Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-11-17
GEN. SHERMAN,S TALK WITH AN
ssEXODUS's NEGRO.

A gentleman who was an eyewitness
to the scene gives us the following ac-
count of an interview between General
Sherman and an exodus negro at the
Kansas Pacific depot IN this city on the
occasion of the recent visit of the Presi-
dent and General Sherman. While the
train was detained half an hour General
Sherman was standing on the platform OF
the car containing the Presidential party,
smoking a cigar. A number of darkies
were in the crowd collected, and some of
them shook hands with the General.
Finally black, raw-boned negro, black as
midnight, with heavy beard, intermix-
ed considerably with gray, stepped up and
grasping the Generals hand gave it
-s-,--l---s---ra-Ii,,r-ssIs Won Mr.
Sherman ?'
"Yes," says the General. "Are you
Mississippi darkey?'
..Yes, sab; | am from Yazoo, Missis-
sippi."
"Well. what did you leave there for ?"
says Sherman.
"Well, 1 tell you, Mr.. Sherman, dey
wouldn't let us live down thar in peace !;
couldn't get no. pay for our work, an
dey wouldn't let us VOTE
"Ah. they wouldn't let you vote !?
Well you know you have right to vote,
and when any one interferes with you In
the free exercise Of your political rights
you must tell them to stand back and
leave you alone"
"But," says Exodus, "dey 60 to shoot
in de darkies when dey open dar heads
about dar rights to vote"
"Well," says the General, "you must
stand up for your rights like men, and
if they oppose your right as citizens
and you can't get any protection from
the authorities, you must, when the
election comes, go in squads of thirty ol
forty to the polls, take your vote in ont
hand and pistol in the other, and de
posit your vote, and enforce your right
against mob law"
"Gor a. massa, you know nothin' abou
it. Talk about darkey goin' to tn
polls wild a pistol. Kill him suah, whit
folks would, and where is the black ma
> goin' to get de pistol, I'd like to know
tell you Mr.. Sherman, you know moth
e in about votin' down in Yazoo."
/ "Yes," says the General 81 hay
t been there several times, and if you WI
e let those people down there know tn;
e you are determined to have your polit
cal rights, guaranteed to you under Il
I Constitution. and that you will stand |
n for your rights, they will leave u
alone; they bulldoze you because th'
u know that you darkies won't fight to t
is man for your rights.
By this time the old Exodus G
J. warmed up on the subject, and in lor
Q, voice replied
"Mr. Sherman. when you was do'
It. dar 1 observed you had lots Of VIII
er sogers wild you, and de people down d
was afeared of you, and dey let you
av as you please, but Use libbed down
d. Yazoo for twenty five years, and | kno
on EN- better dan you does, and | tell J
d. dar amt no libben down dar for a n
N. ger. and you don't cotch no niger wi
has any sense wild horse pistol.
Il sar, suah."
ia By this time the train moved off, ar
mt the cheers of the crowd. old Exodus
ih marking: ''If Mr.. Sherman wants
vote wild pistol in his hand, he can
,lo so, but this old niger isn't such
= as de general. l knows moah'n he d
g about votin' in Yazoo Talk about I
ma ger standin' up fo' his rights wild h
pistol! Golly! you'd see noah d
niggers in Yazoo arter lection dan {
is har on MIR. Sherman's head. Eff w
h. men don't fight for niggers' rights
-, done for, suah an sartin; yes, {
suah p
With smile upon everybody's f
,,o,, except old Exodus, the crown disper
,or -Laaorence (Kan.) Journal