USA > Virginia > Virginia before and during the war > Part 3
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One might suppose, from the appearance of things around his house, that Mr. Williams was a poor farmer and a shiftless man, but such was not the case. The hard, stern duties of life had pressed upon him from his youth and left him no leisure to
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cultivate taste. He had no talent for fixing up things nice around him, and being principally engaged in raising tobacco, a very ex- acting crop, he had little time to attend to anything else. He was a fine tobacco grower and a good cultivator of crops generally. After spending a considerable amount in the education of his daughter, he proposed to send Alfred to college and make a law- yer of him. His other boys cared nothing for books, and would follow the occupation of their father.
The next morning it was arranged that Alfred and his sister and Willie should walk to the fishing place on Staunton River, the smaller boys going in another direction with their. guns to try and kill some squirrels, and Mr. Williams was to come later with one of his negro men, in a wagon, to bring bread, cakes, preserves and pickles. The negro man, assisted by a couple of boys, was to cook the dinner and wait on the company. The fish and squirrels were to be cooked in a nice shade near the river bank. In going to the river their way was through a field where the negroes were at work. They overtook a woman and a boy carrying them their breakfast. . This was carried in a wooden tray on the head of the woman. It consisted of large corn cakes baked in the ashes, a slice of bacon for every hand, and some potatoes roasted in the ashes. The boy carried a jug of butter- milk. This was the ordinary fare of the field hands which was not so good late in the spring and early in the summer as at other times, on account of the scarcity of vegetables. The corn bread was sometimes substituted for bread made of unbolted wheaten four. On this diet they kept strong and healthy, and a case of dyspepsia was unknown among them. It must not be supposed that the negroes never indulged in luxuries. In the long autumn nights they were accustomed to catch a large number of raccoons and 'possums, almost every man having a dog trained to hunting these animals, and in the winter they could catch as many hares as: they wanted.
Several young people of the neighborhood joined the little party. and they had a splendid time fishing. They caught quite
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a number of the celebrated round fish, besides perch of different varieties. The boys came up finally with quite a number of squirrels. which made a fine addition to the feast. To Miss Eu- phemia's regret, Mr. Denton, the young merchant at the cross- roads, was not present, Saturday being a busy day with him. After a very pleasant day, Willie, his horse having been brought to him in the afternoon by a bov, took his leave, inviting Alfred to visit him soon and join in a fox hunt, and Miss Euphemia to come and see his sisters and the new teacher.
CHAPTER VIII.
Some weeks after Willie's visit to the Williams family, Judge Buford's neighbors gave a grand barbecue and picnic. A beauti- ful grove was selected. Plank was laid down for a dancing floor, with a platform for the musicians, and a large number of boards were laid down on logs for seating the crowd. For cooking the meats, a long trench was dug, in which a fire of seasoned wood was made, and whole sheep and shoats were placed over the fire by means of sticks run through them. Men were epmloyed for hours to attend to the cooking and turning the meat, and in bast- ing with pepper, vinegar and salt. Meat prepared in this way is very delicious. The feast when prepared consisted of these meats with bread, pickle and tomatoes, together with cakes, pies and jellies. All were free to partake, and people assembled from quite distant places. It was understood that there was to be dancing, and although the amusement was not approved of by many of the older persons, and the churches condemned, yet it began to be tolerated.
Willie, though unused to dancing, joined in the amusement, and with Lizzie Campbell for his partner, attracted. a good deal of attention, and it was conceded that they were the handsomest couple in the county. Miss Heath was present, and although she did not join in the dance, enjoyed the scene as something new to her. She made. the acquaintance of a number of agreeable
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ladies and gentlemen, who took pleasure in showing attention to a stranger.
At such gatherings social distinction were abolished, and all classes were represented in the spectators and dancers. At this time Buchanan and Fremont were candidates for the Presidency, and there was considerable interest manifested in the political aspect. Fremont had no supporters in this section of the coun- try, but many were alarmed at the fact that there was a candidate in the field running on a distinctly sectional issue, and supported by a large and growing party. Although none believed that Fre- mont would be elected, yet many were alarmed at the rapid in- crease of the Republican party, and were fearful of trouble in the near future. Whilst the young were engaged in their festivities, the older men formed groups and anxiously discussed the politi- cal issues of the day. The people of Virginia were excelled by none in patriotism. These simple country people were devotedly attached to the Union. They had not the least desire that their section should have more than its legitimate influence in the councils of the nation ; no ambition, no dreams of a great slave power dominating the nation. All they desired was to be unin- terrupted in their constitutional rights, as one of a great family of States. Such was the sentiment of the great mass of the peo- ple of the other Southern States. Those who thought otherwise did not know the people, and were misled by the utterances of a few representing nobody. But they were very tenacious of all their rights and ever ready to repel aggression.
Willie Buford at this time was too young to pay much atten- tion to politics, but he had been brought up among these people, and his principles were those of the people around him. His father was a very conservative man, but his teacher, Mr. Nelson, belonged to that school of politicians formerly represented by such men as John C. Calhoun and John Randolph, and at that time by a large number of prominent men, among whom may be named John C. Breckenridge, the then candidate for Vice-Presi- dent, Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens, and he would fre-
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quently express his opinions in the hearing of his pupils. It remained to be seen how far his opinions would be modified at Harvard, where his father intended to send him the following autumn.
After a pleasant day all dispersed, late in the afternoon, to their homes and usual avocations.
CHAPTER IX.
Some weeks after the events recorded in the last chapter, there was a meeting of the. Baptist Association at the church near Judge Buford's. This was the old "Strawberry Association," organized in 1776, and widely known by the denomination, hav- ing produced many of its most talented ministers. The delegates came from several counties, mostly on horseback. Among them were wealthy planters and merchants and laboring farmers dressed in home spun jeans. These last were frequently among the best informed as to doctrine and church polity. Among the ministers present, some were from the cities, and some even from other States, whilst some were plain, unlettered men, serving four coun- try churches at a salary of about one hundred dollars to the church Among the Bap :ists, an association has no ecclesiastical jurisdiction, each church being an absolutely independent body. The object of these meetings is to stir the churches up to co- operation, and to devise means for raising money for missions, home and foreign, and to promote the interests of denominational schools and colleges, also to encourage the establishment of Sun- day Schools.
For the accommodation of the delegates and of all strangers present, the houses of the neighbors were thrown open, and bountiful provision made for men and horses. The business being transacted in the house, seats were prepared under the shade of the trees, where the crowd was addressed by some of the preachers present.
In an address to the association, Mr. Sears, of Kentucky,
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was very earnest in urging upon them the duty of making better provision for the spiritual wants of the negroes. He showed them the inconsistency of sending missionaries to foreign coun- tries, while those under their care at home were neglected. "And, brethren," he said, "I am the more free to urge this matter upon your attention, as I am not only not an abolitionist, but a perpet- ualist." Even in this assembly, this statement was heard with some astonishment. That evening Mr. Sears was the guest of Judge Buford. When, after dinner, the guests and the family were assembled in the parlor, the Judge, addressing the minister, said, "Brother Sears, I was raised in Virginia and have been all my life among slaveholders, and have been one myself since early manhood, yet I do not now remember hearing anyone express himself as being a perpetualist."
Mr. Sears replied, "The question of slavery and the relation of the African race to the whites is now the gravest question that confronts the American people. A large number of people in the Northern States, ignorant of or ignoring the teachings of the Bible on the subject, and ignorant of the condition of the slaves amongst us, taking their prejudices for truths, are taking every means in their power to destroy the institution of slavery. As to the lawfulness of holding from a Scriptural standpoint. I have no doubt. We read that the Gibeonites were made perpetual slaves to the Israelites by Joshua ; and in the Mosaic law, whilst it was unlawful to hold an Israelite in perpetual bondage, tliere was no such restriction as to people of other nations ; they were expressly permitted to hold them, as slaves, forever. Coming to New Testament times : Slavery was then prevalent in the Roman Empire, and we hear no word of condemnation from Jesus, or any of the Apostles. In the epistles of Paul, advice is given to both masters and slaves, and the runaway slave, Onesimus, after his conversion, is persuaded to return to his Christian master, Philemon. This question being settled, we have now to consider slavery as it exists with us, in its political aspect. In the exer- cise of our best reason, can we believe that its abolition would
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be conducive to the welfare of the whole people, white and black ? If so, it should be abolished, otherwise not. Let us first consider the condition of the white people in the slave States, as com- pared with the condition of the white people of the North. I have travelled much and can conscientiously say that, in all that enobles man, the Southern people are equal to the Northern. There is here less poverty and less crime. We have not as much great wealth nor as much abject poverty. The wealth of our largest slaveholders is insignificant when compared with the wealth of the great Northern millionaires, and the condition of the poorest inhabitants of the pine woods of the South is happy when compared with the condition of the dwellers in the tene- ment houses of the great Northern cities. We have as many professors of Christianity to the population, and the conduct of professors, though not such as is desirable, is as good as that of our Northern brethren. As for the slaves, their moral and physi- cal condition, to say the least, is equal to that of the free negroes of the North If these things be so, why seek a change ? But there are other things to be considered in reference to this sub. ject. The great and radical difference of race between the whites and blacks which makes it impossible for them to live together on terms of cquality (and if they could would degrade the one without elevating the other), must be considered. All men have equal natural rights, but this does not impair the right of any people from forbidding inferior peoples and races to enjoy equal privileges with themselves. Women have equal natural rights with men, but this does not make it wrong to deny them suf- frage, a privilege which would be injurious to themselves and to the community. All history shows that the negro is not capable of standing alone, as a civilized people, and when admitted in large numbers to citizenship among other people, has tended to degrade that people. Witness the condition of Africa from the most ancient times, and of Hayti, where vodooism and human sacrifice and cannibalism still prevails; and witness Mexico and the South American States. Other inferior races, besides the ne-
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groes, have been vastly benefitted by being brought into political subordination, though not made slaves, by highly civilized peo- ple. It is evident the Hindoos have been much improved by British rule. And it may be that the African tribes may be Christianized and civilized, when brought under political subor- dination, by the English and other European powers that may take possession of their country. In opposition to this view of the subject, someone may call my attention to the fact that there have been negroes endowed with great mental powers. I admit there are such exceptions, but they are very few. Some may say this is because the race has not had an opportunity to develop its capabilities, from being always regarded as inferior. To this I would say that we have no record that the negro labored under any legal disabilities, among the Egyptians, Greeks or Romans, and large numbers of them resided in those countries. In this country, there have been free negroes, for one hundred and fifty years, with considerable facilities for mental culture, in the Northern cities. In Mohammedan countries, there are no dis- tinctions of race, yet we have never read of a negro becoming a great Turkish soldier. visier or ambassador. No negro has writ- ten a poem of any value, or any work showing originality, or made any valuable mechanical invention. The ability they pos- sess consists mostly in memory and imitation. In their ability to grasp moral ideas, I consider them more deficient than in men- tal power. To give these people equal political privileges with ourselves is, I believe, the greatest political crime that could pos- sibly be committed. But the emancipationist will say, we do not propose to give them political rights, only emancipation from
personal bondage. To this I reply, this cannot be done. If emancipation becomes universal, there will be a constitutional amendment giving negroes equal civil rights. If this were not done. evidently their condition would be worse than at present.
They would be the slaves of the community, without the pro- tection of an owner. The whole question of race is the most im- ortant one that can now engage the attention of this people.
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Chinese are beginning to come over in considerable numbers, and if their immigration is unrestricted, they are sufficiently numer- ous to soon become a very dangerous element. I hold that all the races of mankind sprang from three primary stocks, the white, yellow and black, and that the different varieties of colored men in the world originated from a mingling of the yellows and blacks with each other, and in some cases with the whites. The purest white people are found in Northern and Western Europe, and in the United States; the yellow race in its purity is repre- sented by the Chinese, and the black by the negroes of Africa. I hold that God, in thus forming these people, did not intend them to amalgamate. They not only differ in physical formation, but in mental calibre. The Chinese have a government and civiliza- tion suitable to them, but that would be intolerable to us. The negroes have developed scarely any civilization at all. Western Europe has been inhabited from remote antiquity by two pure white races, branches of the Aryan family. These have blended in modern times, and have produced a people superior to any other people known in history. We are their descendants, and Providence seems to have opened to us a career more glorious than ever to any other people, and I hold it would be a great sin to admit inferior races to citizenship. Steamships and railroads are making the emigration of all persons easy, and we need stringent legislation to prevent us from being overwhelmed by the immigration of inferior races. In the face of these facts, some are so blind as to desire the freeing of the negroes. I be- lieve in preaching the gospel to every creature, but in restricting the various races to the countries that Providence has assigned for their habitation. The growing sentiment in the North and the aggessive attitude of a strong party, are now very threaten- ing to our institutions. Many anti-slavery men are doubtlessly good men and think they are right, but they are profoundly igno- rant of all the characteristics of the negro race. Honest error is frequently more dangerous than dishonesty. In view of these
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things, I fear that, for self-preservation, the South will be com - pelled to sever her connection with the other States."
Here, Judge Buford replied : "Much of what you have said is true, and I can heartily endorse it; but as to disunion, I can foresee no circumstances that would make it safe or desirable. I think the interests of the people of these States are inseperable, and that, for weal or for woe, we are indissolubly united, and that all our battles for principles should be fought in the union and under the broad shield of the constitution."
Mr. Sears replied : "I will not argue this question now, but I foresee that events will soon force it upon our consideration."
There were two attentive listeners to Mr. Sears who entirely agreed with him, Willie Buford and Miss Heath. One might be surprised, in the case of the latter, if he was not cognizant of the fact that Northern people very frequently change their opinions about negro slavery, after even a short residence in the South.
CHAPTER X.
The time was now approaching for Willie's departure for Harvard, and he looked forward to it with pleasure mixed with regret at leaving his family and being so long alone with strangers, as no acquaintance was to accompany him. Miss Heath was to continue in the family another year, and would not visit her mother and sister until Christmas. The Judge conversed much with Willie, and gave him much kind and affectionate advice. He was very proud of his boy, and although a good Christian, had a good deal of human ambition. He looked forward with pleasure to the time when he would be prominent in the councils of the State and Nation realizing that he was possessed of a su- perior mind. He strove to instill into him principles of strict integrity and chivalrous honor. He told hi !! that young muen practiced some vices, under the idea that they were manly, where- as they were really low and mean and tended to degradation. He told him of his high hopes for him, and of his deep mortification
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if he should know of his indulging in the least degree in any dissipation, and especially never to use any alcoholic stimulant. If, however, at any time he should be tempted to stray from the paths of rectitude. he told him he must communicate with him by word or letter, and must remember that he had a kind and forgiving father who would aid him by council and sympathy to recover his lost ground.
Mrs. Buford more especially urged upon him attention to his religious duties. She gave him a Bible, and made him promise that he would take time from his other studies to study its con- tents. She said she would rejoice to see him a learned and great man, but would rather see him a truly pious man with small at- tainments, than one possessed of the highest learning and talents without religion. In his leave taking, Willie visited Mr. Nelson. Lydia was quite sad at parting from her old classmate. She had kept up with him in all his studies, and her general reading was more extensive than his. . Although of the same age, she was nearer maturity than he, and was ambitious to excel in literature and become an author. She told Willie that she was sorry that the same facilities for acquiring the highest culture was not open to women as to men. She said she must content herself with becoming a teacher,-but remarked that she was aware that the methods of teaching had lately so much changed that she could not hope for great success, unless she had some facilities for ac- quiring special knowledge that she did not have at home. She had heard of Normal schools, in New Jersey, for the preparation of teachers, and had resolved to attend one. Willie approved of the idea, and assured her that he had no doubt but that she would make a grand success.
Mr. Nelson told Willie that he hoped he would always love learning for its own sake, independently of the wealth or repu- tation it might bring. In his youth he had been ambitious of. wealth and fame, and had acquired neither, but he would not now exchange the small amount of learning he possessed for Astor's money, or Hairston's two thousand slaves. Willie told him he
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would ever respect and esteem him next to his father and try and never depart from the lessons he had inculcated. During their conversation, little Peter spoke and said, their conversation was too grave for him, and he would rather Willie would say some- thing about the fun he expected to have at college, and the big cities and the sights he would see. He wanted to see the world, and poring over Latin books did not suit him, and he was afraid his pa would never make much of a scholar of him On the leave-taking Mr. Nelson was quite sad at the severing of the ties that had so long bound him to his pupil, and Lydia was left in tears.
The next call was on the Jones family. Tom and his father came out of the tobacco field, where they were worming the to- bacco with hands too dirty to touch a clean person, but they called for soap and water, as they could not let Willie depart with- out shaking hands. Tom said it was fine to be a great scholar, but thought he would rather work than be reading books all the time. Willie told him everybody could not be a scholar, but that many men were very successful in life with very limited educa tions ; that he knew Tom could learn fast, when he tried, and he hoped that he would not neglect reading ; that almost everything worth knowing was published in English, and a knowledge of Latin and Greek was not necessary to become a successful busi- ness man. He asked Tom to write to him, and promised to send him some books that he thought would interest him, and also promised to write to him about some of the strange things he expected to see. Mrs. Jones and the girls also came out, and they all took leave, wishing him all kinds of good luck, for he had endeared himself especially to the poor of the neighborhood by his kind and friendly manners.
He then went to Mrs. Campbell's. Here he met his friend Alfred Williams, who was taking leave of his friends, before leaving for one of the Virginia colleges. Alfred's conversation was princi- pally with Mary, whilst Willie had a long conversation with Liz- zie, to whom he revealed more of his hopes and aspirations than
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to anyone else. Already the gerin of love for this beautiful and sprightly girl was implanted in his bosom,-but Willie was too sensible a boy to show this to her by word or action, knowing that they were both too young for any engagement, and that his parents would be opposed to his having any entanglement with anyone, at this time, and fearing that his father would object to Lizzie, from her want of wealth and social position. So he de- parted for Harvard with high hopes and a determination to excel in all his studies.
He only took two letters of introduction, one from his father to a professor known personally to him, and one from Miss Heath to a particular friend, living near the University.
He soon became deeply interested in his studies, and a new world of thought was. opened to him. He was already well grounded in the grammatical structure of Latin and Greek, but critical lectures on these languages and on the philosophy of lan- guage in general were deeply interesting to him, and he was al- most equally interested in mathematics, as expounded by the able professor of natural science, of which he was almost entirely ignorant, but his quick and versatile mind soon became interested in this subject, and he made rapid progress. He sought not to make many acquaintances, but his manners were so gentle and his disposition so cheerful that he soon made quite a number, and was a general favorite with those who knew him. Though of a lively disposition, he was not naturally disposed to dissipa- tion, and he was farther guarded against it by his affection for his parents and sisters, who, he knew, would be much grieved by any lapse from the paths of rectitude on his part. A splendid destiny seemed to be opening to this youth, reared by judicious and affectionate parents, who had from his earliest years instilled into him principles of honor and religion, and also possessed of wealth and great natural ability. But who can see into the fu - ture?
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