THE NEGRO SINCE THE CIVIL WAR. 37 



there seems to be no warrant for this judgment, and all we know 

 of offspring of diverse species in the animal and plant world fails 

 to give it any support. It is most likely that this opinion as to 

 the mixed white and black people is but one of the varieties of 

 race prejudice where the sufferer is often despised by those who 

 are below him as well as those who are above. The lot of all 

 human half-breeds is unhappy in that they are limited to a narrow 

 field of association. They are not perfectly free to make friends 

 with either of the peoples to whom they are kin. Considering the 

 peculiar situation of the mulattoes, the difficulty of which no one 

 who has not sought information on the matter can well conceive, 

 it seems to me that their way of life is creditable to them. On 

 their own and other accounts, however, we may welcome the fact 

 that their mixed stock is likely to disappear, being merged in those 

 whence it sprang. 



In considering the future of our American negroes it is im- 

 portant that we should make a judgment as to their moral tenden- 

 cies. This is not easy to do, for the statistics of crime are not in 

 such form as to make it clear in what regards they depart from 

 the averages of the white population. There can, however, be no 

 doubt that at first they were addicted to small thieving, and that 

 this habit continued until after the civil war. Southern people, 

 well placed for forming an opinion, believe that this evil is pass- 

 ing away, from the. development of the property sense. As for 

 drunkenness, the negro appears to be on the whole less tempted 

 to it than are the whites. One rarely finds the sot type among 

 them. Those of the lower class are liable to curious contagious 

 excitements, which often make them behave as if they were intoxi- 

 cated when they are not so. A scene I witnessed on a train out 

 of New Orleans, a few years ago, illustrates this and other signifi- 

 cant features of the negro character. It was a Sunday morning, 

 and the car assigned to blacks was full of sturdy fellows, mostly 

 of the Guinea type. Explaining to the conductor that I wished 

 to see the people, he allowed me to take a seat in the rear of the 

 carriage. At first my neighbors looked askance at me, but with 

 a word they became friendly. While the train was at rest the 

 throng was still, but as soon as it was in motion singing and shout- 

 ing began. There was a lull at every station, but with each re- 

 newal of the motion the excitement rose higher, until it became 

 very great. A white newsboy, a fellow of some eighteen or twenty 

 years, was engaged in selling papers and candy. As he passed 

 along the aisle one of the negroes sprang at him, knife in hand. 

 In a flash the boy had the muzzle of his pistol almost against the 

 assailant's head. At this every negro in the car was afoot and 



