Page:Sketchesinhistory00pett.pdf/110

104 has been built because they never asked for one, and finally the school fund was appropriated to other objects; whereas, not only the law makes it a penal offense to teach a negro, free or slave, to read, but subjects the negro to a public whipping for trying to learn ; yet there are more slaves in this county who can read and write than there are of that class of whites. Yes sir, if made free to-day, the blacks would use the elective franchise more intelligently than they. Why sir’ said he, becoming excited by his own talk, ‘there are ten men in the legislature of this State that are not as capable of making laws for the government of the ’State as my Ben is. His education is better than theirs—the Lord knows how he obtained it—and he has better common sense; and Rankin, there is your blacksmith Henry. Where can you find a better mechanic, or a man better fitted to discharge the duties of a free citizen than he is?’

“‘I give you this’ said Platt, ‘as the substance of what she said, in a conversation in which I took some part.’

“I have only to add,” said Chapel, “that my observation corroborates all the sentiments expressed by Mrs and Mr. Hamilton, and,” said he, “I believe that nearly all the better portion of the people hold similar opinions, though few will speak as freely on the subject as did Mrs. Hamilton. Platt was thoroughly cured of his toadyism.”

From Carlisle we went to Cynthiana, where it was our good fortune to become acquainted with Mr. Hamilton, and we accepted his invitation to visit him at his home. He had buried his good wife some years before, but he wished to introduce us to his son. The father and son were both enthusiastic admirers of Northern institutions, especially our common schools, internal improvements and free labor, and said that Kentucky needed only these to make it the paradise of the United States.