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Show A NEGRO AS A MECHANIC. I Now n l'reo Mii7YioIlalll;e liven the l'eetntlnt of Apprcntlcealilp. Can tho negro be trained us n mechanic, me-chanic, or Is ho by ualurt adapted to other work than that of an unskilled laborer? Tho question may, according accord-ing to tho North American Review confidently bo answered in tho nfllrm-atlvo. nfllrm-atlvo. Whllo this answer cannot bo successfully controverted nnd whllo It may have a material bearing on tlio prosperity of tho southern Ktatc3, yet it Involves gravo questions, the successful suc-cessful Fol.U'on of v. ' t.!t would tond to a better understanding of tho two sccton3 of this great nation. Tho negro was held in bondage In nil tho colonics save ono boforo tho ndoptlon of tho federal constitution, and whether or not ho wa3 tho prlrao cause of tho greatest war of modern times, it Is unquestionably true that bo regards his liberation nu tho result of that struggle. Prior to tho war thero was a large number of negro mechanics In tho southern states. Many of thorn wcro expert blacksmiths, black-smiths, wheelwrights, wngonmakcrs, brlckmasons, carpenters, plasterers, painters and shoemakers. They bo-camo bo-camo masters of their respcctlvo trades by reason of sufllclcntly long service under the control nnd direction of expert whlto mechanics. During tho existence of slavery tho contract for qualifying the ncro as a mechanlo was made between his owner nnd the master workman. Now tho negro, bo-Ing, bo-Ing, in his own words, a "freo man," will not consent t? restraints, lie cannot can-not divest himself of the idea that apprenticeship ap-prenticeship In Its most modified form Is a species of slavery for a term of years. Ho may Imi assured of tho relation rela-tion ot master and apprentice as It exists ex-ists In almost every civilized country; still ho Is slow to umbraco it. Ho appreciates ap-preciates tho advantages of superior skill, yet his tcachlugs of liberty arc to his mind inconsistent with tho exercise ex-ercise of absolute and continued authority over him. |