THE NEGRO SINCE THE CIVIL WAR. 35 



tures as indicating a tendency to albinism, or that change of pig- 

 ment such as now and then gives silver foxes or white blackbirds. 

 All things considered, it seems more likely that we have in these 

 red negroes the remnant of a people once distinctly separated 

 from the other black Africans. In favor of this view is the fact 

 that the members of the group are very evenly distributed, 

 as they would be if they were a distinct race, and not as we 

 should expect to find them if they were the result of albinism 

 or of a mixture of white blood. The number of this variety 

 of folk is small; it probably does not exceed one per cent of the 

 population. 



When the observer has made the divisions above noted he has 

 set apart a little more than one half of the blacks he has tried to 

 classify. Among the remainder he will have remarked other but 

 indistinct types in a way that appears to indicate that several other 

 fairly characterized groups might by close scrutiny be established. 

 The greater part of this remainder, however, evidently consists 

 of mixed people, who have come from a mingling of the original 

 diverse stocks. 



Imperfectly founded and inadequate as are the results of my 

 rough inspection of the Southern negroes, they fairly serve to show 

 some facts of importance to those who would helpfully foresee the 

 future of the black people in this country. We may first remark 

 that, notwithstanding the many distinct racial qualities and diver- 

 sity which, to my eye, far exceed what we may observe among the 

 whites of the United States, they are, with the exception of the 

 mulattoes, in excellent physical condition. They are of curiously 

 even, serviceable size, dwarfs and giants being very rare — much 

 rarer than among the whites. The percentage of deformed per- 

 sons is, so far as the eye can determine it, very low. I am fairly 

 well acquainted with the peasant class in most of the European 

 states, and I know of no region where the average condition of the 

 folk appears to be so good as it is among the Southern blacks. In 

 fact, this state is doubtless due to the rigid selection which was 

 had when the Africans were chosen for export; in part to the care 

 of their bodies during the time when they were slaves. The result 

 is a distinctly chosen people, well fitted to carry the burdens of 

 this world. 



The variety of physical quality which appears to exist among 

 the negroes is important, for the reason that it appears to be asso- 

 ciated with mental differences even as great, thus affording a basis 

 for the differentiation of the people as regards occupations and 

 consequent station in life. It is even more difficult to get at the 

 mental peculiarities of the several groups of black folk than it is 



