Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-07
SOJOURNER TRUTH.
Anecdotes of this Remarkable old
Lady-InsIanees of Her QuicIkness
at Repar1ee.

Chicago COrresp'dence Boston CoDgrega ionai1stl
Seeing some account of this remarka-
bic colored wOman in q contemporary pa
per lately, has reminded NE of a purpose
to contribute my mite toward perpetua-
ting her Just fame. Her early history is
given at length in a biographical sketch
written by some friend, and which she has
sometimes sold as q means Of livelihood
She was born a slave in Ulster, County,
n. Y and manumitted by law, l think,
in 1924.
l do not propose to repeat the facts of
that book, but simply to give a few char
acteristic anecdotes learned in n visit u
few months ago, to Battle Creek, Mich,
which had been her home for some years
previous TO the war. She owns, near that
village, a little house and lot, but has or
dinarilv supported herself by lecturing,
and by the sale of her book and photo
graph. Two or three years ago she was
quite sick-had q bad cough, and was
thought to be in a decline and near death.
The neighbors supplied her wants till she
grew better and wanted togo about again.
But she was very destitute, and in her
simple way she said she "went and talk
ed to the Lord about it" and after a while
it seemed to her, she said, that the Lord
would really help her. Then, she turned
over in her mind how He would help her,
and whether she could do anything to
forward the matter; (she believes in
works as well as faithl) She remember
ed that there was a Mr.. D. who used
to hear her lecture in Pennsylvania, and
who, she thought, if he knew her circum-
stances, would interest his ~neighoors for
her. So she got a friend to write a letter
for her to him. (She cannot read or
write.l After the letter was written she
learned that Mr.. b had moved to
Iowa. That, she thought, spoiled her plan
dive never bin to Iowa. Nobody there
knows me. It's no use to send the letter"
However, she was persuaded to mail it.
In due time an answer came. Mr.. d.
had made 8 contribution. His new neigh
bors had been interested and made a con
tribution. He also sent the letter to his
old neighbors in Pennsylvania, and they
sent contributions. They forwarded the
letter TO the Anti-SlaUery Standard in
New York. 1t was published and scat
tered all over the North, and then the do
nations came in from all quarters from
folks" she said, that she never hearn on
remittances of $40 and SIS, direct dona-
tons, and to purchase her photograph,
till S~ojourner Truth had more letters than
any business firm in Battle Greek. She
said:
$50 much come in I didn't know what
to do with it, an all from that little talk
1 had with the Lord. An 1 had at last
to tell the Lord He might as well stop
that are"
She is quick at q repartee, and no per-
son attacks her without coming off second
best. She went to the market one day.
and a c%opperhead there took occasion to
speak to the butcher of the colored race;
that they were just fit for slaves, that God
Almighty made them for slaves, and in
tended that they should be slaves. So
%journer, knowing that the talk was meant
for her, looked him in the face and said
Sir, you amt acquainted with God Al
mighty! That's what's the matter with
you"
She was in the store of another copper
head, whom she did not personally know,
soliciting funds to take her to Detroit to
carry sanitary supplies to colored soldiers
there, and having asked others present, at
length applied to him. mo, 1 won't
give you a cent" She Strengthened up
her tall form and asked, "Who be you q
THE only son of my mother" She threw
up her hands and exclaimed, (" Bless the
Lord there want no more on EN-"
Formerly she used to travel around on
her lecturing tours on foot, but ~latterly
has taken the cars. Going to Kalamazoo
to lecture, she was about to take the omni-
bus at the depot for Prof. Stones, where
she had arranged to stay, when the driver
stopped her. Don't you carry passeng-
ers?" "Not such as you" "Why not
I'll pay you as well as anybody" Cant
carry niggers."
Some OF the people knew her, and said
"What a shame to treat SojOurner Truth
in that way"
d don't want to ride said she, " be-
cause 1 am Sojourner Truth, but because
I'm a decent woman and willing to pay
my fare. I'm clean and neat. If l was
a white and ever SO dirty and
greasy you'd let me ride"
a crowd collected as she talked and
were held there by her pithy remarks.
Some of the negro hateTs told her to go
awey for she was obstructing the side
walk.
II don't take up much room. 1t is the
people that take up the sidewalk. Make
them go away" But the people were SO
eager to hear her they would not go
Well make you go" said the afore-
mentioned worthless.
al should like to know hol0. I shan't
walk. You won't one on ye touch me
more'n If 1 was a toad, and there amt Il
carriage in town thatll let me ride
They were vanquished. The affair at
the depot advertised her and her lecture.
to which she had a large attendance.
A similar scene occurred at the depot at
Coldwater. whats the name of this
town ?" she asked. "Coldwater." was the
reply. "In make it Hot-water for YOU
fore leave She finally asked if there
was any team that would carry her up the
town, and succeeded in chartering a dray.
She took her seat on her trunk, and be-
gan singing with her powerful voice the
John Brown song, interpreting her sing
Ing with addresses to the crowd that fol-
lowed the dray. 81 ride into your town
as John Brown went to the gallows-back
wards on a drsy." She had a large au-
dience at her lecture there also.
When she was about startingfo for Wash
ington, where she has for a year or more
been lsboring among the colored people,
she wa advised to call on President Lin
coin and Secretary Chase, and that per-
haps they would aid her.
oh yes, I've thought of that"
"Well, Soj%ourner, what are you going
to say to President Lincoln? just tell
US"
She Strengthened herself up, made n gen
teel courtesy, and said: "Mr. Lincoln.
I'm happy to see you, and give you my
photograph. It's black, but it's got .
white back to it. 1 shall be glad 10 get
yours, with a g%reenback to it.n
She was once prosecuted under the
"blsck laws" of Indiana, but managed
her case SO adroitly that the prosecution
entirely failed. She is, undoubtedly, one
of the great women of this generation, of
whom the next generation will be eager
to hear, and will be thankful for the pre-
servstion Of these fragments.
What Illinois Thinks.
We received a call yesterday from J..
Medill, editor of the Chicago Tribune.
Mr.. NJ. reports the Republican party Of
Illinois as standing a solid unit in support
of the constitutional right of Congress to
determine the future status of the rebel
States, and to prescribe the conditions on
which the ex-rebels of those States shall
be permitted TO participate in the legisla-
ton ard government Of the National
Unicn. He says that the only division Of