opinion or of
truth, than to find platina .melt before an ordinary parlor fire.
The most promising boys are the most imitative; in this lies
their capac-ity for education."
There is another important matter to be touched upon in
this connection, viz: the relative mental capacity of White and
Colored children. In considering a question like this, theories
and opinions are worth but little, unless supported by facts.
The relative intellectual ability of the two races can only be
ascertained by a careful comparison of the advancement
made under similar conditions. The public schools of Nash¬
ville, furnish such a test; controlled, as they are, by the same
Board of Education; the pupils pursuing the same studies,
and passing from one grade to another by the same examina¬
tion. The following statistics are for the scholastic year end¬
ing June, 1878-79, and are taken from the published report
of Superintendent S. Y. Caldwell, of the Nashville City
Schools:
White Schools. Colored Schools.
Total Enrollment for 1878-9 3*217 905
Per cent of attendance *95-33 96.80
Average Scholarship 69 67
Cost of tuition per pupil $15.24 $n-97
It should be stated that the white pupils are admitted to the
higher grades and that the general average of scholarship is
thus advanced. The Colored children mentioned in these re¬
ports are those admitted to the lower grades, their education
generally being completed in the Colored Colleges, Univer¬
sities, etc. This will explain also the average cost of tuition
per pupil. <
In 1874, Prof. G. W. Hubbard, Principal of the Belle View
Colored public school, made a report on this subject, from
which we quote the following interesting points:
COLORED SCHOOLS OF NASHVILLE.
139
" A careful comparison of pupils of almost unmixed African descent with
those who are nearly white, shows that there is but little, if any difference
in their intellectual capacity. For more fchan two hundred years the colored
race in this country were held in bondage, and, in most cases, their intel¬
lectual faculties systematically repressed. To be seen with a spelling-book
in their hands was an offense of no ordinary magnitude, and the number of
colored people in i860 who were able to read and write was so small that
it might fairly be said that the whole race was in a state of total ignorance.
The hereditary transmission of intellectual and moral qualities is generally
believed; and if we accept this doctrine, how long will it take to overcome
the degrading influence of so many generations, supposing that the Cau¬
casian and the African originally possessed the same natural abilities?
It is not easy to estimate the influence of home culture. A large propor¬
tion of the white children live in what might be called an intellectual atmos¬
phere. Books, papers and magazines abound, and the parents are both able
and willing to give their children all necessary assistance. With regard to
the colored children, the reverse is equally true; their parents have neither
the time nor ability to aid them in preparing their lessons. In addition to
this, a majority of the colored children are obliged either to make their own
living, or assist their parents, so that they have but little if any time to study
out of school. Taking all these things into consideration, the advancement
made has been more rapid than could be reasonably expected, and those
who have labored here may feel like thanking God and taking courage."
COLORED SCHOOLS OF NASHVILLE.
Let us nowvin order to better illustrate the advances made
by the Colored people, introduce sketches of the prominent
Colored schools—the colleges of Nashville, Tennessee—a city
that has justly earned title as the "Athens of the South."
But before doing so it may not be inappropriate to speak
briefly of the situation of Nashville and its admirable adapt¬
ability as a great educational centre. These advantages have
been recognized by rftany prominent educators for many long
years. The learned Dr. Philip Lindsley—founder of the
University of Nashville, in his baccalaureate address delivered
on the first commencement of the University in 1826, spoke
the words of a prophet, while endeavoring to further the
magnificent educational scheme which he had projected, and
the splendid results of to-day seem so like fulfillment of his
bright anticipations, we are constrained to quote his words:
1 'A more eligible or healthful site, for such an establishment, cannot be
found in the Western country. Here i? the'place, and now is the time, for
generous enterprise. Here let us erect a university so decidedly and con¬
fessedly superior in every department that a rival or competitor need not be
feared. Let us make ample provision for every species of instruction—
140 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
scientific, literary, professional—which our country demands. Let educa¬
tion be extended to the physical and moral, as well as to the mental facul¬
ties. Let agriculture, horticulture, civil and military engineering, gymnas¬
tics, the liberal, and mechanical arts—whatever may tend to impart vigor,
dignity, grace, activity, health to the body—whatever may tend to purify the
heart, improve the morals and manners, discipline the intellect, and to fur¬
nish it with copious stores of useful, elementary knowledge—obtain their
appropriate place and rank, and receive merited attention, in our seminary;
so that parents may, with confidence, commit their sons to our care, assured
that they will be' in safe and skillful hands—under a government equitable,
paternal, mild, firm, vigilant and faithful—where their every interest will be
consulted, their every faculty be duly cultivated, and where every effort will
be made to render them intelligent, virtuous, accomplished scholars."
What a remarkable prophecy, and yet how true in its fore¬
casting wisdom. If Nashville presented then, the most
eligible and healthful site in the West for the establishment
o '
of a great university, what may be said of it to-day with its
central positic^n, its great railroad system, its metropolitan
advantages, and its widespread reputation and multiformed
advantages as a seat of learning ? Time brings many won¬
derful changes. Fifty years after Dr. Lindsley's prophecy the
"far off hills" that now skirt the city's suburbs in the mem¬
orable and awful days of the "Sixties" bristled with cannon
and gleamed with the bayonets of the contending hosts ;—the
valleys were vast encampments—the hills frowning fortresses.
But sixty years after, we see that the deep furrows that time
and war had plowed through the face of nature have been oblit¬
erated by the cosmetiques of the age—progress and improve¬
ment. The city is stretching its capable and wide arms to
the country, and wooing it to fond embrace. The cordon of
forts has become a cordon of universities. Here is the great
Vand'erbilt University—with its departments of Literature,
Law, Theology, Medicine and Dentistry. Here is the Nash¬
ville Medical College—the State Normal School, Ward's
Seminary, the Montgomery Bell Academy, and here, too, the
proud hills that hold these splendid universities—like a cen¬
tral glory, do not look with envy, but " as iron sharpeneth
iron," stand proximate to the Colored schools—The Baptist
Normal and Theological Institute—Central Tennessee College
—Fisk University—and Meharry Medical College—noble
institutions, which to-day stand out the climax of the civiliz¬
ation and Christianization of the Americo-African.
These schools, it must be remembered, are the result of
only a few years work. The pioneers, the laborers in this
educational field began here under the most discouraging
COLORED SCHOOLS OF NASHVLLLE.
circumstances, bqt they have builded wisely and well. In
1874, Elder Daniel Wadkins, a prominent and well educated
Colored man, who had long been identified with advanced
movements in behalf of his race, published a sketch of the
origin and progress of colored education in Nashville before
emancipation, and to read his account is to impress one with
feelings of shame and mortification that our Colored citizens
were so long and so systematically kept under the ban.
However, let us speak now only of the present, and intro¬
ducing the following sketches make due acknowledgements
to the several gentlemen who have kindly aided us.
NASHVILLE NORMAL AND THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE.
BY REV. D. W. PHILLIPS, D. D.
This school was established and is still supported by the American Baptist
Home Missionary Society. There are at present eight other schools of a
similar character supported by the Baptists in the following places: Wash¬
ington, D. C., Richmond, Va., Raleigh, N. C., Columbia, S. C., Atlanta,
Ga., Selma, Ala., Natchez, Miss., and New Orleans. An agent of the
above named society was commissioned to this State in the summer of 1864.
After surveying the field he commenced teaching a.class of Colored young
men in the basement of the First Colored Baptist Church. Soon a lot of
land was purchased near Fort Gillem, anda wooden building erected 120X
40 feet, two stories high, and a basement under a part of it. In that, much
hard work was done under many difficulties, but with very encouraging re¬
sults. The design of the Institute was to prepare young men to preach the
gospel, and both men and women to teach schools. Our object, at the first,
was not understood nor appreciated. That a man called by God to preach
his gospel needed any other qualification than strong lungs and throat was
a new idea among the Colored people. There was ho demand for educated
ministers. Since then a very great change has come over the better endowed
of the young people. Now this class see very clearly that the preaching
needed is not bawling and retailing pretended visions, but a rational expound¬
ing of the word of God af\d enforcing the precepts of Christianity. Consid¬
ering their antecedents and the little they still have to encourage them they
make very commendable efforts for their own education. During the last
scholastic year—1878-79—the students of this Institute paid toward their
own expenses not far from $6000.
The location of the Institute was not good—though the best that could be
had at the time; the building was rough, uncomfortable and inconvenient.
After some years it became too small. A new site was purchased on the
Hillsboro Turnpike, about one mile outside of the city, consisting of thirty
acres of land, with a mansion house and outbuildings. The location is very
beautiful, high, and commanding a grand and wide prospect. The build¬
ings consist of the mansion house—48 by 80 feet—four stories high, furnish¬
ing apartments for the teachers, and dormitories for the young women; and
Centennial Hall—49 by 185 feet, four stories high, with ample basement,
furnishing accommodations £or the boarding department; the main story is
devoted to public rooms; and the three stories above furnish dormitories for
NASHVILLE BAPTIST NORMAL AND THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE.
COLORED SCHOOLS OF NASHVILLE.
H3
about one hundred and forty young men. For this building the Institute is
indebted most of all to the benefactions of Hon. Nathan Bishop and wife,
of New York city.
1 he Institute was removed to its present location th^ee years ago last Octo¬
ber. Ever since then it has been enlarging in all directions. The number
of students has about doubled—the course of studies has been raised.
Its leading object, as at the beginning, is to advance Biblical knowledge and
practical Christianity, believing that the word and Spirit of God are the only
power that can raise any people. All the scholars have a lesson in the Bible
every day. All the branches of education commonly taught in schools of
this class, whether called by some humble name or some high sounding title,
receive ample attention in this Institute. The plan is to afford to the
Colored people all the advantages for education that they need.
The students at the Institute are carefully watched over. It affords me
great satisfaction to be able to say that from the beginning till now no serious
breach of morality has occurred.
During the vacation—and considerably in term time—the greater part of
the students are engaged in teaching; and generally they bring with them
testimonials of good success.
CENTRAL TENNESSEE COLLEGE.
BY J. BRADEN, D. D.
During the latter years of the civil war, the city of Nashville was thronged
with Colored people, who were endeavoring to escape from places where
their newly-acquired rights of freedom were hardly recognized. In doing
this, they found the larger cities, where the Federal soldiers were stationed
in considerable numbers, the only places of refuge from a class of outrages,
.that were of too frequent occurrence, and that continued after the close of
the war, and against which, the civil law was scarcely the shadow of a pro¬
tection. These people were, poor beyond description. They had nothing.
They were homeless, moneyless, and almost naked, and ignorant of all
provident manner of living. The Government did' much to relieve then-
physical wants, but left much of this, and most all of their intellectual and
moral culture, to the philanthropist and the Christian. This work was
cheerfully undertaken by the' Freedman's Aid Societies, in which the vari¬
ous Christian churches united. The Methodist Episcopal Church was a
large contributor of both workers and means, and aided in establishing
schools for the freedman; and in supporting the teachers. In 1865, after
the formation of the Freedman's Aid Societies by some of the leading de¬
nominations, the active members of the Western Branch of the Freedman's
Aid Society, who were connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church in
Cincinnati, organized a society, the object of which was to aid in the eleva¬
tion, intellectually and morally, of the Freedman of the Sbuth. _ This
society has had a vigorous existence, and has raised and expended m this
work over $750,000, and has, in addition to this, property in school build¬
ings and land, to the value of $275,000. _ In 1865, the Methodist Episcopal-
Church began its denominational work in Nashville. A school was organ¬
ized under the direction of Bishop Clark, by Rev. A. A. Gee, who em¬
ployed such teachers as were available. The building used was the church
formerly belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and known
as Andrew Chapel, which was purchased by the Methodist Episcopal Church,
and since known as Clark Chapel. This mission school grew rapidly in num¬
bers, the scholars crowding the rooms provided for them. In 1866, Rev.
144 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
John Seys, D.D., for many years missonary to Africa, was appointed pastor
of Clark Chapel, and Principal of the mission school. The school becom¬
ing too large for the building, it became necessary in the spring of this year
to secure more commodious accommodations. The large brick building
known as the Gun Factory, on South College street, which was in the pos¬
session of the Federal Government as abandoned property, was turned
over to the proper persons, for the use of the school. The building was
fitted up for school purposes, excepting the school furniture, by the Freed-
man's Bureau.
In the fall of 1866, at the first session of the Tennessee Conference of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. W. B. Crichlow was appointed pastor
of Clark Chapel, and Principal of the school. A large corps of teachers
were employed, and the school numbered in the aggregate attendance during
the year nearly eight hundred scholars.
During the month of July of this year a Board of Trustees was organized,
and a college charter obtained from the Legislature. Up to this time, no
tuition or incidental fee had been charged, in view of the poverty of the
people, and the fact that there was no provision made for their educa¬
tion by the State. But in the autumn of 1867, the city of Nashville opened
free schools for the Colored people. In view of this fact, and that the ob¬
ject of the school being to prepare Colored teachers to become the educa¬
tors of their own people, and to prepare young men for the ministry, and
not wishing to do work that others would do, and do well, a tuition fee was
charged of one dollar per month. Rev. J. Braden was appointed pastor of
Clark Chapel and Principal of the College school. The Trustees had re¬
ceived from the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, ten
thousand dollars, to aid in securing a site and erecting suitable buildings for
the school. They succeeded in purchasing an eligible lot in South Nash¬
ville, not far from the Medical College, and proposed to erect buildings at
once, and move the school into them, as the Gun Factory was only tem¬
porarily in the possession of the Government. But such was the opposi¬
tion to having a school for the Colored people erected there, that a decree
was procured from the Chancery Court annulling the sale, and the money
was refunded.
The school opened in the Gun Factory for the second year on the i5tn
of September, 1867, and during the year numbered, notwithstanding the
city free schools, and the tuition fee of one dollar per month, charged at the
College, over two hundred. Of the teachers this year, Rev. J. Braden was
elected President by the Board of Trustees, Miss Emily Preston, Miss Julia
Evans, Mrs. S. L. Larned, and Mrs. Mary Murphy assistants. During the
year efforts W£re made to secure a place for a building, and attempts were
made to purchase property in Franklin and Murfreesboro, but the opposi¬
tion to the, education of the Colored people prevented any purchases.
Threats were intimated that it would not be safe to start "Nigger Schools"
in either of these places. ' The feeling that a school for the Colored people,
established by the Methodist Episcopal Church, in any of the smaller towns
in Middle Tennessee, would be insecure to person and property, led to the
abandonment of the idea of leaving Nashville, and also of seeking property
outside of the corporation. Property was purchased on Maple street known
as the Nance property. The only building on it being a large brick family
residence; and as the Gun Factory had been returned to the creditors of
the company who built it, and rented for the city schools, the school was
moved to this building, and the school year opened late in the1 autumn of
CENTRAL TENNESSEE COLLEGE, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.
146 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
1868, under the supervision of Rev. G. H. Hartupee, who had been placed
in charge of the school by the Trustees, Rev.'J. Braden having resigned his
position at the close of the previous year.
During the winter and spring of 1869, with the aid of the Freedman's
Bureau, which contributed about $j:8,ooo, there were erected two brick build¬
ings, furnishing a large and commodious chapel, with dormitories above it in
one building, and school-rooms and dormitories in the other, capable of
accommodating about two hundred students. At the close of the school
year 1869, Rev. G. H. Hartupee resigned, and Rev. J. Braden was re¬
elected President. The first Catalogue was published this year, and indi¬
cated an enrollment of 192 students in all departments. The primary class
was thrown out of the course of study, and none admitted who could not
read in the Second Reader.
The Catalogue for i87o-'7i showed an enrollment of 226. The depart¬
ments organized were the Intermediate, Academic and Normal, Preparatory
and Theological. Many of the students in the Academic and Normal De¬
partments were engaged in teaching; and although but partially prepared,
yet such was the ignorance of the Colored people in the country places, that
students who had not advanced beyond the Third Reader and simple Addi¬
tion, found employment as teachers, and did a good work in imparting a
knowledge of letters and'reading to their people.
For i87i-'72 the total number of students was 241. The students were
more punctual, and attended school for a longer period than before, and
seemed to have clearer ideas of acquiring knowledge of the higher branches.
Classes in Algebra, Geometry, Latin, Greek, Natural Science, Biblical
studies were taught, and passed such examinations as gave great satisfaction
to the numerous visitors and examiners who were present, at the close of the
year.
The number of students for 18^2-^ was 270. Over one-fourth of the
entire number engaged in teaching during the year.
In 1874 the number of students was about the same as the previous year.
Raising the standard of admission from the Second to the Third Reader cut
off a ilumber who made application to enter the school. The number of
students from a distance boarding in the Institution was largely in excess of any
former year. Many who had been out teaching returned, earnestly desiring
to improve themselves for more efficient work in this department.
In 1875, there were enrolled 240. Of these one was in the College class,
29 in the Preparatory, 25 in the Theological and 56 in the Academic and
Normal, and 152 were-in the common English studies. In 1876, the enroll¬
ment was 210. In 1877, it was 227. In 1878, it was 295, and in 1879, ^ was
287. The prospect for the present school year, 1879-80, is that the at¬
tendance will be. larger than any previous year. The advancement in the
studies pursued may be seen in the fact, that in-1867, not a student was ad¬
vanced beyond the common English branches, and the majority of them
were in such primary studies, as spelling, reading, in the First, Second and
Third Readers, Elements of Arithmetic and writing. In the Catalogue for
1879, the conditions of admission are that the candidate must read in the
Fourth Reader, and have some knowledge of Arithmetic. Such a condition
ten years ago would have kept out five-sixths of the students. In addition to
the common English studies there have been classes completing the study of
Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry, Astronomy, Me¬
chanics and Calculus in Mathematics, and have read the usual authors of the
College course in Latin and Greek successfully, as well as having creditably
COLORED SCHOOLS OF NASHVILLE.
MEHARRY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT,
CENTRA! TENNESSEE COLLEGE, NASHVILLE, TENN
148 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
■completed a course in Natural Science and Belle Lettres, and the usual degree
of Bachelor of Arts, has been conferred. That which seemed incredible a
few years"ago, in the intellectual capacity of the Negro, has actually been
accomplished. Young men and women who were born slaves, have finished
some of the higher courses of study in the College, and are taking high rank
among the educated of our land. In the School-room hundreds of the stu¬
dents of this College have proved themselves most successful teachers. They
have been commended by Boards of Examination and county Superintend¬
ents for their proficiency in the studies on which they have been examined.
Others have made commendable progress in Biblical studies, and now oc¬
cupy some of the most important positions in the churches to which they be¬
long, honoring their positions by clear and earnest presentations of truth, and
intelligent Christian lives.
MEHARRY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.
In 1874, the nucleus of the Medical Department was formed and has
gradually developed into a thoroughly organized school. The Brothers
Hugh, Samuel and Rev. Alexander Meharry, D. D., furnished means to
carry forward this department, and three classes," aggregating twelve, have
graduated and have met with a very cordial reception from the members of
the profession, where ever they h^ve settled. Two of them have had prac¬
tice in yellow fever, "Dr J. S. Bass, in Chattanooga, in 1878, and Dr. L. D.
Key, near Memphis;* Both acquitted themselves creditably in their posi¬
tions of danger. All graduates have passed a thorough examination on the
full course in medicine, and have demonstrated their ability to deal with the
Science of Medicine successfully.
THE LAW DEPARTMENT
Has a small beginning, but will no doubt grow as have the other departments.
It is the aim of the Trustees to furnish the means, as far as practicable, for
qualifying the students for any profession in life, which may be open to
them. The great demand for workers in Africa, is not forgotten, and it is
confidently expected, that s.ome who are, or have been "students in this
school, will find their life work, in that rapidly opening Continent. The
men who most impress the world are those who wrestle with the problems
of every-day life, hence the education of those who are to battle with these
problems should be practical. The education which this school proposes to
give is of this kind, fitting its students for the farm, the workshop, the store
as well as for the school-room, the office or the pulpit.,
THE RESULTS
Of the thirteen years of the existence of th'is school, may be summed up
as follows : The course of study has advanced from the primary English, to
the full College course, which has been successfully completed by some of
the race who have been held as incapable of mastering any but the com¬
monest studies. The conditions of admission are such as would have been
impossible for any considerable number of the Colored people to comply
with when the school was opened, in 1866. Hundreds of young men and
women have been fitted for successful work as teachers of their people, in
the school-room, in the home and in the church. The labors of these students
compare favorably with the same kind of labor of white teachers. The
same may be said of the Theological and Medical students. The positions
which the former occupy in the church, and the reception which the latter
COLORED SCHOOLS OF NASHVLLLE.
receive from the Medical prolession, is -clear evidence of the ability of
these educated students to discharge acceptably and successfully, some of
the gravest duties of life.
COLLEGE BUILDINGS.
The buildings of the College are five in number, plain,'substantial brick,
admirably adapted to school purposes, and costing over sixty thousand dol¬
lars. Most of this sum was contributed by the Methodist Episcopal Church,
and the results of the past work of the school is seen, in the hundreds of
schools taught by thoroughly competent teachers educated in this institution,
in a multitude of Sunday-schools that have been organized and conducted by
these teachers, in connection with their day schools, in the increasing intelli¬
gence of the colored people where these schools have been taught, in the
higher estimate of the social virtues, a better idea of home and its sanctity,
clearer views of the relation of husband and wife, parents and children, a
better comprehension of ownership, a more intelligent view of freedom and
the duties, and responsibilities of citizenship, more intelligent work in the
Sunday-school and church, and a more elevated view of Christian life and
duty. The expense of the school, outside of the current expenses, has been
paid by the contributions of the Christian people of the North through the
Freedman's Aid Society of the M. E. Church. The students mostly paying
their own personal expenses as tuition, board, etc., which have been placed
so low that all the energetic and industrious may be able to meet these re¬
quirements.
While the school is under the patronage of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and the doctrines of the Bible are interpreted in harmony with the
standards of this branch of the Church of God, ^fet no efforts are made to
influence those who belong to denominations viewing Biblical doctrine from
other standpoints, to change their views or church relations. With the
growing influence of the Church among the colored people in the South,
there seems to be nothing in the way of the future increasing usefulness of
this school. With the Divine Blessing resting upon it, in the future as in
the past, many of the students each year having been converted while at¬
tending the College, the gradually increasing attendance of students, the
school will send forth, each year, an increasing number of those who are
favored with a Christian education, to bless their people and to aid in the
work of their real elevation.
FISK UNIVERSITY.
BY PROF. H. S. BENNETT.
Fisk School, from which Fisk University grew was formally opened Jan.
9, 1866, in Government buildings, west of the Chattanooga Depot, known
as the Railroad Hospital, under the auspices of the American Missionary
Association of New York and the Western Freedmen's Aid Commission of
Cincinnati. .
The land on which the buildings were located was purchased. Rev. E.
P. Smith, Field Secretary of the Association, Rev. E. M. Cravath, Secre¬
tary of the Middle West Department, and Prof. John Ogden, representing
the Western Freedmen's Aid Commission, becoming personally responsible
for the payment of the notes. These notes were afterwards assumed by the
American Missionary Association.
Gen. Clinton B. Fisk was at that time in command of the Freedmen's
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Bureau, and entered heartily into the work of opening the enterprise. The
school took its name in honor of him.
Under the efficient management of Prof. John Ogden, a normal instruc¬
tor of national reputation, the school at once became very flourishing.
During the first two years upwards of 1200 pupils were in attendance.
In August, 1867, the school was incorporated as Fisk University. This
step was rendered advisable by the' fact that the city schools were opened
about that time to the Colored children of Nashville. About that time, also,
Gen. O. O. Howard, of the Freedmen's Bureau, donated from Bureau funds
$7000 to the school for educational purposes. It was then decided to incor¬
porate the Institution for the higher education of youth of both sexes. It
was accordingly chartered August 22, 1867, with a board of nine Trustees,
three of whom were to be chosen each year, and were empowered "to fill
vacancies, prescribe courses of study, and confer all such degrees and honors
as are conferred by universities -in the United States.'
EDUCATIONAL WORK.
The School and University were under the management of Prof. John
Ogden, from the opening till 1870. From 1870 till the summer of 1875,
Prof. A. K. Spence was Principal. In 1875, Rev. E. M. Cravath was elected
President, which position he now holds.
The idea of training teachers for the common schools of Tennessee was
early developed. Prof. Ogden's ability as a normal instructor secured marked
results in this direction. Teachers for the Colored schools began to go out
as early as 1868. From that time onward from 30 to 150 pupils of the In¬
stitution have engaged in the work of teaching annually, and the pupils edu¬
cated in Fisk University are now teaching annually more than 25,000 pupils
in day and Sabbath-schools.
The University also furnishes the means of higher culture. The college
curriculum has been marked out, and college classes are now in operation,
pursuing the classical, mathematical and scientific studies usually taught in
American colleges. Departments of medicine and law are to be added as
soon as the University feels able.
The Commencement Exercises, in May, 1875, were marked by the gra¬
duation of the first class from the College Department. This class consisted
of Messrs. Jas. D. Burrus and John H. Burrirs, and Misses' America W.
Robinson and Virginia E. Walker, upon all of whom the degree of Bachelor
of Arts was conferred. In 1877, Miss Laura S. Cary was made Bachelor of
Arts, and Mr. Young A. Wallace, Bachelor of Science. In 1878, Messrs.
Henry S. Merry and Albert P. Miller were graduated as Bachelors of Arts.
In 1879, Bachelor of Arts was conferred on Messrs. Preston R. Burrus and
Austin R. Merry, and Misses Jennie Hobbs and Lulu Parker.
Perhaps it will be of interest to know how these graduates have succeeded
in meeting the practical duties of life. The following statement will show:
Mr. Jas. D. Burrus is now instructor in Mathematics at Fisk University; Mr.
John H. Burrus is studying law, and will locate in Nashville; Miss Virginia
Walker, now holds an important position'as teacher in the colored public
schools of Memphis; Miss America Robinson was one of the Jubilee
Singers, spent three years traveling with that troupe in Europe, afterwards
studied one year at Strasburg, Germany, and has just entered upon' teach¬
ing at Meridian, Miss.; Miss Cary held a position as assistant instructor in
Greek at Fisk University until her death in the summer of 1879; Young A.
JUBILEE HALL, FISK -UNIVERSITY, NASHVILLE. TENN.
i52
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Wallace is in charge of the Colored schools at Florence, Ala.; Henry S.
Merry is Principal of one of the Colored schools at Clarksville, Tenn.;
Albert Miller is in charge of the Mendi Mission in Sierra Lone, on the West
Coast of Africa; Preston R. Burrus has charge of a Colored school in Kansas;
Austin Merry is Principal of the Colored schools of Jackson, Tenn.; Jennie
Hobbs is a resident graduate at Fisk; and Lulu Parker, on account of ill
health is the only one not actively engaged.
RELIGIOUS WORK
The importance of preparing young men for the ministry has ever been
recognized in this Institution. Rev. H. S. Bennett began the work of theo¬
logical instruction as early as 1869, and has kept it up ever since. The
classes have ranged from three to fourteen each.year. Many young men
have thus been taught for the important work of preaching the Gospel to the
people.
Early in the spring of 1868, a church was organized upon the most liberal
basis, for the benefit of teachers and pupils. Regular preaching has been
held from the beginning, and every year has witnessed the conversion of
many of the students. The moral influence of the school upon the hearts
and lives of the students has been very powerful. •
THE JUBILEE SINGERS.
Any complete history of Fisk University must give some recognition of the
remarkable career of the Jubilee Singers, through whose instrumentality the
permanency of the University was assured.
Geo. L. White became music teacher in the Institution during the first
months of its existence. His untiring energy and rare skill in training
voices produced marked results in the musical department. Several concerts
during successive years were given, which attracted much public attention.
As Mr. White progressed, he culled out the best voices, and organized them
into the choir of the University.
About the year. 1870, it was felt that the University must secure a new
location and erect new buildings, or be sadly crippled in its work. After
much deliberation it was concluded that the only feasible plan to raise funds was
to send Mr. White to the North with his company of singers to give concerts
for the pilrpose named. Mr. White had such an interest in the success of
the University, and so much enthusiasm in the work, that he took the entire
pecuniary responsibility of the movement tipon himself, and started October,
1871, After several months of almost crushing difficulty the tide turned in
the favor of the little troupe, and by May, 1872, they had netted $20,000.
They were received with the greatest enthusiasm by the most highly culti¬
vated audiences, and under the power and pathos of their quaint "slave
songs" tears flowed like rain.
Another campaign, over the same territory, resulted in like success, and*
$20,000 rewarded their labors. In the spring of 1874 they went to England
and remained one year. There their success was even more remarkable
than in this country. They were received with the greatest consideration
by the Queen, and the Premier—Mr. Gladstone, by the' Earl of Shaftes¬
bury, by Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, and other dignitaries of Great Britain.
While in England they cleared $50,000. In addition to the $90,000 they
had thus secured above all expenses, they received in donations of books,
apparatus, furniture, etc., $10,000 more, thus raising the net product of
COLORED SCHOOLS OF NASHVILLE.
153
their labors to $100,000. Since their entrance upon the campaign they have
been about eight years in the field, made several trips to Europe, and have
so far netted about $155,000.
Among other trophies of their success abroad they were presented elegant
life-size portraits of Wilberforce, the Earl of Shaftesbury and David Living¬
stone, which now grace the walls of the drawing-rooms at Fisk University.
Mr. J. B. T. Marsh, writes as follows to the New York Evangelist: "Rev.
Dr. Thompson, in his letters from Berlin, bore testimony two years ago to
the fine impression th^y made upon the lovers of music in the German capital
—a success as great, under the most different conditions, as when the roof
of the Boston Coliseum echoed with deafening applause over their spirited
rendering of 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic,' in the Peace Jubilee of
1872.
"I shall never forget the rapt expression of Mr. Gladstone's fine face as
he listened, four years ago, in his drawing-room at Hawarden Castle, to one
after another of their slave songs; nor the >vonderful spell which held the great
audience in the Haymarket Theatre, London, as they sang 'Steal away to
Jesus,' after one of Mr. Moody's powerful sermons; nor the sublime
eloquence of Dr. Sommerville in a speech inspired by their thrilling song,
' I've been Redeemed,' in the Crystal Palace at Glasgow."
UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS.
With the funds thus earned by the Jubilee Singers, twenty-five acres of
land have been purchased on, and contiguous to the site of Fort Gillem,
one mile Northwest of the Capitol of Nashville, Tennessee, one mile
Northwest of the Vanderbilt University, and very accessible to the city
and the railroads. The site is, with the exception of the " Capitol Hill" the
most commanding and beautiful around Nashville. The view is unob¬
structed in every direction, and presents to the eye the most pleasing variety
of hill and valley, forest and city.
The following description of the building we clip from the American ot
January 2, 1875, in an account of the dedication :
" The building is in the form of an ' L,' and has an east front of 145 feet,
and a south front of 128 feet. Including basement and cellar it is six stories
high, and is supplied with all the modern conveniences of-vvater, steam and gas.
It is heated throughout by steam, and each room has a radiator. There
are 375 gas burners in the house. The entire building contains 120 rooms.
Jubilee Hall is to be the dormitory department of Fisk University, but until
suitable college buildings can be erected, will be made to answer all pur¬
poses. The building is drained by a twelve-inch sewer pipe, which runs
1,500 feet to a natural aqueduct, which connects with the river. The build¬
ing is made of the best pressed brick, with stone trimmings. The style is a
modern English. The main entrance is on the South front, (illustrated by
our handsome cut), and is composed of a stone stairway, with pillars sup¬
porting a small stone balcony, which is to be adorned with a bust of Lincoln.
Over this is placed, in gilded letters, "Jubilee Hall." The iron door facing
has the same upon it. The front door is composed of black walnut of mas¬
sive proportions, and having complete bronze trimmings. The side light
and transom are furnished with richly colored glass. On the right of the
hall are the reception rooms and parlor, one 16 by 32 feet, the other 20 by
32 feet, connected by large folding doors. On the other side of the hall is
the office, and beyond the assembly room, about 20 by 32 feet proportions.
Opposite this on the cross hail is the library, adjoining it the music
154 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
room, and further on smaller rooms that are to be used as dressing rooms for
visitors and transient guests," etc., etc.
The ground was broken January i, 1873, the corner stone was laid Octo¬
ber 1, 1873, and the exercises of dedication took place January 1, 1876.
THE DEDICATION.
The dedication of Jubilee Hall was a marked event. The audience was
composed of people of both races, some of the most prominent citizens of
Nashville being present. It was a delightful day, and a vast throng assembled.
Over tlie door leading to the platform from the hall, were the flags of
America and England, looped up with magnolia leaves.
On the speaker's stand Were seated Revs. T. O. Summers, D. D., J. C.
Granberry, D. D., and N. T. Lupton, LL. D., Professors in Yanderbilt
University; Rev. J. Braden, D. D., of Central Tennessee College, Rev. D.
W. Phillips, D. D., of the Nashville Institute; Rev. J. B. McFerrin, D. D.,
Corresponding Secretary, and Rev. D. C. Kelly, D. D., Assistant Secretary
of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South ; Rev.
J. B. Lindsley, Dr. W. P. Jones, Ex-Senator Fowler, Judge Alexander
Campbell; Prof. J. W. Coyner, Prof. Cole, Joseph Carels, G. W. Hubbard,
J. J. Qarey; Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, Rev. W. E. Strieby, D. D., Corres¬
ponding Secretary of the American Missionary Association, Hon. E. P.
Smith, Rev. G. D. Pike, Rev. W. S. Alexander, Edgar Ketchum, Esq.,
Samuel Holmes, H. W. Hubbard; Prof. A. K. Spence, Prof. F. A. Chase,
Rev. H. S. Bennett and the lady teachers of the Institution.
A noticeable feature in the audience was the large number of white citi¬
zens present. The Sixteenth Infantry Band was in attendance, and while
the multitude was assembling, played the National airs, closing with "Dixie"
and "Yankee Doodle" amid loud and long continued applause.
Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, President of the Board of Trustees, took the chair
and invited the vast audience to unite in singing,
" Praise God from whom all blessings flow."
The audience remained standing while Rev. D. W. Phillips, D. D., in¬
voked the Divine Blessing, The University choir, sung,
"Steal away to Jesus."
Selections of Scripture were read by Rev. J. Braden, from an elegant
Bible which had been presented to the Jubilee Singers, by the Presbyterian
Church ifi New York City, of which the Rev. Dr. Burchard is pastor.
Addresses were then delivered by Gen. Fisk, Rev. Dr. McFerrin, Rev.
Dr. Strieby, Rev. G. D. Pike, Rev. E. P. Smith, and others. Without ex¬
ception the addresses were elegant, chaste, and appropriate. We would
like to republish them entire, did space permit. The Rev. Dr. McFerrin
was greeted with much enthusiasm, and spoke with great earnestness. Inas¬
much, then, as Dr. McFerrin is a prominent Southern clergyman, it will not
appear invidious to quote the .following extract from his speech :
"lam here this morning contrary to my expectation. I have an ap¬
pointment forty or fifty miles south of this place to-morrow, and must depart
in a moment to meet that engagement. One of the greatest things in a
Methodist preacher, is punctuality, but when I knew you (addressing Gen.
Fisk), were here, I could not forego the pleasure of meeting you, of greet¬
ing you, and of giving countenance, little as my influence is, to this great
COLORED SCHOOLS OF NASHVILLE.
155
occasion. (Applause). I was very glad to hear you say here to day that
the first considerable sum of money placed in your hands, to be used in pro¬
moting educational facilities for the Freedmen, was contributed by a
Southern Methodist preacher.1 (Applause). I hope it may never be said
hereafter anywhere, that we of the South are opposed to the education and
elevation of the Colored people. Then, sir, you made another remark that
touched me deeply. There's not recorded such an*instance in history, that
a few men and women, like the Jubilee Singers, have, within the space of a
very few years, raised $100,000 for the education of their race. But the
beautiful point in it is this, that I had some hand in that. (Applause). Now,
you ask me, 'how do you account for that,' and I tell you that it is owing
entirely to camp-meeting songs. I helped to teach the Colored people the
camp-meeting songs which lie at the foundation of Jubilee Hall. I have
heard these songs sung during my ministry of fifty years. I thank God that
after delivering hundreds aad hundreds of discourses to Colored people, I have
lingered around to hear these beautiful songs, which were sung until the break
of day. If the teachers here will teach them to send up songs and shouts
of praise to Jesus, I simply say Amen. (Loud applause). I want you, Gen.
Fisk, and all others to understand, that the Southern people, as far as my
information extends—that is, the intelligent, patriotic, and Christian people
of the South, with perhaps a few exceptions—rejoice in the education and
elevation of the Colored people, and fully appreciate the grand work you are
doing for them. (Loud applause). I stand on my native soil, and bear
this testimony. It meets the hearty co-operation and sincere approbation of
all Christian people."
congratulatory dispatches.
Gen. Fisk remarked that a large company of friends in Great Britain
were that day celebrating with the Jubilee Singers, this glad occasion, and had .
just sent the following dispatch from Leeds, where they then were :
cable telegram from england.
" British friends and Jubilee Singers send greeting. Hitherto hath the Lord
helped us. May Fisk University be inspiration to struggling humanity in
America, and light to Africa's millions. May Great Britain and America
ever thus unite to extend Christ's Kingdom.
Leeds, 9, a. m. E. M. Cravath.
response from nashville.
'£ Fisk University responds with thankful greetings. To the Jubilee Singers,
to their friends at home and in the land of Wilberforce and Sharp, we owe
what God hath'wrought. May the two flags floating to-day from Jubilee
Hall ever symbolize the united purpose of both lands to fit the struggling
Freedmen of America to carry light to Africa."
letters
Were then read by Gen. Fisk, from a number of prominent gentlemen, ex¬
pressing their interest in the cause to which Fisk University is devoted, and
regret that they were not able to attend. The letters were from Mr. D. L.
The gentleman to whom Gen. Fisk referred, was the Rev. Dr. A. L. P. Green, of
the Southern Methodist Church, to whose " beautiful and blameless life," Gen. Fisk,
paid high and eloquent tribute.
156 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
Moody, the Evangelist, Gen. Garfield, M. C., Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, Hon.
W. E. Dodge, Bishop Payne, Hon. Geo. H. Stuart, and Hon. John Eaton,
U. S. Commissioner of Education. All in all, it was an auspicious event in
Nashville.
APPARATUS.
There are other features about the University that may prove of interest.
Let us speak first of our apparatus :
This includes a few of the common instruments for the illustration of
Physics, such as air-pump, condenser, electrical machine, galvanic battery
of ten Bunsen cells, Ruhmkorf coil, Geisler tubes, spectroscope of two
prisms, and barometer. In Astronomy there are a planetarium, orreries,
and an astronomical telescope of 3^ inches aperture; and in chemistry,
apparatus for illustrating the principles of the science in the class-room, and
a small laboratory for those wishing to become practically acquainted with
the processes of Chemical Analysis, both qualitative and quantitative. This
is furnished with a good balance. There is a magic lantern for lecture use,
as also a fine microscope made by Beck, of London, with five objectives, rang¬
ing from three inches to one-fifth of an inch. In Applied Mathematics there
are a theodolite, a compass, and a plane-table. There is an urgent need of
the common pieces of apparatus for demonstration in the various depart¬
ments of Physics, especially mechanics, hydrostatics, acoustics, heat, optics,
and electricity; also, in the Laboratory, of a good lathe and set of lathe
tools.
MUSEUM.
In Natural History, Geology, Mineralogy and Ethnology, there is a col¬
lection of over three thousand specimens. The most of these are well ar¬
ranged and labeled, the whole covering 650 square feet of shelf room,
besides several hundred duplicates, reserved for.exchange.
LIBRARY.
This now numbers seventeen hundred volumes, including many valuable
works of reference adapted to the wants of the different departments of the
University. Additions are made annually from the interest of the Dicker-
son Library Fund, a fund contributed by Sabbath-schools in Great Britain,
and from other sources.
In connection with the Library is a Reading-Room, in which the students
have access to various newspapers and periodicals.
LITERARY SOCIETY.
The Union Literary Society is managed by the students, subject to,the
general authority of the Institution, for their improvement in public speak-
ing, writing, and parliamentary usage. It has a valuable library to which
additions are made as the funds of the Society permit.
LECTURES.
A course'of lectures, two each month, forms an important part of the ed¬
ucational privileges of the Institution. During the past year, lectures have
been delivered by Dr. G. W. Hubbard, of the Central Tennessee College,
Rev. W. G. E. Cunnyngham, D. D., Editor of the Sabbath-school papers
of the M. E. Church South, and Rev. M. B. DeWitt, Editor of the Sab¬
bath-school papers of the C. P. Church, Charles Edwin Robert, Esq., and
Rev. Dr. C. D. Elliott; also by Professors H. S. Bennett, F. A. Chase, C.
C. Painter, President E. M. Cravath, Mr. J. H. Burrus, Prof. A. K.
COLORED SCHOOLS OF NASHVILLE.
157
Spence, and Mrs. A. K. Spence, of the University. Lectures are expected
the present term from Rev. Dr. Fitzgerald, Rev. Dr. W. J£. Ward, Dr. J.
B. Lindsley, and Morton B. Howell, Esq.
TESTIMONIALS RESPECTING FISK UNIVERSITY.
The inquiry is often raised by friends in the North relating to the senti¬
ment and feeling of the whites of t Tennessee toward Fisk University and its
work. Th'e answer may be found in the highly complimentary testimonials
by the highest official authorities. The University Catalogue for 1879 con¬
tains a letter from ex-Governor James D. Porter, written near the close of
his four years' administration, and one from Hon. Leon Trousdale, after four
years experience and observation as State Superintendent of Public Instruc¬
tion. Also, joint resolutions of the Tennessee General Assembly, passed
after the visit of the members in a body to the University, on the occasion
of the regular quarterly public rhetorical exercises in March, 1879. The
sentiments expressed by these official representatives of Tennessee can be
safely accepted as the prevailing sentiment of the State.
LIVINGSTONE MISSIONARY HALL.
The great pressing necessity of Fisk University is a second building to
correspond with Jubilee Hall. While in England the movement was under¬
taken by the Jubilee Singers to build Livingstone Hall, a monument to the
memory of the great African explorer, and also to be an expression of the
great work of the University in training men and women for the evangeliz¬
ation of Africa. Already Fisk University has five pupils at work in Africa
—which is but a foretaste of what these Institutions are to do in that direc¬
tion.
Owing though, to the commercial depression in England and on the Con-
tinent-the efforts of the Jubilee Singers were but partially successful. The
. speedy erection of the building has been, however, since secured by the
pledge upon the part of Mrs. Daniel P. Stone, of Maiden, Mass., of $60,-
000 to carry on the work. Ground has already been broken in Netherland
Square, and Livingstone Hall, a handsome building, as will be seen by the
illustration, will soon be built.
Other donations have been received, chiefly that of $20,000 from the ex¬
ecutors of the estate of Mr. R. R. Graves, of Morristown, New Jersey, but
the Institution is still fostered and helped by the American Missionary Asso¬
ciation from its treasury.
Quite appropriate here, mention should be made of the
bill recently introduced in Congress by United States Senator
Bailey, of Tennessee, to aid the education of the Colored
race. It is not our province to discuss the merits of the bill,
but to mention the fact that Senator Bailey is a Democrat,
represents a Democratic State, and his movement having
been heartily endorsed by such leading Democratic journals
as the New Orleans Times, Atlanta Constitution, Nashville
• American and Vicksburg Herald, is sure indication of friendly
feeling on the part of Southerners toward the Colored race.
Senator Bailey's bill in the preamble recites:
158
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
"That $510,000 have recently been covered back into the-United States
Treasury from the appropriations for the pay of bounties of Colored soldiers,
which remain unclaimed after seven years, owing to the impossibility of dis¬
covering the claimants, and asserts that under the circumstances the Colored
people should have the benefit of said money for their educational improve¬
ment and elevation. The bill, therefore, directs the Secretary of the Treas¬
ury to invest $510,000 in United States registered 4 per cent, bonds, to be
apportioned in equal parts to the following institutions for the education of
Colored people: The Howard University, Washington, D. C.; the Hamp¬
ton, Virginia, Normal and Agricultural Institute; the Fisk^ University, of
Nashville] the Atlanta, Georgia. University, and the Straiglit University of
New Orleans. The trustees of these institutions ar^ to be entitled to use the
interest or bonds in such a manner as in their judgment will best promote
the ends for which they are chartered, but the principal of the bonds is to be
inalienable."
As an addition to this part of our work, we also give the
following from the Nashville American, of November 13,
1879, relating to the American Missionary Association:
"The annual meeting of the American Missionary Association was held
in Chicago, a days few ago, and was the most successful and enthusiastic one
ever known in the history of that body. This Association is the almoner of the
funds contributed by the Congregational churches of the country for the sup¬
port of missions among the Negroes of the South and Africa, the Chinese in
the United States, and the Indians.
£'The following facts relating to the work of the Association among the
Negroes of the South will be of interest to our readers:
" 'The receipts from collections, etc., during the past year amounted to
$215,431.17; receipts for special institutions, $99,019.50, making a total of
$314,450.67. Of this large sum $122,965.19 has been spent in the South,
mostly in the work of educating Colored youth. Under the care of the Asso¬
ciation are eight chartered institutions in as many different States, as Fisk
University in Tennessee, and Atlanta University in Georgia; 12 graded or
normal schools; 24 other.schools—44 in all. The number of teachers, 190;
number of pupils, 7207. Among these 80 study theology, 28 are in law, 64
in medicine, 63 in the college department, and 169 in the college prepara¬
tory. ' The total number of pupils taught during the year by those who have
been in the schools of the Association is estimated at 150,000.'
"The Association also fosters 57 Congregational churches, with a member¬
ship of 4600.
"It is through the influence of this body that $150,900 has been secured
for the erection of buildings for school purposes in various parts of the South.
This large fund is donated by Mrs. Stone, of New England, and will be
available during the coming year. One of the buildings will be Livingstone
Hall, of Fisk University, which will cost $50,000—$15,000 of which was
secured through the instrumentality of the Jubilee Singers while in England.
"The appropriation made by the Association to Fisk University for the
current year is $10,000, that amount being required above the receipts from
tuition, boarding and other sources to meet the annual expenses.
"During the past three years the Association has paid off a debt of $100,-
000, and at the same time maintained its work up to the highest point of
efficiency. Of this debt $36,380,79 was paid during the past year.
LIVINGSTONE HALL, FISK UNIVERSITY, NASHVILLE, TENN.
160 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
"The statement of this fact at the annual meeting furnished the occasion
of hearty congratulations, and of devout thankfulness to God.
"In view of the fact that the Association is now out of debt, and that the
country is just entering upon a career of unexampled prosperity,, it is expected
that the Association will be enabled to carry on its work with enlarged results."
RELIGIOUS ADVANCEMENT OF THE RACE.
No one will deny that there are vicious and degraded men
and women among the Colored people. It is not our pur¬
pose, nor will it ever be, to shield from scorn and contempt the
ungodly, the low, the mean, the vulgar. We acknowledge
that the Colored people have their, full share of evil-doers.
But the man who attempts to place the whole race among
" criminal classes" and refers to the blacks as this distinct
element of society in this country, perverts the truth and
slanders the people. Criminals are developed from every
rank of society, from every shade of complexion, from every
grade of life, and spring from good families, the wealthy and
educated as well a§ from ignorant and vicious parents and
associations.
Recognizing these facts, we dare assert that whatever else
may be said derogatory of and detrimental to the Americo-
Africans as a race, we have yet to hear of the first infidel or
atheist among them. As a rule, those who profess Christi¬
anity, are God-fearing and God-worshipping people. Admit¬
ting that much of their religion is yet crude and superstitious,
there is, on the other hand, much that is pure and unwavering
in faith, and deep-felt and unswerving in influence. As to
the charge of superstition, let us quote from two eminent
authors—first Quatrefagas who says: "If it be said that
the Negroes are superstitious, tell fortunes, and protect them¬
selves against witchcraft and the evil eye, it may also be said,
the amulets of the French peasants are identical with the
gnsgris of the Negroes "1 And then Raynal, who says :
" Slavery was one of the causes of religious superstition.
The slave without country, family or liberty, without one
single earthly possession, without a single moment of time
except granted by his master—what horrible pictures of hell
came to his benighted soul? What wonder that his religion
was a religion of superstition, of hypocrisy, of fear, of servility ?
1 The Human Species, p. 496.
RELIGIO US AD VANCEMENT OF THE RACE. 161
and^ never of love ! How absurd it seemed to us fellow
Christians, that God would condescend to love a Negro I"1
But thank God education and culture will bring this people
out of this benighted state, and it is already doing it in a most
wonderful manner. Still this brings us back to the original
assertion, and we are forced to confront a most unpleasant
fact. Unfortunately we find that it is among the Caucasians,
the sons of Japheth that modern infidelity, of the kinds we have
to deal with, has its origin and prevails, and this notwith¬
standing the sublime principles of Christian morality that
have been preached to them since the coming of the Master,
notwithstanding the blessings of liberty that have been their
birthright, notwithstanding the advantages of literature and
the numerous masterpieces of art and the progress of true
science, it is a lamentable'truth, that Christian education—
though it is ever .advancing, has succeeded less than the
friends of humanity wish for. Indeed, if we examine its in¬
fluence on the improvement of mankind who can abstain from
saying, " The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are
few." For, who has not seen children of the most pious and
exemplary parents indulge in scepticism, and plunge them¬
selves into.profanity and vice? Who has not observed that
licentiousness often prevails in the most enlightened and re¬
fined classes of society? But if we search for the propa¬
gators and disseminators of open and avowed enmity to the
Christian's God, it can 'be found in the transcendentalism of
Germany, in the fleshly atheism of France, in the sophistical
materialism of England and in the blasphemous Ingersollism
of America, .but at the door of. the Americo-African not one
grievous sin of this sort can be laid. Some objector may
say it is because the Negro is not well enough educated to
entertain such advanced religious views. To this we reply,
thank God. But he is far enough educated to avoid them,
and let us thank God for that also.
It must not be understood that the Colored people were
without religious instruction and religious privileges during
ante-bellum times. We would not be guilty of a statement so
reckless. Every privilege was granted them possible under
a slave regime. Colored churches were numbered by thous¬
ands, and~ nearly every plantation had its chapel. We have
not full statistics on this point, but we have before us an
1 History of West Indies, vol. iii, p. 273.
162 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
"address to Christians throughout the world, by the clergy
of the Confederate States," in which is stated that the "total
number of communicants, (z. e., of regular marked down at¬
tendants at specific places of worship) in the Christian
Churches, in the Confederate States, was about two millions
and fifty thousand, of whom the blacks came in for five hun¬
dred thousand, or one-fourth of the adult population of
Negroes." We have also a copy of the proceedings of the
General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church,
held at Richmond in 1862, giving the following points: In
Alabama, "increasing attention is given to the religious in¬
struction of the blacks."* In Mississippi, "on every hand is
observed the increasing desire on the part of masters to give
unto their servants the blessings of the Gospel and the
Church." In North Carolina, "religious instruction of the
slaves has been followed up, it is hoped, with increased
diligence and success." But in South Carolina, " about
fifty chapels for the benefit of Negroes on plantations, were in
use for the worship of God and the religious instruction of
slaves." One parish had "thirteen chapels for Negroes, sup¬
plied with regular services." In Charleston, there was " a
mission chiefly for the benefit of slaves; and among the 1942
confirmed during trienniad, 1211 were colored; of the 4775
baptized, 3.557 colored; of the 667 married, 374 colored; and
of the 5672 communicants, 2819 colored."
It is impossible to estimate the increased membership
in the Colored Churches of the South. We recently saw
the statement that the Colored Baptists of the South would
number six hundred thousand, but whether the other de¬
nominations have gained as rapidly we cannot say. This,
however, may be taken as indicative of great gains in all
quarters.
Vast improvement is noticeable also, in the architectural
character of Colored Churches in the South. Some of the
newly erected church buildings are models of .elegance, and
architectural triumphs worthy the ,pride of the Freedmen. In
one Southern city, we have in mind, no less than four superb
church edifices have been erected since the war, each one
costing not less than $20,000. Inside, they are fitted up with
all the modern improvements — gas, heating apparatus,
stained windows, carpeting; regular salaried pastors have
their lecture rooms, their studies, and all of the necessary
conveniences to a properly conducted church. Some of the
RELIGIOUS ADVANCEMENT OF THE RACE. 163
churches have splendid organs, and we may say nearly all
the smaller are supplied with melodeons and choirs with
trained voices. The following" extract by a correspondent
of the Macon, Ga., Journal and Messenger, gives the idea
quite succinctly:
'One Sabbath, this 1879, I preached for the Second African Church, of
Savannah. No other white person was present. I think the law still stands,
as in i860, requiring white men to be present. Freedom repealed it de
facto. There was a quartette and a noble organ. A thousand people were
said to be before me, and the church was large. I was invited to sit with
the business meeting that followed. My last meeting was with Calvary, New
York. I might have shut my eyes, and save for an error in some church
phrase, and the deep tones, have thought myself there. A noble church,
an intelligent people—and, while I am still deeply Southern, I am getting
proud of our Colored citizens. They do improve."
Prominent among the many Colored Churches of Nash¬
ville, particular mention should be made of the First^ Baptist
Church, of which Rev. Nelson G. Merry is pastor. Mr.
Merry is a man of ability and of widespread popularity, and has,
perhaps, more personal influence than any one man in Nash¬
ville. St. Paul's Church—Methodist—Rev. Mr. Green, pas¬
tor; Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Rev. Jordan Bransford, pastor;
Howard Chapel—Congregational—Rev. Geo. Moore, pastor;
Clark's Chapel, Rev. D. W. Hayes, pastor; Mulberry Street
Baptist Church, Rev. W. P. T. Jones, pastor; Wilson Spring
Church, Rev. A. Buchanan, pastor; St. John's A. M. E.
Church, Rev. William Shaffer, pastor; Caper's Chapel—
Methodist — Rev. N. B. Smith, pastor; Bethel Chapel,
Rev. C. O. H. Thomas, pastor; Thompson's Chapel, Rev.
John Pickett, pastor.
COLORED NEWSPAPERS.
Another indication of the rapid advancement of the Col¬
ored people is the fact that there are already not less than
twenty-five newspapers in the South edited and published by
Colored men in the interests of their race.
Progress may be noted, too, in the numerous benevolent
and literary organizations established in the towns of the
South.
SOCIAL ADVANCEMENT.
Some one has drawn for us the following picture of " The
Olden Times," so sweet, so tender, so truthful, it will touch
the heart of every true Southerner:
164 . NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
"What nights wore the nights on the old plantation ! The mellow light of
the harvest moon crept through the rustling leaves of the talis oaks, fell softly
upon the open space beyond, and bathed the brown old barn in a flood of
golden glory, while the songs of the Negroes at the corn pile—lusty chorus
and plaintive refrain—shook the silence until it broke upon the air in far
reaching waves of melody. The moon pursues her pathway as serenely as of
old, but she no longer looks down upon the scenes that were familiar to your
youth. The old homestead.and the barn are given up to decay, and the songs
of the Negroes have been hushed into silence by the necessities of a new dis¬
pensation. The old plantation itself is gone. It has passed away, but the
hand of time, inexorable and yet tender, has woven about it the sweet sug¬
gestions of poetry and romance—memorials that neither death nor decay can
destroy."
And yet, O tender-hearted writer is there not cause for joy
when we see th,e shackles of bondage and the errors of super-
stitition give place to the higher culture—the broader sweep of
soul—the beneficence that a good God has conferred upon
His late unhappy children? There was "Black mammy,"
and "Aunt Susan," and " Uncle Ben," good old souls, they have
gone to their reward, they have " laid down the shovel and
the hoe"—they sleep, they rest—but their children are free.
The cabin has been exchanged in many instances for the
cottage. The influence of home is having its effects on the
race. For, with the blessings of freedom and the benefits of
education, we find delicacy of sentiment and refined manners
steadily growing among ,the Colored people. " Plantation
manners" are being supplanted by proper courtesy. The
rude, boorish ways of the farm, odd motions, ungainly atti¬
tudes, awkward gestures, are giving place to dignity of de¬
meanor that follows mental and moral culture as morning
follows night. Two or three generations hence the delineator
of " burnt cork drolleries " will have to rely on the fertility of
his imagination for support, because faithfulness to nature will
demand a higher view of the Colored man. In the Negro, it
is true that the fountains of pathos and of humor are situated
close by each other. Sharp showmen have seen this, and
when they wished to express a funny idea, or to say a smart
thing, they have resorted to Negro delineations. More than
this, the black man has given to America its only distinctive
song music. Not only in their quaint camp-meeting hymns,
but in the tender and touching ballads, such as "Way Down
on Sewanee River," "Massa's in the cold, cold Ground,"
and even that soul-stirring patriotic air that found an echo in
every Southern heart—that nerved the Southern arm to
deeds of daring, when the wild yell rising from the trampling
MATERIAL ADVANCEJ^ENT OF THE RACE. 165
charge tore through the ragged rifts of battle-smoke and
drowned the thunder of artillery, as the bands of the Confed¬
eracy struck up the strain of " Dixie."
^ But to-day we find the Colored man at home. If he in¬
vites you to enter, you may expect to find not barren walls
and carpetless floors, but rooms neatly furnished, prints,
chromos, engravings gracing the walls, and a stand of
.books—modern and ancient history—the novelists, Scott,
Thackeray, Dickens, some of the poets, Longfellow, Moore
and Shakespeare. This may not be universal, we do not
mean to say it is, but there are numerous instances to prove'
the truth of our view.
We may note also, improvement of the race in modes of
dress. The Negro is the dandy of the human family, and
while it is not intended to utter one word in extenuation of
idleness or shiftlessness or reckless and extravagant habits,
we do say if they can dress better and live better, and obtain
these things honestly, who has the right to complain ?
MATERIAL ADVANCEMENT.
If it be asked what are the material proofs of the Negro's
improvement? we answer, that already we see springing into
growth intelligent young laborers competent to do their share
toward enriching the world with necessary products; indus¬
trious citizens contributing their proportion to aid on the ad¬
vancing civilization of the country; self-providing artisans,
vindicating their people from the never-ceasing charge of
fitness only for servile positions; agriculturists, who are taking
a more intelligent view of farming; merchants, business men,
who are adding something to the commerce of the Union,
while they lay by for themselves snug and comfortable sums;
professional men, lawyers, physicians, teachers, ministers, who
are furnishing" numerous examples of the intellectual and
moral capabilities of the race, and while advancing themselves
are advancing their people, and advancing our country to its
ultimate standing in the fore-front of the most illustrious of
nations.
It is to be regretted that more figures could not be obtained
to prove this, but the following from the Atlanta, Ga., Con¬
stitution, will prove of interest:
"Some days ago the Constitution published the returns to the Controller-
General's office, giving the total of property held subject to tax in the State,
jt will be remembered that the total of taxable values had fallen off about
166 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
$1,000,000 in the State. We now have a showing to make that is the reverse
of that. The Negroes of the State, instead of seeing their property decrease,
have snugly added to it, and their total goes up to $5,182,398 this year,
' against $5,124,875 last year, giving a net increase of $57,523. This does not
represent the actual increase of Negro property, but much less than that.
The bulk of Negro property has decreased in value at least 10 per cent., so
that merely to hold their own, they would have had to add about $60,000.
They have not only done this, but have gone $57,523 over their old figures.
In the one item of land alone, the Negroes have added 39,309 acres to their
possessions during the last year, making a total of 341,199 acres owned by.
Negroes in Georgia. This record is a good one, and shows that whatever
may be said elsewhere, we have the best of proof at home that the Negroes
are prospering. There are only four Negroes in the State worth over $19,-
000—so that the property of $5,182,398 is divided in small lots among the
Negroes of all classes and all sections."
Another prominent Southern journal—name not now re¬
membered, recently said:
" The South has passed through a political and industrial revolution. Very
naturally, reconstruction was accompanied by disorders, but local remedies
appear as soon as the presence of the Federal Government is removed, and
these are the only effective remedies. Throughout nearly the whole South
the recently-enfranchised freedmen exercise, unmolested, all the duties of
citizenship. Twice as many of them vote in Mississippi or South Carolina as
could vote in Massachusetts, for, in that State, as a condition of voting, a
man must know how to read and write. The white votes are divided, and
are bidding for the Colored voters. It is not essential that the National Gov¬
ernment should be Republican, but it is essential that all men should be equal
under the law. The Negroes are also improving their material Gondition.
A large and steadily-increasing number own real estate. In the city of At¬
lanta they are assessed for $3,000,000. In Kemper county, Miss., one in
five own lands. In Vicksburg, one out of ten adults own their own homes
—a better average thkn will be found in Boston. Yazoo county, Miss., has
a dozen Negro planters worth $10,000 each. These are evidences of a rate
of progress absolutely marvelous, when we consider the revolution through
which the South has passed, the bitterness of defeat in a great ^var, and the
prejudices of race and color."
Appropriate to this subject, we also quote from an article
in the New York Tribune, by Mr. Edward Atkinson, a very
shrewd writer on corrimercial topics. He says:
• "The crop of cotton of 1876 and 1879 was the largest ever raised. The
ten crops of 1852 to 1861, inclusive, being the last crops raised by slave labor,
numbered 34,995.440 bales. The ten crops of 1870 to 1879,inclusive, being
the ten last crops raised by free labor, numbered 41,454,743 bales. The ex¬
cess of the ten years of-free labor amounts to 6,459,303 bales. The value of
the ten last crops, of which about two-thirds have been exported, has been
not less than $2,500,000,000, and has probably amounted to $3,000,000,000.
The increase is progressive, the excess of the five last crops over the five crops
immediately preceding the war lias been 3,932,415 bales.
"It was formerly alleged and currently believed that the free Negro would
MATERIAL' ADVANCEMENT OF THE RACE.
not and that white men could not work in the cotton field. Who, then, raised
t iese last crops ? If it is the Negro who has done the most of this work, then
is he not the financial power of this land by whom specie payment has been
restored? The Negro population of the South, which may have diminished
or kept stationary in point of numbers during the first few years of freedom,
in which they were adjusting themselves to the care of their'own families, is
now rapidly increasing. The improved methods of• cultivation, and the use
of various kinds of manure have caused the crop of cotton of the more north¬
ern States to mature about one month earlier, have made it more capable of
withstanding drought and worms, and have greatly improved its quality."
And also the following from the Hopkinsville New Era,
one of the most intelligent journals in Kentucky:
''There are not a few persons in this community who are accustomed to
say that the emancipation of the slaves impoverished Christian county, and
that our people can never recover from the loss inflicted by that act. While
those who utter such sentiments are constitutional growlers, their talk has
more or less weight with that large class of people who never think or inves¬
tigate for themselves. We have recently had occasion to examine some
statistics touching the production of Christian county before and since the
war, and we have concluded to give the public the benefit of the facts at
hand. In 1850, a year of more than average agricultural prosperity under
the slave regime, Christian produced 45,678 bushels of wheat,. 1,235,290
bushels of corn, and 6,312,076 pounds of tobacco. In 1878, Christian pro¬
duced, with free labor, 971,920 bushels of wheat, 2,335,599 bushels of corn,
and 7,846,928 pounds of tobacco. Does that look as if the agricultural inter¬
ests of this section -had been seriously crippled by the liberation of the
slaves? We dare say every thrifty, enterprising section in the South can
show a similar increase of agricultural products."
THE "EXODUS."
Although it is likely to prove a question only of the
moment, we feel compelled to say something about the much-
talked of exodus of Colored people from the South. It is not
our business to look into the cause of this movement, we have
only to deal with the fact that it exists. Senator Ben Hill, of
Georgia, discussing this subject in the United States Senate,
December 18, 1879, said he thought "this emigration ques¬
tion would settle itself. The Negro was no longer a ward.
He was free to go where he pleased. He had been of
those who doubted the capacity of the black man to become
a eood citizen, but he was glad to put himself on record as
admitting that the black man had done better than he was
expected to." Gov. Hampton, of South Carolina, recently
said in a speech at Abbeville, that the whites "ought to
respect the rights of the Negroes, pay them good wages,
make them feel independent, let them vote as they please,
and try to add to their happiness in every possible way, so as
168 NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
to endear them to the State." And lastly, the Vicksburg
Herald thinks that "the fellow in Congress who wants to
investigate the exodus is wasting his time. A good price
for Southern products, patience, kindness and justice will soon
settle the exodus."
Yet the exodus continues, and the question arises, Is there
no remedy? no hope? Yes. There is a solution, and we
believe only one correct solution of the problem. We are
not overwise on the subject. It is patent to all who think, to
all who use their eyes. Make the Colored man a permanent
fixture in the South—induce him to become a settled citizen.
It is easy enough. Let the Southern planters who now own
large farms, and find taxes such a grievous burden—the laws
of labor unsettled, and unreliable, and they themselves "land
poor" though "the lords of manors"—let them divide up
their immense tracts into small farms—twenty—forty—sixty
—and one hundred acre homesteads. Sell to the Colored
man on reasonable terms—exorbitant prices are never fair,
induce him to settle and improve, induce him to become a
tax payer, get him interested in the control of affairs, and we
will soon cease to hear of carpet baggery and scallawagery.
As it is to-day they are but nomads—a race of four or five
millions, many without "local habitation." What wonder
they form a dangerous element of society? We have com¬
plained much of white tramps. Their marauding depreda¬
tions and high-hand deviltry. Scarcely a newspaper is
printed that does not contain some account of their out¬
lawry. But the Negro, although he is not permitted to claim
any spot of earth as his own, although he is the target of all
the envomed shafts that prejudice and hatred may let fly—
to-day he presents a better record for morality and obedience
to the laws than the grand army of "turnpike sailors" who
roam the land.
Then why should the Colored man be forced to leave the
South ? why should he wish to leave ? This is the home of
his youth—here all his associations have been! formed, here
all of his memories cluster, and here lie the bones o'f his
kindred. There is work enough for all who are here, and for
many more who will come. There are rich lands to cultivate,
mines to work, towns to build, roads to make, streams to nav¬
igate, a thousand hills, valleys and plains to set in grass.
They are born-agriculturists, and to a large extent will con¬
tinue so. Happy for them that this is the fact. No condition
MATERIAL ADVANCEMENT OF THE RACE. 169
in life can surpass, if equal, that of the intelligent, independ¬
ent farmer. Here then is a genial climate, a fruitful soil.
Here are the elements of prosperity and enrichment. Agri¬
culture and Commerce are twin brothers. Like the Siamese
twins they cannot be divided. Their interests are identical.
The future of the South is one of diversified manufacturing
industry. The white man may turn the throttle-valve or un¬
lock the shaft, but he cannot long labor under the burning
rays of our sun. Yet he must "have the raw material. Who
then is to supply this material—who will supply it if the
Negroes go ?
There should then be no conflict of peoples—no clashing
of interests. Amiable relations should . prevail. The law of
humanity is reciprocity. Mutual interests bind nation to
nation and race to race. Indeed, this is the law of nature as
plainly written as nature herself. The sun would \>q but half
• a sun amid the spinning planets if it did not c]othe them all
with its own brightness and make them helpers, giving as
they receive. . Th,ere should then, and there soon will be an
end of strife. This country does not,want any more bloody
revolutions, or low-lived contention. It must be peaceful,
amiable, literate, learned, artistic and moral.
Above all what we want first is, a reformation of the courts,
modification of laws. Or,. to express it as Senator Ingalls
lately said, after conversing with a colored emigrant from
Georgia, we need a reformation of all such systems as " the
convict system in Georgia, amounting to practical slavery, and
under whi-ch the Negro who stole a biscuit was imprisoned
ten years, and the white man who killed a Negro sentenced
for only two years."
POLITICAL RIGHTS.
So far we have steered clear of this question, but if it be
asked what benefits have resulted to the Colored man from
political enfranchisement, we may be pardoned for introducing
the following extract from the sketch of Thomas Jefferson,
/written by Judge Baldwin, of Mississippi, relative to Mr. Jef¬
ferson's views of the liberty of the people, and the popular
system of suffrage :
<< It elevates the masses.— By making a man independent of external control,
lie becomes his own master. He relies on himself. He gets that individu-
l'tv of will which is the distinctive attribute of freedom and of manhood.
With it comes self-respect. With these and the political power with which
he is clothed, comes the respect of others. He feels his importance in the
170
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
State, in his family, in his neighborhood. He becomes informed, more or
less., as to those things with which he has concern. He associates with men
with whom he can profitably converse and exchange views; he attends public
discussion^. The currents of intelligence, which circulate over the country,
come to his mind. His port and bearing are those of a freeman. He edu¬
cates his children. He sees them rise up to posts of honor and distinction.
He strives to accumulate property, that their position in the world may be
better than his own. He is thus a contented citizen. There is no cause of
discontent. He cannot resist the government, because it is his own, and he
has no cause of quarrel with it. Hejcannot rebel against the administration
of the law. The functionaries, chosen mediately or immediately by the
people, are but executing the laws the people have made and can repeal.
Privilege is the preservative of caste.—Superior wealth, talent, information, or
social position, wi h superior political privileges, would keep a chilling dis¬
tance forever between the higher and lower classes. But a community of
privileges and rights, and the dependence of the higher upon the lower
classes for political elevation, repress pride, bring equality into fashion, and
prevent the heart-burnings and jealousies which would otherwise prevail.
It makes the population in a good degree homogeneous." And this and
much more,. Judge Baldwin assures us, "We can trace as germ prin¬
ciples of popular rights to Jefferson. He planted the seed in the mind and
heart of the nation, and it produced its fruit in due season. No man's influ¬
ence has been so great as his in this country. Jackson's, though stronger,
probably, at first had more of will, and less of principle for its base, and
therefore, will not be so lasting." 1
SOCIAL EQUALITY.
There is no need of alarm on this score. It is useless and
absurd to talk of caste or equality in a country where there
are no castes, and no nobility ; where in a single city, one man
shall own ten millions of money, and a hundred thousand men
not a cent; where the millionaire of to-day may be the pauper
of to-morrow, or the beggar of this week the capitalist of the
next; where every man is the chooser of his associates, and
makes for himself his own society. The absurdity of this
thing was shown when the Civil Rights Bill fell a dead letter
on the land. It will appear more so as the Colored people
advance in education, for no right-minded, high-toned, culti¬
vated Colored man or woman would think of forcing their
society any sooner than a refined white person would. And
yet even in this direction there are true Southern people ad¬
vancing most liberal opinions. The following from the Nash¬
ville Banner, of December 31, 1879, is about the most
pronounced thing on the subject we have lately seen:
"The truly refined gentleman, whether white, copper-colored, or black,
never attempts to throw himself into company where his presence is un-
1 Party Leaders—By Jo. G. Baldwin, author of The Flush Times of Alabama and
Mississippi. N. Y., U. Appleton & Co., pp. 83-86.
material advancement of the race. 171
accorded by i°f f™" COl-°red pe°-P-G t0 every position
Thp mn <■ • • T tends to excite opposition and retard the advance,
r . ,re u 1s Pprsisted in, the longer will the contest continue. The very
t 1 ^iem ^ave made such advances in education and refine-
men , a only race antagonism excludes them from social intercourse,
proves conclusively that it can be done by all' with the proper care, study
an a tention. And our word for it, in time, ail distinctions, of whatever
character, will gradually disappear. The great iceberg that now rears its
frozen head between the two races will, under the warming influence of ed¬
ucation and morality, melt away, leaving nothing whatever to interpose be¬
tween them. Then all those things so eagerly desired by them will seem as
small and as undesirable as they now appear unattainable. Let alone juries
and churches and all those chimeras that now appear so alluring; they will
only retard the advance of the African, and he ought to know that by arro¬
gantly demanding rights that only belong to the worthy, whether of the
blacks or the whites, he thereby renders his position harder to bear, and
lowers himself in the consideration of the only people whose good opinions
are worth having. Amend this fault, live uprightly, educate yourselves, ac¬
quire independence, adopt energetic habits guarded by frugality, be moral
without ostentation and offensive affectation, and time will do all the bal¬
ance. You, of the present generation, may not live to see it, but the time
will come, and soonest in the South, when no distinctions will exist on
account of race or color, We say in the South; because the South is the
true friend of the Negro. The South does not affect a consideration for
political purposes they do not feel, but the sons and daughters of the South
cannot and will never forget the faithful nurses who attended their tod¬
dling footsteps, nor the patient cooks who fed them from their own scanty
stores, and therefore dare tell them the truth, that they may profit and
amend by it."
In conclusion, we say to the Americo-Africans, lift up your
hearts. If true to God, true to your country, and true to
yourselyes, you have nothing to fear. Fidelity in this three¬
fold character will bring blessings brighter than our pen can
picture. Go on in the glorious work of education, practice
morality, be just, be industrious, be moderate and economical.
What a glorious future is before these people ! What a
splendid history they should make for themselves—a history
which it will be the agreeable task of some of their cultured
scholars to write. The darkness of the past will be utterly
dissipated by the effulgent glory of the future. The time for
trepidation is over. The solid foundation of future happiness
is laid for the Colored man.
So passes on the swift procession of the years. The year
i860 was destined to witness the overthrow of slavery. The
vear '1880, dawns on the better days of freedom. The year
1900, we dare believe, we dare affirm, will open upon the earth
172
NEGRO CIVILIZATION IN THE SOUTH.
,with not a slave under the pavilion of God. No more despots
in Europe—no more chains for Africa—in Asia, advancing
millions—in America, a happy, prosperous, God-loving peo¬
ple, moving steadily and full of rejoicing, onward and upward
toward,
"That God which ever lives and loves,
One God, one law, one element,
And one far-off divine event,
To which the whole creation moves."
THE END.