, 1888-11-22

Sherman, Mcpherson, Logan, Strong,
Hickenlooper, ETC., had often done. After
the war met Old Shady on a steamboat
on the Upper Mississippi. when he sang
to us on the hurricane deck that good old
song, which brought tears to the eyes of
the passen gers; and more recently heard
of him far up in Dakota, near the Lower
Canady," toward which he seemed to lean
as the coigne Of safety, where his wife and
mice little baby" had sought and obtained
refuge. believe him now TO be
dead, but living or dead, he has the
love and respect of the old army of
the Tennessee which gave him
freedom. Good bye, Mass jeff; good
bye. Mass Stephen" was beautiful ex.
yearned for freedom and dollar "a day."
And yet "Old Shady" was only one OF the
tens of thousands of slaves who escaped
from bondage to freedom in the days of
our national struggle. More than two
millions of slaves were practically free be-
fore Mr.. Lincoln's proclamation OF free
dom. That proclamation was simply the
notice by the high sheriff of the nation of
a concluded fact.
But must return to the negro race.
They still form one.tenth of our aggre-
CRATE population. They were once slaves,
but are now free; not only free, but sen.
privileges Of American citizenship. They
are u kindly, domestic and inoffensve
race, and since the world began no higher
virtue was ever exercised than by these
lowly people, who toied in the fields
to raise corn and feed for the rebel
armies in Virginia and Georgia. whom
they knew to be employed to perpetuate
their own bondage. Every Southern gen
teman who has a spark of knighthood left
10, h;a "A, ohnnl1 fala off hla hat IN fhp
old bondsman, who stayed at home to care
for his mistress and the young ladies',
while he was himself away fighting to de.
stroy his own government, and to
strengthen the fetters which bound his
slave to the master. The bondsman is
now free, and by the constitution and laws
of his land is entitled to vote as though
he were born free white man; but we all
knew then as we know now, that consti-
tutions and laws are idle winds. People
are governed by usages, customs, and by
laws.
The negro is not permitted to vote if the
vote disturbs the judgment of the white
majority, and If it changes the verdict of
their former masters it is not counted.
What is the use of shutting our eyes to
well known fact. We did so from 1850
to 1860, and have paid the penalty. The
next war may be avoided by reason and
common sense, and if | can help to avert
it will feel more honored than in past
victories and trumphs. say to the
South, let the negro vote and count his
vote honestly. 1t will not disturb, but, on
the contrary, will hasten your prosperity
and stability as a people.
! confess that feel partial to the col
ored people of the United States. During
the war they had difficult part to play.
They understood from beginning to end
their status in our community. They were
faithful to their masters and mistresses.
They never betrayed the confidence of
poor union soldier who had escaped from
his prison and was trying to reach Gods
country They knew the geography of
the country in which we were operating,
and always answered our questions hon
estly and truthfully, which was more than
their white masters did, and best of all,
on the crisis of their fate, they did not re.
sort to the torch and the dagger, as their
race had done in San Domingo
remember we'll that Henry Clay often
asserted that his coored boy, -, was
the most accomplished gentleman in
America. | myself have seen General
Persifer +. Smith of Louisiana take of
his cap and make a profound bow to every
colored man whom he met in San Fran.
cisco in lS49 because, he said, thev were
the only gentlemen who kept their prom
ises. And ! here assert that Henry
Sampson of San Francisco, slave to
Colonel Chambers of Rspides Parish, La,
who paid through me $1,000 for his free
dom, though the law would not have en-
forced cent, was as well qualified to ex.
ercise the great American right of suffrage
as any single man not resident in the state
of Louisiana. What more beautiful sen.
timent than that of my acquaintance
"Old Shady" GOOD bye. Massa JEFF;
good bye, Massa Stephens; scuse dis
nigRer for takin' his leavin's 's"--poite and
gentle to the end. Burns never said any
thing better.
mand from ATLANTA to the Sea" reached
Savannah, the first essential step was to
carry. by assault, Fort McAlister, in order
to open up communication with the feet,
sent in anticipation with supplies. The
work was promptly and genteely done by
the second division of the Fifteenth corps,
commanded by General w. b. Hazeu.
was watching the assault from rice mill
across the Ogeechee, but as soon as | saw
go up on the flav staff. jumped into an
oyster boas and pulled down. Reaching
the McAlister plantation after dark,
was conducted to the overseer's house,
where General Hazen and his officers
were taking supper. |, General Howard
and the few officers with me were in
vited in-an invitation promptly accepted
because we had had nothing to eat since
daylight. General Hazen, who sat at the
head 'of the (kitchen) table, remarked:
General Sherman, Major Anderson, who
commanded the captured garrison. is now
u prisoner of war out in the corral He
is Il gentleman. May ! invite him to
share our supper?" "Of course, this is
your table, and ! am only your guest;
certainly, bring the major in" An aide
de-damp was sent. and soon entered Ma
ior nd in hap droou ne on