Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-07-14
Emancipation in Baltimore.

1 =
The following article is from the pen OF
j. c. Cover, ESQ.,, the able editor of the
/ Grant County Herald. It is an extract of
aletter written by him from Baltimore,
while there attending the late National
Union Convention. It is we'll worth pc
rusal hy every thinking man On the great
questions Of the day that are agitating the
country It was set up for last week
4 -Chsonicle, but was nnaveidably crowded
out: eaos s3sMsz tje92I 9as 80 3aaE3
sl"But sudden, vast, and overwhelming
are the changes that have flown as a DEL
uge over Baltimore while foreigners
have risen to equal place, influence and
respect with American born men, free
negroes are no great way behind in the
race that wi fix their nationality and
citizenship. Already the African race
has its representatives in Baltimore in
the legal, medical, mercantile, banking,
| and other professions. while excellent
schools for colored children are being
kept by colored teachers. Their sphere
/ of labor is extending each day, for pre-
judice of craft is dying away. To the
duties of porters have been added wait
ing upon customers by colored persons
acting as men of all work On account
of the dearness of labor colored men may
compete for any business for which they
are qualified, even as statesmen, clerks,
bar tenders, mechanics, &C., and they
are often met as capitalists bidding and
over bidding at public sales, or as under
takers of contracts for work Many of
the Maryland laws restraining the priv
ileges Of black men or disabling them
from suing and being sued have become
void by repeating enactments, decisions
of courts or sheer public disrespect; SO
that these people may scarcely know of
any serious impedient incident to their
color Some Of the blacks Of Baltimore
are still lawful slaves: but as the fact
and condition are not respected, except
by less than sixth part of the people,
these generally rebels in spirit, no negro
is fool enough to acknowledge and prac-
tice obedience The Mayor. City Coun-
Gil and police force Of Baltimore arc rad
ical emancipationists, with 20, 600 ma
ority at their backs 80 that no whip
or chain, judicial fat or prison cell offers
terrible aid for the enforcement Of any
masters claim to slave The contra
bands. slaveby law, freedmen, mulattoes,
quadroons, and octroons of Baltimore are
said to number a third of the population
at least, if not near to a half-certainly
half in some of the wards. 1t is estimat-
ed that they perform over half the hard
service as laborers, and perform it better
by half than before their condition was
changed. Very near half their children
attend school, some Of the oolored schools
being supplied with white teachers, and
most ofthe schools are aided to some ex-
tent with means supplied by benevolent
persons, many such the former owners of
blacks for whom they feel more than or
dinary endearment since quickened in
their souls-by the coming of the slaves
iubilee-to the tune of Old John Brown,
the song and melody of which is daily
heard in the streets as the soldiers march |
along. Baltimoreans no longer hear of
Chief Justice Taney's decisions which
was supposed to have moved Paradise
from M;lton's pathway and located it in
some slave sbamble where negroes have
no rights which white men are bound to
respect.
Wonderful have been the means, by
statesmen and holy orac]es unforeseen,
which an avenging but merciful God has
set in motion to free these humble people
and put them upon broad gauge way for
a career Of usef illness to the world and of
glory to themselves. But the key, which
unlocks the book of their devotion that
all may read, is also to unlock and release
that public opinion which still holds a
vast proportion Of humanity the world
over in mental and physical bondage. The
turn of that emancipation key in Ameri-
ca may open and deliver emancipation
deeds for all Europe, that at a day very
near at hand and soon after the school
books will carry liberty and salvation to
all the world. Light comes from God at
last in way and manner unforeseen by
men. Bafhers and babblers may alike
rest arms and await the blazing fire that
shall consume tbem-for Babylon hath
fallen! @ Hr T
John was thought to be very stupid.
He was sent to the mill one day, and the
miller said. ''John, some people say you
are fool Now. tell me what you do
,, s.yVoll - ronliad Iohn esI know