TYPES AND SHADOWS.
The development of the negro, educationally, has been embarrassed by
natural causes that he has been unable to overcome. In a great variety
of instances he has failed to be actuated by an intellectual or
benevolent reason. In the evolution of the negro from a savage to a
slave, from a slave to a freedman, and from a freedman to a citizen,
only in exceptional instances has he been able to originate a theory or
experiment that has been profitable to himself or others. No high state
of civilization has ever originated from them. History teaches us that a
nation may pass through an ascending or descending career. It may, by
long-continued discipline, exhibit a general, mental advance; or it may
go through other demoralizing processes, until it descends to the very
bottom of animal existence.
Man is distributed throughout the earth in various conditions: in
temperate zones he presents the civilization of Europe and America; in
torrid zones the ignorance and nakedness of the African. It was out of
the stew-pan of the equator that the negro was fished--with all the
features and instincts of a barbarism, from which he is slowly
emerging--by cruel and irresponsible traders. The religious ideals of
the negro are vague and indeterminate. They are intensely superstitious,
and believe, as their ancestors before them, in sorcery and witchcraft.
Although their powers of origination are inefficient, they readily
imitate the manners, customs and idiosyncracies of their masters, and
frequently exhibit a superficial polish. They are emotional rather than
practical in their religion. They are not naturally revengeful or
vindictive, and they have shown a sentiment of gratitude that greatly
endeared them to their owners. When war was flagrant, and they felt that
it was waged for their emancipation--that the institution of slavery was
menaced by Federal arms, in unnumbered instances they held in sacred
trust millions of dollars worth of property and the lives of thousands
of defenseless human beings, who held over them, without challenge, the
rod of domestic government.
Under all exasperating causes up to and during the war, hundreds of
slaves remained loyal to the interests and authority of their masters.
Conditions, however, highly inflammatory, developed passions that made
them brutish, dishonest and cruel. Their emotional religion and their
prejudices acted concurrently. The carpet-bagger found these unlighted
fagots distributed everywhere throughout the South; he had only to
entice them by delusive promises; he had only to say to them, "Will you
be slaves, or freedmen?"--to put into their hands a new commission, and
into their hearts a new faith, differentiated from the old in order to
kindle the fires of hate and revenge.
The Freedman's Bureau in the South was the nineteenth century
Apocalypse--a revelation truly to the poor negroes, who had devoutly
longed for its coming. The event, they thought, would be distinguished
by their sudden enrichment; its huge commissariat would leak from every
pore with the oil of fatness; officials, patient and sympathetic, would
stand at its portals to distribute pensions and subsistence, and the
star-spangled banner waving from the masthead would bow its welcome to
all who came. Something for nothing was their great law of reciprocity.
Four million slaves fastened themselves like barnacles upon this odious
institution, an extremely partisan agency, deadly and inimical--hostile
to the peace of the South and the interests of her people. These slaves,
maddened by their misery, looked back upon the ruined plantations, and
laughed when they felt that the whirlwind of retribution had swept over
the land.
Aleck, a former slave of Colonel Seymour, but whose rebellion to the
slightest authority had latterly been shown by expressions cruel and
insulting, and who affected a social equality with the carpet-baggers,
halloed over the picket fence in the small hours of the night, to Johua,
who was now eighty years of age:
"Hay, dar, yu franksized woter! hez yu heerd de news, ur is yu pine
plank ceasded? Hay, dar, Joshaway! De bero man is dun und riv wid de
munny, und he lows dat he is ergwine ter penshun off de ole isshu
niggers fust."
"Aye, aye!" exclaimed Joshua, almost mechanically, as he aroused himself
with an effort, and rubbed the sleep out of his dimmed eyes, "Don't you
heer dat, Hanner?" he asked his old wife. "Ergwine to penshun off de ole
isshu niggers fust! Grate Jarryko! Who dat er woicin' dat hebbenly
pocklermashun outen dar in de shank o' de night? Haint dat yu, brudder
Wiggins?"
"Yaw," Aleck replied, "dis is me, sho. De bero man hez dun und sont me
to norate dis pocklermashun to you und Ned."
"Grate Jarryko!" exclaimed Joshua, again excitedly. "Hanner," he
continued, "ef yu ever seed a cricket hop spry 'pon de hath, jess watch
dis heer ole isshu jump inter his gyarments."
As the negro was groping about in the dark for his ragged clothes he
said half parenthetically, "Dat dare voice fetches to my membrunce de
scriptur agen, whay hit says "Fling yo bred into de warter und hit is
ergwine to cum out a ho cake." Yu is er shoutin', sliding-baccurd
mefodis Hanner und don't pin yo fafe to providence but to grace, und
grace is ergwine to keep you perpendikkler in Filadelfy meeting-house,
but hit haint ergwine to fetch no horg meat nur taters nudder, dis side
of de crick. Hit wur providence dat fotched dat bero man into de
souf-land wid de munny to de ole lams of de flock. Don't yu see?"
"I sez ole lams," snapped Hannah; "ef day wuz de onliest wuns gwine to
be penshunned off, yu'd be stark nekked as er buzzard, kase yu is dun un
backslewed wusser dan a scaly horg."
"Grate Jarryko!" ejaculated Joshua, "How's a mishunnary ergwine to back
slew, tell me dat? Kase you jined Filadelfy church, you haint got all de
liggion in de world. Dare's Zion und dare's Massedony und dare's de
baptizin crick und den dares fafe und providence. Don't you see Hannah?
I'm ergwine to ax yu enudder pint rite dare," continued Joshua. "Who dat
way back yander in the dissart, dat de good Lord fed wid ravens, when de
rashuns gin out? Pend upon it, dat woice out yander imitates de woice of
the proffit Heckerlijer, dat flung his leg outen jint, er tusselling wid
de harkangel."
"Twant Heckerlijer" answered Hannah sharply, as she threw a splinter of
lightwood upon the embers. "Yu's allus a mysterfying de scriptures when
yu's er spashiatin erbout dem proffets; yu haint never heerd no such a
passage as dat from de circus rider, nur de slidin elder nudder; ef dat
cum outer de scriptur, hits by und 'twixt de misshunaries, und day is
fell frum grace same as yu."
"Now yu's acting scornful agen de misshunarys" replied Joshua
contemptuously, "Ef you ever gits to hebben, let me pete dat ergin; I
sez, ef you ever gets to hebben yu's ergwine to hole a argyment wid de
possel Joner, und den yu's ergwine to be flung outen de gate."
"Whay did yu get dat possell frum?" asked Hannah with irritation.
"Whicherway is de sebben starrs Joshua?" She asked as she changed the
subject.
"Day is skew-west over yander," said Joshua as he went to the door to
look out into the night; "Und bress de Lord" he continued, "peers lak
day is a nussing de bero man und de munny er standin' disserway
purpundikkler, fo und aft?"
"Is yu ergwine to de town und hit pitch dark?" enquired Hannah. "How in
de name of Gord is yu gwine to get to de tuther eend of de crick, und yu
bline ez a sand mole flung outer de ground?"
"Now yu's er flingin' a damper on my ambishun ergin. How's I ergwine to
fetch de munny back epseps I gits to the tuther eend?" asked Joshua
crustily. "Duz yu speck me to slew frum wun eend to the tuther lak a
skeeter hork? Tell me dat."
"Lors a massy" he cried out in pain, as he danced around the room on one
foot, "fur de hebbins sake fling dat ole free-legged cheer outer dis
house into de mash. Grate Jarryko! de debble has sho got hisself tangled
up wid de harrydatterments of dis house. Yu mouter knowed dat pizened
cussed impelment was ergwine to cum in contack wid sum of my jints."
"Yu jess nuss dat ole hoof of yourn in boff hands lak dat," said Hannah
provokingly "twell I strikes a lite und den I'm ergwine to clap fur yu
to dance er misshunery reel."
"Don't tanterlize me no mo Hanner wid dem reels und me in all dis rack
und missury! Grate Jarryko! Dis heer ole happy sack haint ergwine to
hole all dat munny," observed Joshua, after a moment and still groaning
with pain.
"Den you mout take de bofat, und de blu chiss, und den dare's de wheel
borrer und de steer kyart. Fetch all yu kin Joshaway, fur me und yu is
ergwine to need hit every bit und grane. Dat ole beaver of yourn wid de
tip eend er flipperty-flopity disserway und datterway, same ez a kyte in
de gale is jamby gin out, und den dares de lan, und de grate house, und
de hosses und de kerrige, und de peanny forty, und de kalliker kote, und
de snuff, und--und--"
"Don't fling no mo unds--unds--at me," interrupted Joshua in disgust,
"epsep yu aims fur me to drap rite back into de bed, whay I wur wen de
proklermashun isshued."
Hannah made no answer to this effusion of temper, but going slyly to an
old chest in the corner, she took from it a bottle containing a gill or
more of ardent spirits and giving it to the old negro, said, "Anint dat
ole jint wid dis good truck, Joshaway, hit will swage de missury."
Joshua looked up with a countenance beaming like the full moon coming
out of a black cloud, and playfully said to his old wife, "Honey I kin
swage de missury mo better disser way;" drank it down and then
exclaimed, "Bress God, dat sarchin pain is dun und gon."
"Dont you forget honey," said Joshua again, patronizingly as he was
about stepping out of the door with his stick and haversack, "dat nex
Saddy, arter dis Saddy cummin, dem dare high steppers dats gwine to cum
home wid me dis arternoon is ergwine to raise a harry kane 'twixt dis
house und de federick sammyterry whay old Semo und dat secesh gubberner
is ergwine to preach de funeral of ole Ginurul Bellion, lately ceasded,
und when me und yu gits into de kerrige, great Jarryko! I'm ergwine to
hole dem rones disserway, und whern day gits 'twixt de flatform und ole
glory, I'm ergwine to histe 'em up on dare hine legs, jess so, see!"
Old Hannah clapped her hands with joy and laughed again and again
"Bress Gord" she exclaimed with excitement; "yu is same ez a yurling
colt yoself Joshaway, I'm ergwine to give yu a moufful of fodder and
shet yu up wid de steer, kase de way yu's a histing up yo rare legs und
er chompin' de bit, yu's ergwine to eat up de gyarden sass same as de
steer."
Joshua looked scornfully at his wife and observed with a fierce scowl,
"Day haint no passifyin' wun of dese backslewed mefodiss epseps yu's er
totin every bit of de strane yoself, fo I gits back wid de kerrige und
de hosses," he continued quite earnestly "Yu mout move all de harry
detaments outen de house, ready fur de grate house, und yu mont rent dis
house to ole Semo pervidin' he pays de rent, und you mout turn de munny
over to de darters of de sammytary siety."
"Ugh! Ugh! I heers yu; fetch dem nales und de snuff Joshaway!" Hannah
halloed as Joshua now in a good humor limped away in the darkness
singing merily;
"When I was ergrwine down de field,
De blacksnake bit me on de heel;
Und ez I riz to fire my best
I run ergin a yaller jacket's nest.
"Yaller jackets indeed" echoed Hannah as she proudly tossed her aged
head, "when Joshua fetches dem rones und kerrige, dare haint ergwine to
be no yaller jackets on me ur him udder."
The village was thronged with the black wards of the government, when
Joshua arrived wearied and hungry. Allured by expectations that had
been most wantonly excited, the negroes flocked into the town with
trunks, valises, travelling bags, some of them of the most primitive
description, within which to put their pensions. Flattering expressions
came from truly loyal hearts, when the agent of the freedman's bureau
ascended the court house steps to address the freedmen. His very
presence was like the sunlight over the darkened land, but alas; he was
the man who was to pass out to each and all of the misguided negroes the
cup of disappointment and bitterness, and they in their nakedness and
stupidity would drink its lees with the desperate resoluteness of
fanatics.
Joshua stood with his old skinny hands clasped upon his bosom, looking
up in an attitude of reverence.
"Grate Jarryko!" he said to himself; "Ef dis bellion hadn't upriz de ole
isshu nigger mouter been way back yander a totin' de grubbin hoe fur
Jeff Davis, de secesh, und de ole bull whup er natally cryin fur de po
niggers meat. Ef Hanner seed dis site, she'd jine de mishunary's, kase
she mouter node dat providence had sont dat bero man und hit is mo
better dan grace."
The old negro saw the diamonds glittering upon the enameled shirt bosom
of the agent and he said again in rapture.
"Day is same ez de starrs in de hellyments."
He saw a huge chain dangling from his neck, and he exclaimed.
"Grate Jarryko! ef de ole ship of Zion wur to git shipracked in Galilee,
yu mout grapple her wid dat dare chain und hit mout hole twell de
harrykin swaged."
The old negro was lost in wonder, and at last overpowered by fatigue,
and the press of the throng, he dropped out of line and fell asleep upon
an empty crate. How long he slept does not enter into the chronicle.
There were mischievous boys then as there are now, and whilst he slept
they collected from old bureau drawers one hundred dollars of brand new
confederate treasury notes of the issue of 1864, and placed them loosely
in his beaver and covered it over with his red pocket handkerchief. Upon
awaking, Joshua rubbed his eyes, and then his knees and his elbows;
looked around dazedly, and exclaimed.
"Consound my buttons, ef de bero man haint dun und penshuned off de
niggers, und gon; und dis heer nigger a drapped back to sleep, lak a
idgeot, wid nary cent of de penshun. Grate Jarryko! I knows what Hanner
is ergwine to say; she's ergwine to ax me erbout de hosses, und den
she's ergwine to aggravate me wid providence dis, und grace dat, und
mishunary heer, und meferdis dare. Ef yu'd pervided yoself wid sum of
dat grace down at Filadelfy meetin' house Joshaway, she's ergwine to
say, you mouter fotched de rones und de kerrige too. Grate Jarryko! hit
peers lak provedense hez dun und flung de fat in de fire arter all."
Taking up his old hat, the confederate money went scurrying here and
there; the old negro looked around him suspiciously, and exclaimed in an
excited way.
"Grate Jarryko! whicherway did all dis munny cum from? hit wur
provedense dat time und no mistake; now yu sees Hanner which wun of dem
meeting houses is got de under holt; Yu's dun und hilt to grace, und me
runs wid fafe, und whicherwun is got de munny? Tell me dat?"
Whilst Joshua was sleeping, Hannah was busy hammering and packing the
scant furniture for its removal to the great house, and at high noon
everything was out of doors. The squealing pig was fettered like a
convict, and old Boatswain, the coon dog, was tied and howling like a
catamount. Joshua placed the money into his haversack, with the nails
and snuff, looked up at the setting sun, and said to himself.
"I mout let Hanner pick out dem hosses, und de kerrige, kase she mout
not like de rones."
The old negro struck a bee-line for home with the further observation.
"Grate Jarryko! ef hit warnt fur Ganderbilt, I specks dis ole nigger
mout be de richest man on de top side of de yurth."
He paused for a moment and said.
"I dun und forgit; I'm mo'est sho Hanner is ergwine to ax fer sperrets
fur her griping missury."
And he stepped into the nearest groggery and purchased a pint or more
with the money an old friend had given him.
"Now den ole town, I bids yu farwell twell yu sees me und Hanner in de
kerrige."
As Joshua was going on toward home his mind became speculative. Great
schemes in a crude way were thought of, and he said to himself.
"Now dat de munny is dun un riv, ef I ketches Hanner wun mo time wid a
hoe in her hands, I'm ergwine to git a vorcement. She mout take lessons
on de peanny-forty from dat white gal in de grate house und play de
hopperatticks arternoons arter me und her hez driv over de plantushun
und seed to de craps. When I gits home I'm ergwine to berry dis munny
under de tater hill und I haint ergwine to let Hanner spishun whay I
keeps hit, kase she'll buy all de hosses in de Newnited States und
finely hit will all be gone. I'm ergwine to fling de whup und pull de
ribbuns myself, und ole Semo de secesh jess got to git outen de grate
house. Lemme see how dese sperrets tastes," he said. And he reached in
his ole haversack, got the flask and put it to his mouth. "Gurgle,
gurgle, gurgle; umph," he said, smacking his lips, "dat is sho good
truck. Is yu got gumpshun nuff ter count dis munny, specks it oversizes
your judgment, ole hoss," and he began to count upon his fingers, "five
hundred, hundred fousand, hundred million. Great king! what am I gwine
ter do wid dis munny; ef ole Mars Linkun cud see Joshaway now, wid his
freedom und de grate house und de plantashun und de hosses, he wud larf
und larf frum wun eend of his mouf to the tother. You see's now Mr.
Bellyun what yu is dun und dun fur yosef crackin de whup ober de po
nigger."
A distance of two miles had been placed between the old negro and the
village and he had two more miles to go. One mile ahead ran with a swift
current the black waters of Chowattuck, but there was a substantial foot
log thrown across it, and it was ordinarily safe. Joshua had gone but a
little farther when he wanted to sample "dem dar sperrets agin," "Pen
upon it, I nattally feels dat ar truck er oozin outen my toe nails." The
"tikler" was turned up again, and gurgle, gurgle, gurgle sang the fiery
spirits. The money now had greatly multiplied; the trees upon the
roadside were somersaulting, and the road itself, like a serpent, was
twisting in and out about his tangled legs. Joshua stopped in sight of
the water with the observation.
"Hole on dar ole hoss, what is yu ergwine ter do, dis munny aint ergwine
to tote yu ober dis crick; ole glory back yander aint gwine ter heer yu
hollow, what is yer gwine to do?"
He put his hands upon his old knees, and rubbed them down, brought his
coat sleeves with a fierce swing across his cavernous mouth, fetched a
grunt or two, then planted his feet upon the foot-log.
"Studdy yosef ole hoss, studdy yosef, ef yu draps inter dis heer crick
und gits drounded, it's ergwine to bust up ebery scalyhorg in der
souf."
Three times he tried to walk the log and as often fell off before
reaching the water.
"Konsoun de crick," he muttered, "hit hadn't orter be heer no how, er
pesterrin fokses er cummin und er gwine; pears lak now de bellion is dun
und fell dere is a dratted crick at ebery crook in de rode; blame my
hide ef I aint gwine ercross ef I has ter crawl lak a santypede; I kin
straddle de dratted fing un I kin git ercross arter a fashun, but what
is I gwine ter do wid de happy-sak und de munny? I is bleeged ter use
bof hands ter hold on to de dratted log when I slips und slides, und I
kaint tote de happy-sak in my mouf, kase I haint got but one ole snag in
my hed, and hit is in de furder eend; consound it, whay it hadn't orter
be no how. I kin tie de happy-sak to de kote keerts, und den ole hoss,
yu und me kin land on de tother side of de crick lak a kildee. Ef I was
ergwine tother way dar wud be a passel ob kaarts cummin dis way; dey is
allus gwine de rong way at de rong time." So argued Joshua as he
fastened the haversack to the only button on the back of his coat.
"Now den ole buttun, ef yu was ter brake loose, un drap yu wud werk
bigger strucshun dan a yeth-shake, dat yu wud. Provedense is ergwine to
do hits part ef Hanner is dun und dun hern."
Slipping and sliding, the old negro was approaching the other end of the
foot log; his heavily weighted coat skirts thumping against his shanks,
when he was sliding along under an overhanging cypress bush about midway
of the deep channel, "kerchunk" some heavy object dropped into the
water.
"Grate Jarryko!" exclaimed the old negro alarmed, "what a tremenjous
mockisun snake dat was a drapping off dat dar bush; I'm ergwine ter git
erway frum dis crick, sho yo born."
Slipping and sliding he finally got to the end, and with the
observation "Peers lak I feels mity lightsum in de hine parts," he put
his hand behind him to feel for his haversack, and found it gone.
The loss of the treasure for the moment confused the old negro, then he
began to cry and swear, until his grief at last found expression in the
exclamation:
"Grate Jarryko! Dem passages o' scriptur erbout fafe und erbout grace
und erbout proverdense got twisted und tangled togedder into a loblolly,
und bress de Lawd, dis heer happuning is de eend of it all."
He then looked back upon the raging flood, utterly forlorn, and
plaintively addressed himself to his situation:
"Now, whot's Hanner gwine ter do erbout dem hosses und de kerrige und de
grate house, und dey kivered up in dat sloshy graveyard--drownded to def
in de turkle hole? Dat ole button dun und broke loose und drapped in de
werry wustest place on de top side o' de yeth. Now Hanner she's ergwine
ter say hit wuz de sperrets. Well, den, how did de sperrets git inter de
button? Dat's de pint. She mout say ergen dat ef dem sperrets hadn't got
mixed up wid de ankle jints dat dis nigger mouter slewed ter disser eend
und hilt on ter de munny. Well, den, how cum de drotted crick in de
middle o' de rode? Dat's er nudder pint. Dis heer missury dun und cum
erbout twixt Hanner und de debbil; dats de how. She er drapped back
yander, er singin',
'Hold de fort, fer I'm er coming'
und er spectin' de hosses und de kerrige, und bress de Lawd she dun und
flung de fat in de fiar her own sef. How's I ergwine ter hole de fort
wid de ammynishun in de dratted crick? I haint ergwine ter put de blame
on de sperrits, kase hit hadn't orter go dare. She mout er node dat ole
buttun warnt ergwine to tote dat strane, und dat hit wus ergwine ter
brake loose und drap fust er las. How wus I er gwine ter git ter dis
eend epseps I had fafe in de button? Now she mout say ergin dat I hed
orter slewed across fust und den slewed back und fotched de munny. Bress
de Lawd, how wuz I ergwine ter know de munny wuz gwine to stay at de
tuther eend und I at disser eend? Tell me dat. Twixt de scalyhorgs und
dat Mefodis meetin house, dare's ergwine ter cum a slycoon in dis lan'
yit."
As Joshua approached his cabin he looked up and saw his old wife sitting
in a dilapidated rocking chair, surrounded by the scant furniture, and
singing:
"Tis grace hez fotched me safe dis fur.
Und grace gwine take me home."
He stopped abruptly and began to groan and mutter.
"Grate Jarryko!" he exclaimed, as he vigorously rubbed one foot against
the other, "Ef yu's spectin' dem rones to tote yu in de kerrige to
Filadelfy meetin' house, hits ergwine ter be by und twixt mo better
grace dan yu's got, ur me udder."
The old negro looked up again over the broken rim of his beaver, and he
began to mutter again, "Grate Jarryko! Ef dat fool nigger haint dun und
gone und turned de house inside outtards! De debbil hez sho broke loose
in de middle ships o' dis ole plantashun, und dem evil sperrets is in
cohoot wid won ernudder."
At this point Hannah observed Joshua zigzagging across the field without
horses or carriage, and her wrath was exceeding fierce.
"Pend upon it," she exclaimed, "dat ar ole nigger fool de werry
eyeballs outen yo hed. Gwine ter fetch de rones und de kerrige! Grate
king! Ef de good Lawd spares me twell den, when de jedge cums er roun'
ter de kote, I'm ergwine ter git me er vorcement. Mont ez well go inter
cohootnership wid a billy gote, widout ary moufful o' fodder ez dat ole
black idgeot."
When Joshua came within hailing distance, Hannah halloed to him; "Whay
hez yu been all dis nite Joshaway? Here I'se sot und sot ever sense
daylite down, in de jam of de chimney und every now und den hit peeerd
lak I heerd dem rones er plumputy plump down de rode, er cummin same ez
a sho nuff harrykin, und bress Gord heer yu cums ergin wid de drunken
reels lak er ole hoss, wid de bline staggers, mommucked up wusser dan a
kadnipper; Look at dat ole bever hat, er layin' dare pine plank lak a
turkle trap sot bottom uppards."
Joshua heaved one or more sighs as he blurted out in a drowsy way; "Dem
dare hosses yu heerd down de rode, er blickerty blick, dun und got
drownded to def in de crick last nite."
"Grate king!" exclaimed Hannah wrathfully; "ef de good Lord spares me
twell den, when de jedge gits to de kote, I'm gwine to git me a
vorcement."
"Und me too;" ejaculated Joshua as he stretched himself upon a plank for
a nap.