James Redpath, The Roving Editor: or, Talks with Slaves in the Southern States.

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[164]

“No, sir, I do n't know any one.”

“If the colored people were free,” I asked, “do you think they would work as hard as they do now? I mean the colored people of the city?”

“ I guess most of them would work harder,” she replied; “‘cause, you see, they could live better, and dress and buy things with the money they has to give to the white folks now. I know I would work hard, and make lots of money if I was free. There's some that would n't work so hard though; they would buy liquor and loaf about--the same as the white folks!”

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Why slaves steal.

I have very often heard the negroes spoken of harshly in consequence of their thievish habits. In walking in the vicinity of Augusta one day, I came up to a negro, who was carrying a bag of provisions from town to his master's plantation. We talked about the patriarchal institution. He said that plantation slaves in this vicinity generally received one peck of meal, and from one to two and a half pounds of pork a week. He knew one planter who gave a very “short” allowance of meat.

“So, you see, mass'r, his slaves steal whatever dey kin lay their hands on. He's constant whippina ‘em; but dey does n't stop it. My boss gives us two pounds and a half of pork a week, and we never takes anyt'ing. We's above it,” he added proudly.

Pity that the slaveholders had not as high a spirit. Pity that they should condescend to steal the negro's wages: pity that they cannot say of such disreputable theft--“We's above it!”

“ Are you a married man?”