Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-04-06

/
FT. MADISON, Iowa, /
March q, 1857.
EpIToRs GAZETTE AND ARGUS:
friend who has lately been travelling il
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana anC
Arkan sas, cnlled on me few days since
Knowing him to be friend (so.called,
of the colored race, inquired of hin
what the negroes he met in his travel.
thought of the idea of being allowed to
vote, etc., etc. He replied about as fol
lows
concluded that in my travels would
take some trouble to ascertain the state
of their feelings on the various political
topics of the day | will not try to tell
you one-half, but will repeat the sub
stance. of one or two conversations
held with the colored people as speci
mems of the many, and you may guess
that while | was sometimes amused, my
patience was sorely tried, and-and-
well, my opinion of the colored popula-
ton was somewhat changed. | got an
opinion as was an opinion" in most
cases, I'll assure you.
told him | needed no assurance about
that matter, as had some acquaintance
with the colored gentlemen of the South.
He proceeded
Near the little town of Meridian,
Mississippi, noticed, chopping near
the road, colored man, who / thought
appeared bright and intelligent, so /
refined up my horse and accosted him :
swell 10 how do you get along since
you got your freedom ?"
Berry well, sar, berry we'll sar, sen
dem buro' fellars gone off
THE agent of the Freedmen Bureau
has left here, has he 2 "
"Dono sar, bout de agens sar, but
dem buro' fellars done gone, and Use
berry glad, sar.
They have not left you have they,
and entirely unprotected here amongst
rebels
Doesn't need perfection now, sar,
dey' done gone, sar.
"Well, 10, presume the agent that
was here was not very good man but
never mind about that Wouldn't you
like the privilege of the elective fran
chise-wouldn't you like to be allowed to
votef"
10 looked thoughtful and scratched
his wool Justify,
whats dat, Sdr
Would you like the privilege Of voting
at the elections p
Lection callin' an lection, dats
what de preacher say, sar-yes, ssr.
"Nol no Joe, not that Wouldn't
you like to 90 to the polls and vote ?"
No, sar marser done did dat are
when dis nigger wouldn't work. Pole
berry hard, ssr, berry hard hurt dis mig
ger berry bad couldn't work any more,
sar, fore Christmas; couldn't indeed,
sar
GOOD dayl l hope you are loyal,
Jol Good day |" rode slowly away.
10 said Good day, sar, put on his hat
and resumed his work, mutteriug, iaio-
yll laioyiI CESS | is dat ar, sure
links is; yal va | AK ole marser
bout dat are, anyhow
In Mobile, Alabama, | spent several
weeks. One day, having some business
up the Alabama river, got passage on
boat that was not prepared to feed
passengers" and therefore stepped into
a restaurant, near the wharf, which was
kept by colored man to get lunch to
take with me.
"Give me a quarters worth of boiled |
ham, said l.
"Yes sirl all right sir
He cut me very thin slice Said |, |
" that is not very liberal piece for a
quarter, especially to a Yankee, one
who helped You and your people to the
precious boon of liberty"
&C. don't know about that; Twas never
o slave; but the Yankees never done me
no good, sir" =,
They never harmed you did theyY
"Yesl They done broke in my shop,
eat oil my provisions, and took all my
money; an they met Bob who keeps
over there tother night an knocked him
down with a gun, an took all his money.
Them Reglars whose been here more n
q year has killed a great many colored
folks, and they robs all they catches out
Colored folks has to watch out sense the
Yankees come here-they does.
But yoa are. talking like a secesh.
You are not disloyal are you 2
"Nol Use not disloyal, reckon; but
like the people down here better than
the Yankees, so does most all the color
ed folks, cause they likes US best, an
treats US best, "a ais'f 50 pstisHlar
about a liffle money
Thus" says the gentleman, found
at least nine out Of every ten Of these
negroes totally ignorant Of what either
voting OF loyalty meant; and the tenth
who was better informed / found TO be
bitter rebels, with very few exceptions,
and all Of them we're opposed 10 the
Freedmens Bureau who knew anything
about il. and we're not supported by its
insirumenialiiy in idleness also