We profess to be neither a defender nor an advocate of slavery, but
circumstances having brought us into frequent communication with the
colored population of the Southern States, we have the satisfaction of
knowing that our opinions, concerning their condition, whether correct
or not, are the result of personal observation. We do indeed consider
the institution as an evil, but we consider the fanaticism of the North
to be a much greater evil. By birth and education are we a Northern man,
and we willingly acknowledge that we started upon our first journey
through the Southern States, harboring in our breast an unreasonable
number of prejudices against the institution already mentioned. The
tables, however, are now completely turned. Aside from the abstract idea
which has ever and will ever trouble us, we have seen but little to
mourn over and regret, but rather observed much, as touching the
happiness of the negro and especially his customs, which we cannot but
commend and admire. Instead of commenting upon these customs in a
general manner, we propose to give an idea of them by describing two
specimens—the negro manner of spending the Christmas Holidays, and the
prominent features of one of their Corn Huskings.
The scene of our first description is a plantation in the interior of
South Carolina. Within hailing distance of the planter’s mansion is a
collection of picturesque cabins, where are domiciled his negroes,
numbering in all about one hundred souls. It is early morning and the
day before Christmas. The slaves have obtained their accustomed
furlough, which is to last until the close of the year, and they are now
on the point of carrying to the market of some neighboring town the
products they may have obtained from their allotted plots of ground
during the bygone season. All the means of conveyance belonging to the
plantation have been placed at their disposal, and the day has arrived
when they are to receive in hard money, or merchandise, the fruit of
their own industry, irrespective of their obligations to their masters.
As a matter of course, the excitement among them is unusual, and is
participated in by all—men, women, and children. All things being ready,
the sable fraternity are upon the move, and as they enter upon a road
winding through a succession of picturesque woods, we will glance at
some of the characters belonging to the cavalcade. The leader thereof is
probably the most industrious and frugal of the whole brotherhood, and
he is taking to market, in a double wagon drawn by two horses, some two
or three bales of cotton, which he will dispose of for one hundred and
fifty dollars. The next vehicle is also a wagon, and in it are two or
three old women, who have under their especial protection an assortment
of poultry which it is their intention to exchange with the village
merchant for any little conveniences that they may need, or any fancy
articles that they may desire. Directly behind these we have a noisy
party of girls and boys, who are footing their way to market more for
the frolic or freedom of the thing than any desire to obtain money,
albeit we doubt not but some of the boys may have stowed away in one of
the wagons an occasional fox or coon skin which have accidentally come
into their possession by means of their cunningly devised traps. In
another wagon, drawn by a pair of mules, we notice a load of
miscellaneous articles, including a supply of rudely wrought
agricultural implements, a few bags of corn and other grain, and a
neatly dressed hog, with his hoofs pointing to the sky. We now have a
venerable negro, mounted upon an equally venerable horse, his only
saddle consisting of a large bag of choice seeds, which he has been
permitted to glean from his master’s fields at the end of the harvest.
And coming up in the rear, is the excessively miscellaneous portion of
the procession, who ramble along, so far as their appearance is
concerned, somewhat after the manner of a party of bedlamites, but as
joyous and light-hearted as if they were the lords instead of the serfs
of creation. And so much for the appearance of our friends on their way
to market.
The thousand and one incidents which occur at the town, interesting and
unique as they are, we will leave to the imagination of our readers.
Towards the close of the day the party return to their cabins upon the
plantation, and albeit some of the more indiscreet may have imbibed an
undue quantity of the intoxicating beverage, the majority of them are as
circumspect in their deportment as could be expected. And then, on their
arrival home, commences the long-anticipated frolic of Christmas Eve.
The banjos and fiddles are brought forth, and devoting themselves most
heartily to the pleasures of dancing, singing, and comparing notes as to
the acquisitions made during the day, the hours of night are soon
numbered, and the revelry is only concluded by the approach of day.
Two hours after sunrise on Christmas morning the sable fraternity are
all out of their beds and moving about with considerable activity,
considering their loss of sleep, and a new order of things is about to
occur. The house servants, and such of the field hands as think their
services may be needed, place themselves in the way of the master and
mistress of the plantation, and cheerfully perform any necessary work
which may be allotted to them. This done, they return to their cabins,
and plan the various means of enjoying themselves. Those old women, and
others who are religiously disposed, jump into a wagon and drive to some
neighboring church to hear the story of the Saviour. Others, who have
relatives belonging to another plantation, start off upon a friendly
visitation. Some, who have a passion for shooting, and have either
borrowed or purchased the necessary fusees, depart upon a vagabondizing
excursion into the woods; while others, who are particularly covetous,
and have already experienced the satisfaction of owning a little
property, remain about the premises for the purpose of accomplishing
some newly-conceived scheme, which will most likely result at no distant
day in his purchasing his freedom. As Christmas is passed, so are the
remaining days of the week, an arrangement having been made among the
negroes, that a portion of them should take turns with another portion,
so that the necessary labor of the plantation might not be neglected. At
the commencement of the year, the regular order of business is resumed
upon the plantation, and so continues with occasional interruption until
another Christmas arrives, to the entire satisfaction, both of master
and slave.
The rural custom denominated _corn husking_ or _corn shucking_ is
peculiar to the Southern States. It occurs at night, in the autumn of
the year, is participated in by negroes alone, and has for its main
object the husking and the gathering into barns of the yellow maize or
corn. And the locality of our present description is a plantation in the
State of Georgia.
Intelligence having previously been circulated throughout the district,
that a husking is to occur on a certain night, at a certain plantation,
the first step, as a matter of course, is to prepare for the
contemplated meeting. The corn yielded by the present harvest is hauled
in from the surrounding fields, and deposited in huge heaps, immediately
around the crib or barn into which it is eventually to be deposited. The
roof of the crib having been built so as to be easily removed, and for
the purpose of allowing the corn to be thrown into the building from a
considerable distance, it is accordingly transferred to some
out-of-the-way place, there to remain until reappropriated to its
legitimate use after the husking is ended. The next step is to bring
together at convenient points around the barn and the stacks of corn,
huge quantities of light wood, which is to be employed for the several
purposes of tempering the night air, affording necessary light, and
rendering the approaching scene as cheerful as possible. And while all
these preparations are being made by the men, others of quite as much
importance are occupying the attention of all the women belonging to the
plantation, whose business it is to prepare the feast which necessarily
follows the actual business of husking; while the children are probably
spending their time in clearing away the rubbish from a level spot of
ground in the vicinity of the bonfires, where it is more than probable
we may yet have the pleasure of witnessing a negro dance.
Night has settled upon the world, and the whole space enclosed by the
planter’s mansion and his almost innumerable outhouses, is filled with a
hum of talking and laughing voices—the loud talking and the hoarse
laughing of perhaps two hundred negroes, exclusive of woman and
children. The torch is now applied to the piles of dry wood, and by the
brilliant light of the several fires the _huskers_ move to their
allotted places around the corn house and seat themselves upon the
ground. They are divided into what might be termed four divisions
(occupying or flanking the several sides of the house), each one of
which is “_headed_” by one of the smartest men in the company, whose
province it is not only to superintend his division, and with the
assistance of several boys to throw the corn, as it is husked, into the
crib, but to take the lead in the singing which, among the blacks,
invariably, and we believe necessarily, accompanies the business of
husking corn. All things being ready, a signal is given, and the whole
party fall to work as if their very lives depended upon their handling a
specified quantity of the white and yellow grain. At the same instant
commences a mingled sound of shouting and singing voices, which
presently swell into a loud and truly harmonious chorus, and the husking
scene is in its prime. The very fires seem elated with the singular but
interesting prospect which they illumine, and shoot their broad sheets
of flame high into the air. Song follows song, in quick succession, and
in every direction piles of beautiful corn seem to spring out of the
earth as if by magic, and with the quickness of magic are transferred
into the great receptacle, which is itself rapidly becoming filled. Rude
indeed are the songs they sing, but harmonious and plaintive. The words
are improvised and the ideas are simple, but there is invariably a
pathos and harmony in the chorus which fails not to delight the ear.
Amusing stories are occasionally told, and then resoundeth far over the
quiet fields sleeping in moonlight, even as did the songs, boisterous
peals of laughter. One, two, three, and perhaps four hours have elapsed,
and it is now midnight, when the announcement is made by some patriarch
of the company that the corn is all husked, and the crib is nearly full.
One more song is called for, during the singing of which the roof is
replaced upon the corn house, and after congregating around the fires,
partly with a view of comparing notes as to the amount of labor
performed, but more especially for the purpose of drying the sweat from
their sable faces, the entire party of huskers move to the spacious
kitchen attached to the planter’s mansion.
And here an entirely new scene presents itself to our view. Board tables
have been spread in every available corner, and even in the more
sheltered portions of the adjoining yard, and everywhere is displayed a
most sumptuous entertainment, consisting not only of the substantials of
life, strangely served up in the form of a thick soup, but abounding
even in luxuries. Good whisky and perhaps peach brandy is supplied in
reasonable quantities, and the women, having finished their allotted
duties, now mingle with the men, and the feasting company presents as
merry and happy a picture of rural life as can well be imagined. Each
negro devotes himself to his particular mess, and somewhat after the
manner of the aborigines. Jokes of questionable elegance and delicacy
are uttered to a considerable extent, and many compliments paid to the
“_lib’ral and magnan’mous massa ob dis plantation_.” On such occasions,
as might not be supposed, acts of decided impropriety but seldom occur,
and it is not often that a sufficient quantity of spirit is imbibed,
either materially to injure the health or produce intoxication. In this
particular, even the “_down-trodden_” slaves, as they are called, may
often set a worthy example for the imitation of those who occupy a more
elevated rank in society.
We now come to describe the concluding scene of the corn-husking
entertainment, which consists of a dance upon the spot cleared away by
the boys in the vicinity of the late fires, which are replenished for
further use. The scraping of fiddles and the thumping of banjos having
been heard above the clatter of _spoons_, _soup-plates_, and _gourds_,
at the various supper tables, a new _stampede_ takes place, and the
musicians are hurried off to the dancing ground, as if to trip the light
fantastic toe were deemed the climax of earthly happiness. “On with the
dance, let joy be unconfined.” But there seemeth no need of the poet’s
advice on the present occasion, for the sable congregation now
assembled, seem animated with an almost frantic excitement. The dance,
as a matter of course, is the famous “_Virginia Reel_,” and at least a
hundred individuals have formed themselves in their proper places. No
sooner do the instruments attain the necessary pitch, than the head
couples dash into the arena, now slowly and disdainfully, now swiftly
and ferociously, and now performing the _double shuffle_ or the
_pigeon-wing_. Anon they come to a stand, while others follow, and go
through the same fantastic performances, with the addition perhaps of an
occasional leap or whirl. The excitement is becoming more intense than
ever, and it is evident that those whose business it is to stand still,
are actually dancing in their shoes. Louder than ever wails the
music—order is followed by confusion—and in the madness of the dance
there is no method. The brilliant watch-fires cast a ruddy glow upon the
faces of the dancers, and when, as it sometimes happens, an individual
chances to wander without the circle, his leaping and uncouth figure
pictured against the sky, resembles more the form of a lost spirit than
a human being. Music, dancing, shouting, leaping, and laughing, with
other indescribable matters, are mingled together in a most unique
manner, constituting a spectacle only equaled by the midnight dances of
painted savages. For hours does this frolic continue, and perhaps is
only brought to an end by the crowing of a cock, or the first glimpse
over the eastern hills, of the coming day. And then comes the breaking
up of the assembly, so that by the usual breakfast hour, the negroes
have reached the several plantations to which they belong, and after
spending rather an idle day, are ready for any other _husking_ to which
they may be invited, and which their masters will permit them to attend.