Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-11-06

General Shernau's Talk with an
- Exodus" NeErO-WhY the Negro
Did Net Take Has Advice
A gentleman who was an eyewitness to /
the scene gives US the following account /
of an interview between General Sher- |
man and an exodus negro at the Kansas |
Pacific depot, in this city, on the occasion |
of the recent visit of the President 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, smok-
ing a cigar. A number of darkles were
in the crowd collected, and some of them
shook hands with the General. Finally
a black, raw-bOned negro, black as mid
night, with a heavy beard, intermixed
| considerably with gray, stepped up and
grasping the Generals hand, gave it a
! terrible shake, remarking, Is you Mr..
| Sherman? 2"
Yes said the General; care you a
"Yes, san; I am from YazOo, Missis-
sfppi.'
stWen. 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"
E'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.''
Butt says Ex odus, 20 dey go to shoot
ing de darkies when dey open dar heads
about dar rights to vote"
g Well, - says the General, you must
stand up for your rights like men, and if
they oppose your rights as citizens, and
you can't get any protection from the au-
I 81, FEn ala m
| comes, 90 in squads of thirty or forty to
the polls, take your vote in one hand and
a pistol in the other, and deposit your
vote, and enforce your rights against mob
law"
''Gor a. massa, you know nOthin' about
it. Talk about a darkey gOin' to de polls
wild a pistol. Kill him suah, white folks
would, and whar is de black man gOin'
to git de pistol, I'D like to know? / tell
you, Mr.. Sherman, you know nOthin'
about votin' down in YazoO."
Yes says the General, g have been
| there several times, and if you will let
those people down there know that you
are determined to have your political
! rights, guaranteed to you under the Con-
stitutiOn, and that you will stand up for
your rights, they will leave you alone
| they bulldOZe you because they know
that you darkies won't fight to the man
for your rights"
By this time the old Exodus got
warmed up on the subject, and in loud
! voice replied
Mr.. Sherman, when you was down
dar observed you had lots OBJ white So
gers wild you, and de people down da1
was afeard of you, an dey let you do as
you please, but I'se libbed down in YazoC
fer twenty-five years, an knows ZEN
better dan you does, an tell you dal
amt no Iibbin down dar for a nigger
an you don't cotch no nigger what has
any sense wild a horse pistol. No, sar
suah.''
Bv this time the train moved off, amit
the cheers of the crowd, old Exodus re
marking:
{" If Mr.. Sherman wants to vote wild
= pistol in his hand, he can do so; but di
p old nigger isn't sich fool as de General
1 knows moah'n he does about votin' il
: Yazoo. Talk about nigger standin' a
: fo' his rights wild a hoss pistol! Golly
: you'd see NOAH dead niggers in Yazo
: arter Election dan dar is har on Mr.. Sher
i mans head. Eff white men don't ffgh
for niggers' rights dere done for, sua
II an sartin; yes, sab; suah!''
;. With smile upon everybody's face
- | except old Exodus, the crowd dispersed
If Laurence (Kdn.) Journal.