Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-07-14
A SPEECH BY UNCLE
zEKE BOTTOM
AZ REPORTED IN THE DALLAS
EXPRESS BY "oLD
HICKORY"

d : b i
HICKORY"
The past month contains two cele.
bration days with which the colored
man is more or less intimately con-
cerned--June 3 and June IS. the for.
mer being the anniversary Of the birth
day OF Jefferson Davis, and now made
a legal holiday in number Of states.
We don't know that any considerable
number Of the negroes celebrated that
day, but the following speech shows
that the day ought to have peculiar
interest for US. The speech was made
many years ago by old man Zeke Bot
tom, brother Of Mr.. Sandy Bottom.
mentioned In these columns some
months ago. The audience was q
mixed one of whites and negroes. and
the orator was trying to prove that
jefferson Davis was as much respon-
sible for negro emancipation as was
Mr.. Lincoln. The speech, which was
originally reported by contemporary,
follows:
"You cullud folks" said Uncle zeke.
you cullud folks and carpet bag Pub
likins tel me we owe our freedom to
Mr.. Lnkum! G'way, Niger! Gway
FUN hyear, an talk SIGH truck as dat
ter de marroons! knows suthin'
bout det, ole Zeke does, kase was
dar-right dar while it was all go
ing on.
DE very fustest year oh de war ]
went out ter ole Ffrginny wild my
young master, Tom Kennedy Il sec
him sittin' ober. dar right nowD.
went to ole Firginny wild him kase my
mistis tolA me to 60 long and COOK
fur him and bring his body home ct
he happened ter git kilt. Wen. l
kinder liked my home folks. fur show
did; and while hated ter see EN-
killed up In battle wasn't bit sorry
when de Yankees whipt de rebs. kase
somehow felt dat my freedom would
cum outen It all. and dat was what
was keerin' fur most.
II yuster listen mighty close. mum.
to what ] hyeard de soldiers say IN
camp, but l neber let on. Dis niger
lay low and keep his ears skinned.
Bymeby de news cum into camp dat
Mr.. Linkum done sent word to Mr..
JEFF Davis dat eff Mr.. JEFF Davis would
make his soldiers lay down dar guns
an come back into de Union, jess like
day was befo day seeseeded, day
mout keep de niggers in slavery Jess
like day had at fust!
"Umph! Humph! Thinks ! to my
self! Kin it be presumable OATS Mr..
Linkum talkin'? Dat good man we all
said was gwinter sot US free? Umph!
thinks ter myself. it's mitey bad
chance ter get any freedom outer you.
Mr.. Linkum, and l tell yer what,
went squar back on Mr.. Lnkum rum
dat day ter dis, and gunter hitch my
hopes unto Mars JEFF Davis! was
sorter fraid Mars JET mout take up
Mr.. Linkum's propersition sho' nun,
and den wizard we niggers be? KEEP
on de look out to hyear what MI. Jen
Davis gwinter 'spound, and fur whole
week wos SO blue wos almo' black!
| I wos for er fac! Somehow, 1t sorter
peered ter me Mr.. Jeff Davis warn't
gwinter sept de propersition, kase he
was a suthern gemmen OBJ de kind
| what nebber consider the spenses
when day takes day coats OF to fight!
Now / said ter myself. II Mr.. Davis
| was one O. dem sharp yankees wat got
heap mo- sense dan our white folks
| has, and knows how ter drive sharp
bargain-I says to myself eff Mr.. Davis
wuz dat sort o. man (you know de
folks up norf nebber sot US free IN
dare born days-no Stree. day sont US
down souf and sole us and put us In
dare pockets-dey did fur er fac!)-
said to myself eff Mr.. Jeff Davis was
dat sorter man (like Mr.. Linkum
| thought he was) we nebber get no
| freedom in the world-for soon found
| out the yanks warn't fitin' ter free us.
but Jest to git de souf back in the
| union. So lay low and KEEP dark,
waitin to hear what Mr.. JEFF Davis
gwinter to say; but bymsby, bless
God and glory halleluyah, de blessed
word cum from Mr.. Davis dat he be
dam eff he was gwinter do emmy SIGH
a thing He wasn't fitin' to keep mig
gers in slavery-he was ftin' for his
own freedom, he was fur fac!
Now what you niggers think did
when I got dat Spouse FUN Mr.. Jeff
Davis? jess slipped, out behind an
ole thicket whar de white folks
couldn't see me, and threw my hat
high up in de atmosphere and shout
ed: Bully fur JEFF Davis!'
How duz emmy you fool mggers try
ter make be believe l owes my free
dom to Mr.. Linkum? Not bit us it!
He tried ter swop us all off fur de
union, and knew eff Mr.. JEFF Davia
kept on fltin' he bound ter git whipt
after awhile, and he did! He wouldn't
'spond ter Mr.. Linkum's preparation,
so expects ter shout ez long ez dis
niger lives, Bully fur JET Davis. and
may de good Lawd protect him.
you niggers wat staid at home en-
durin'en de war, don't know nuttin'
bout what US rebels knowed. Ell do
rebbels had laid down dar guns emmy
time de first year or two after ID war
begun dem yankees and publicans
done tuck EN- back 10 quick It mako
your head swim.
Shores yer born,
An lef dis niggah hosin' corn"
NEGRO SOCIETIES 70 HOLD