The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-02-10

II suffrage We're made universal at the
South, with the single condition that the vot-
er should be able to read inteligibly and
write legibly, it is not sure which class, black
or white, would most feel the exclusion. A
gentleman who held an official position at
Natchez, Miss, for several months, and in
whose office all articles of export and import
had to be registered, and for those removed
receipts given by the carrier, informed US that
a larger proportion of the colored people could
write their names than of the Hpoor whites"
and this in darkened Mississippi, where it has
been a legal offence to teach the coloredm
how to read the Word of God. 10 otsj a1
At the present time the educational move
ments in the South are confined almost ex-
clusiyely to the freedmen; hundreds and thou
sands of schools have been set in operation
for their benefit, and .heir thirst for knowl-
edge seems perfectly marvellous. How long
will it be, if this condition of things is kept
up, before the blacks will be able to speak, and
speak truthfully, of the ignorance and stultif-
cation OF the common white population, and
to feel their superiority and have that superb
ority acknowledged by the heart and head of
the American public 2rino9 s7gb!ad57cle edli.
1t must be confessed. that at the present
time in the South, there are many people of
naark,-who make theirmark every time called
upon to write their namess-md these are not
confined to plantations or to pantaloons even,
but are sometimes found in the garb, of ladies
Of y,ociton and ranb xubr xu;tI, oil tto;. ,;lls
and velyets,, their pride and arrogance, their
naughty ways and imperious manners, are
sometimes compelled to make practical con-
fession Of their own personal ignorance. And
these people talk Of the "anigger,n of his ig-
norance and unftness for selfgovernmentl--
Here is an account of Tennessee lady of
"mark::" ,....-..,-...er
Gen. Fisk, of the Freedmen's Bureau, in a
| speech in Cincinnati the other day, told this
| story "a few weeks ago there came into my
| headquarters at Nashville, a Tennessee lady,
| elegantly attired in silk and velvet, to talk
| with me, as she said. gave her seat. She
| took it with IAN air, and told me she wanted
to recover her property seized by the Govern
ment. She abused it heartily, and read me a
/ lecture OH Yankees and Abolitionists, and ex-
| ecrated them for killing her husband in bat
tie, for he had only gone with the South to
| fight for its rights. / gave her the circular to
| read which contains the conditions of the
| Government for claimants to comply WITH
| She askedme to read it for her. I told her
| had no time; that she had better read for her
sell, and then fill up the BLANKS provided to
| prove the legitimacy Of her claim. Then she
admitted that she could neither read nor
write.' vsfl H9idW VI sgiidj 10 3l-la 1f2ij
Town that while Ipitied her, I felt little
| mischievolass SO I pointed to that young Ohio
clerk, and told her he would write out the doc
ument for her. She was horrifed, and asket
me ewith sharpness and asperity, scan that mig
ger write p sYes, madam, I said, and he viii
| attend to the business for you.' With some
reluctance, she went to his desk. BE arose
bowed, and gave her seat, and made out in :
fine round hand the necessary statement, and
then read it for her.ss 1t was then offered fol
| her signature, but when she drew Other glove
and I saw splendid diamond sparkle on hel
finger as she made her mark, I pitied he
from my heart; the superiority, the real su
1 periority, OF the negro was seen in the simple
| transaction. ~ III .s,sefr-. "a .a.az,.s.r t,ta
The poor woman perhaps felt it then her
self, for she wept, came to her senses, regret
ted her, harsh remarks about the niger, am
went away with ideas more becoming recon
1 structed woman than when she came" rr -