Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-08-09
A Negroes View.

.s. -e.. a NegrO'S view. ee# aeEF
Sam. Wilkinson, of the n. Y. -Trih-
me, writing from the army before
Richmond, reports the following con-
versation with al intelligent negro
called Tom, on the question of who
should have their aid sa 90
have talked with many intelligent
men of oolor on this subject. The su-
perior man of all is known as s'Tsm.''
I one day drew him out Of his guarded
silence on this theme. by saying, 1"I am
surprised, Tom, that the negroes in
this peninsula don't fight for us.'' szsz2
II reckon you amt, Mr.. w. You
know too much. "r.-.. e--- ..s-~ -sss-r4
"Why don't you fight for us, Tom ?''
"rhey expected to, sir, and all the
colored men, from here to Texas, ex-
pected to-" . aa. ##aa 4.9e Gg:G
"Why didn't they?7 2 sv f-f sd, ss
You know as well as I. We were
driven from your lines and camps, and
pretty plainly told that you didn't want
anything 60 do with Us; that you mcart
to carry on this war so as to have us in
slavery at the end of the war. So we
left you to carry ON the war as you
could, and a pretty poor fist you are
making of it, too, Mr. w. said Tom,
warming into earnestness. "The North
can't conquer the South, without the
help of the slaves, We men of color,
who have communication with each
other through all the States the lead
ing men, Tmean) know this. We know,
too, that if the war lasts, one party Or
the other party will give US our free
DOM" "
"NVhat is that you say-the slave
holders free their slaves % aa3 aalGs1
f.. 'They certainly will do it, if they
can't whip you otherwise. You may
depend on that. Ny friends through
the South all tell me So. Our position,
Mr.. w, is like that of the San Domin-
go blacks. They put their aid in the
market, between the whites and the
mulattoes-put in for sale. The price
was their freedom. We mean to sell
Yourselves for freedom-we hope to you
Northern men. If your politiciansand
generals kick US away, we will try TO
make our market with the rebels. But
you had better bargain with us-had
better free US and arm us How long
would this war last if we were freed
by act OF Congress and the Presidents
proclamation-both Of them ratified in
general orders by the commanders of
all the Union armies in the South p
Why, the rebel armies would melt away
In less than a week. Every officer and
every private who had any interest Of
any kind i'll plantation, or village
even, would run straight home to pro-
tect 1t against imaginary injury. Con
slider US armed; there's no use talking,
Mr. w. The revolution at the South
is accomplished, and the Union is saw
ed, and you can't save it without the
social revolution. And mark my words,
Mr. W., the attempt to save it without
doing us justice will end in your own
political slavery and your ruin, and in
this England will be the principal agent.
There are colored men in Washington
who know the yalue of the dinner-table
talk Of great men, and Jeff. Davis and
Keitt, and Floyd, have always made
much of the jealousy in England Of the
manufactures Of your North. You have
got to have Us, Mr.. w. Our climate
will kill yonr troops, save in December,
January, February and March. The
south is Wilderness You are igno-
rant of it, aud can be s.mbushed every
day. And it is SO big that if with half
Of, :,
take nillion Of men to occupy it
And, then, what sort of Union will
you have saved, in which the people Of
thirteen States refuse to take. political
action, and have bat to raise their fin
gers to their slaves to set them loose
upon you, and drive you northward.-
You had better take US, Mr.. W. In
deed, you have got to take US. For if
you wish to back ont of this war, you
won't be permitted to do it. You have
got to conquer or be conquered. know
the Shareholders. They went into this
war for power, and if you don't whip
them in Virginia and South Carolina,
they viii whip you in Pennsylvania and
New York; and then reconstruct the
Union, with themselves at the TOP and
you at the bottom. You white men of
the North will go iEto slavery, unless
you take us black men Of the South out
Of slavery; and, Mr.. W, you have not
a great dealof time left in which to
decide. what you will DO! - g z3l tdaa
Tom speaks the sentiments of. his
race. Statesmen and soldiers will heed
them, g-.. S, W,