The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-08-25
The Negroes and the Chief Justice.

Tho Negroes and the Chief Justice.
agate of the Cincinnati Gazette, VIII
accompanied Chief Justice Chase on his lat
Southern tour, gives an interesting accoun
Of an interview between tho Chief Justic
and delegation Of colored men. In whic
the talk turned principally upon the suffrag
question, US follows: s' .n.
"'Suppo'e you Oere permitted to vote
said the Chief Justice, 'whas guaranty woul
tho Government have that you would kno,
how to vote, or that your influence woul
not be cast on the side of bad morale and ba
politics?'
oh, Mr.. Judge calculated little blacl
fellow, we know who our friends are.'
Il am not 50 sure about that. You don'
know tho positions Of many Of the leading
men here, and some Of them. by protesting
to bo your friends, might easily deceive you.
NO, sir, sure you VIC knows our friends,
responded the same coal.back speaker.
perhaps you in tho cities may. lam not
disposed myself to doub. It. But here is a
great mass Of ignorant field hands from the
plantations. They arc scattered all over
Georgia, and they don't have the advantages
or the opportunities Of learning which you
have. What is to prevent them from voting
just as their old masters may tell them?'
.Oh, we'll tell them how TO vote, sir; we
have means of reaching them; and they'll
foliow US sooner than they ,ciR their old mas
tcrs or anybody sise.' l ~ a'
.Possibly-perhaps even probably. But
neither they nor even you are familiar with
political history, tho organization of parties,
the antecedents Of parties or Of leaders; and
you are very liable to bc deceived. How do
wo know that, in your Ignorance, you will
not be trickcd into voting tho slavery ticket,
under some pleasant and deceptive name,
rather than the freedom ticket 2
Mr.. Judge, We always knows who's our
friends and who isn't. We knows tho differ
cnce between the Union ticket and tho rebel
ticket. We may not know oil about all tho
men that's ON it; but wo knows tho differ.
ence bstwoon the Union and tho rebel par
ties. Yes. sir: wo knows that much better
than you do! Because, sir, some Of our pco-
plo stand behind these men ut tho table and
hear em talk: wo 900 'cm in tho house and
by the wayside; and We knop 'em from hoart
- core, botter than you do or can do, till
you 1.-Two among 'em as long and 500 as much
Of 'em 40 We lnvo.' ~
Il have no doubt Of your competsnsy to
take care Of yourselves in Savannah said
the Chief Justice but what your friends
at the North aro afraid Of Is that your peo-
pie in the interior will not know how to tell
whom to vote for, for tho present ut least.
and that in their bewildernent they will vote
just as their old and kind mustors toll thom
they ought a.i,o.'aI'a.' .t.'l4o
Il tell you, Mr.. judge said the preacher,
we can reach every colurcd man In the State;
and they would rather trust intelligent men
Of their own color than any white man.
THEY'LL vote the ticket zoe tell tbom 10 tho
ticket pf our friends !; and ~ fast as they
can they'll loarn to read aud judge for thom.
selves lsha i1lI diiW hfhlna' 'i.'~
Sir no continued, 'thc white population
Of Georgia is Avo hundred thousand. and Of
tina. number ffty thousand, Or one 10 ten.
can't read and write Give us threo years
TO work In, and among our younger adults
tho proportion who cannot read and write
will bc no greater. But, sir. those whites
don't road and write because they don't want
to our people don't because tho law anil
public feeling were assinst,t. The ignon.nt
whites had cvury clsncs to learn, but didn't;
We had every chsncs to remain ignorant, and
many Of us learned In spite Of thom.'" q
,daa, VII goilr iFBLc1fa 90 o. r0rEN
70 ApvExrisiSa.-ft il astonishing how little
Somc men. WIN pride themselves on bcing
smart business ineu, appreciate the value Of
advertising They do not seem to cotnprc
heud that when man wants custom he must
lot tho public know Il and also inform them
what be has to dispose oi. What would bo
thought Of an suctionssr who kept his mouth
closed. snd waited for bids. 'iIs might wait
ill doo~sday, without getting one. 50 Tor
man 10 commence bu.iness without letting
.ho public know il through the. columns Of
somc good nswspapvr 10 equally 'oo'''"'
There il nothing that hslps - man along 20
ias. in his business ~ judicious ad''rs'''ns'
I. keen, his naus beior tho puol'c, ana "ey
cannot forget him II they woaId'-Ay""
I. NAV interest the ,pablic 70 know that
n. rebel Gen. Forr-ss cannot return to his
nlaot.,ion and old homo on the Mississippi
lin s.fesy 70 hi,usclf. unloso projected by |