Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-16
CEN saraaaas Ass tine EXODUS.
nts lniervisw Il Kansas wsaeA . ColorsA
l9nigra1e.

~ eAtUSAAeeO1ou WuV wa LII KVy0sW1yu" W.
The teens gives ~ the fllowisgN account Of
an interview between Gen. Sherman aud an
exodus negro At the Kansas Pacific depot.
10 this city, on the occasion of the recent
visit Of the president aud Gen. Sherman:
Alter the presidential party returned to
the Kansas Pacific depot. At North Law
awaiting the arrival Of the regular, express
train to pas, Gen. Shsfnan was standing
on the platform or the car containing the
presidential party, smoking . cigar. Quite
. crowd had collected on the depot platform
eral. Quite : number Of darkies were in
Tie crowd collected: There was . peculiar
grin on the gensrars face, showing he was
in for 2 little fun. Some Of the darkies
shook hands with the general. Finally the
care you an exodus darky?,,
mo sab" said he, "I'm from old Kahn
tuck"
"Good state" said the general. shut l
want to see q regular exodus darky, . resu.
lar exodus darky, = regular Mississippi
negro" :.
Another dusky citizen stepped up and
took the general BY the hand.
care you . Mississippi dafky?
"No' said he "I'm from old Varginy."
Good state /; but haven't you any exodus
darkies here? l heard that there were
Thousands come to Kansas lately, and .
good many to Lawrence, and I haven't been
able to see . single one on my whole trip to
Kansas ; what's become OF them"
Finally a black. raw-boney negro, black
a. mid. Knight stepped up, and, graphing the
generals hand, gave it q terrible shake, re-
marking: us you Mr.. Sherman?
eyes," says the general. care you q
Mississippi darky"
Eyes, sab. I am from Yasoo, Mississippi"
"Well, what did you leave there for ?"
SAYS Sherman.
"Well, I 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 q right to vote, and
when anyone 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 shootin'
lie 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 il they OPP
pose your right az citizens, and you can't
get any protection from the authorities, you
must, when the election comes, 60 in squads
of thirty or forty to the polls,take your ballo,
in one hand and q pistol in the other, and
deposit your vote, and enforce your rights
against mob law"
Cor q massa you know nothin' about
it. Talk about a darby going to the polls
wid q pistol. Kill him suah, white folks
would, and where is de black man goin' to
get de pistol, I'd like to know? / tell you,
| Mr.. Sherman, you know nothin' about votin'
down in Yazoo.',
Eyes, "says the general, II know that
l 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 consti-
tuition, and that you will stand up for your
rights they will leave you alone ; they bull
dose you because they know that you dark
les won't fight to the man for your rights"
By this time the old Exodus got warmed
up on the subject and q loud voice replied {:
"Mr. Sherman, when you was down dar
I observed you had lots Of white sogcrs wild
I you, and de people down dar was afeared of
you, and dey let you do as you please. but
Ps libbed down in Yazoo fer twenty Eve
years, and l knows'em better dan you does,
and l tell you dar amt no libben down dar
for a niger, and you don't cotch no niger
what has any sense wid a horse pistol. No
sar, suah."
The general replied "Yazoo county is
better for you to live in than Kansas. You
can raise two bales of cotton to the acre, and
eighty bushels of corn, and you must let
your friends know in Yszoo that they must
stay there and fight for their rights, the
same as white men We white men would
have no rights that anybody would respect
If We didn't fight for them occasionally.
When the people down there begin to un.
derstand that you will stand up like white
men, and be shot and shoot back, there will
b- no trouble about it. You are nov in
Kansas. It is.a good state, but better for
the white man than for the darby, because
you have to contend agaist northern men,
who have more enterprise and 'get-up.and
GET You darkies can now go to work and
get you q little home, raise your children,
and send them to school, educate them 60
that they become intelligent citizens; and
you have not missed it in coming TO Kansas.
l would like to hear Of you exodus darkies
all doing we'll here"
"Well, sab, " said old Ex, "dat's what I'm
doing. We all work, Ne are used to dat,
and all We wants is to be free. Dey told rs
dat We wa free after de wah, but it's wuss
down in Mississippi now dan bsfoh de
wah."
By this time the expresstrain passed,
and call on board" was heard, The gener-
al again shook hands with old Ex., saying:
'Old man, you will do we'll in kansas If
you work rs hard Is you did IL Misissippi
and have the full protection Of the Law, aud
feel really that you were made . free man
By the war;" By this time the train
moved of, anid the cheers Of the crowd, old
Exodus remarkin4:
"IfMr. Sherman wants to vote wid . pistol
in his hand. he can do 40, bat this old mig.
ger isn't such q d-n old fool Is the geaeral,
1 knows moah'n hedoss shout yohn' il Va
zoo. Talk about . Niger standin' upfo' hil
rights vid . hoss.pistol! Golly I you'd zee
noah dead niggers in Y AGO artsr lection
dan dere 10 har on Mr.. sheruan's head.
Ef white men don't fight for niggen' righta
dere done for, suah an sartin yes, sab
suah!"
With a smile upon everybody's face, *
no~k ~1l E0~l.~a eh~ A.n-N l:>~>.~~l