. Highways and byways of the South. and not unhappy, and they cer-tainly appeared far less grim and dangerous than theguards armed with double-barrel guns who stood bywatching them. The town negro is often a chronic loafer, thoroughlyvicious and ready to commit any crime, while the countrynegro as a whole is declared to be law-abiding and truth-ful, though this statement is qualified with the commentthat he has an inclination to commit small thefts. Heappropriates an occasional bushel of corn and otherfarm produce when opportunity offers; and houseservants take minor articles of apparel that a
. Highways and byways of the South. and not unhappy, and they cer-tainly appeared far less grim and dangerous than theguards armed with double-barrel guns who stood bywatching them. The town negro is often a chronic loafer, thoroughlyvicious and ready to commit any crime, while the countrynegro as a whole is declared to be law-abiding and truth-ful, though this statement is qualified with the commentthat he has an inclination to commit small thefts. Heappropriates an occasional bushel of corn and otherfarm produce when opportunity offers; and houseservants take minor articles of apparel that appeal totheir love of dress. It is nigger nature to steal that-away and 1 expect it, said one planter to me. Theydont usually take anything but what they can conceal,but sometimes theyll tote off a yearling or a shoat. A good many planters when they detect a negro The Niggers 349 stealing give him the choice between arrest and astrapping, and the culprit is pretty sure to choose thestrapping. One man with whom I talked thought the. Reading fault was largely with the employers. If you showa nigger that you are always suspecting him, said he,and have no confidence in his honesty, he will most 350 Highways and Byways of the South likely be what you think he is; while if you trustedhim, hed be all right. A grewsome sentiment is imparted to the South bythe great number of places where some hastily judgedvictim has come to his death by shooting, hanging, orburning. The land is stained from end to end withblood shed by lawless hands. Unquestionably thereare negroes who are to be feared, and they are a gooddeal of a nightmare to the Southern household. Thewhites all have guns in their houses ready for blackdepredators, and the fact that a man has no one athome but his wife and children is promptly acceptedas a sufficient excuse for his not doing jury duty. Verylittle provocation is required from a negro to make awhite man get out his gun, and bullets and lynch laware not by any means r
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