The Black Republican., 1865-04-29
VOLUME l.


anA oppression, was t.r teaching Of oul
fathers. The study g. our early histoly
| VIII mot lei me forget 10. alo may 10 never.
Ih.H country WAS formed for the white,
not for the black man. And Looking upon
| African slavery from tlC same ,tard.p0int
held by the noble tiamt oi orr Consiitu-
ton Il for one, have ever considered Il one
Of the greatest blessineg (roth for themselves
and us) that God ever bestowed upon q
| favored nation. Mitless heretofore our
| wealth and power, witness their elevation
and enlightenment above their race else
where. l have lived among il most of my
life, and have seen less harsh treatment
from master to man than | have beheld in
the North from father to son. Yes, Heaven
knows, no one would be willing to do more
for the negro race than |, could but sec
way to still better their condition.
| But Lincoln's policy is only preparing
the way for their total annihilation. The
! South arc not, nor have they been lighting
] for the continuance of slavery. The first
| battle of Bull Run did away with that idea
Their causes since the war have been as
noble and greater far than those that urged
our fathers on. Even should we allow they
were wrong at the beginning Of this con-
| test, cruelty and injustice have made the
wrong become the right and they stand
now (oefore the wonder and admiration Of
| the world) as a noble band of patriotic
| heroes. Hereafter, reading of their deeds,
| Thermopylse win be forgotten.
When ! aided in the capture and execution
| of John Brown (Who was q murderer on our
western border, and who was fairly tried
and convicted, before al impartial judge
and Jury, of treason, and who, by the way,
has since been made a god), was proud of
my little share i'll the transaction; for l
deemed 1t my duty; anu that | was helping
our common country to perform al act of
justice. But what was crime in poor John
Brown is now considered (by themSelVes)
as the greatest and only virtue OF the whole
Republican party. Strange transmigration!
Vice to become virtue, simply because
more indulge in it.
] thought then, us now, that the Abolition
lists were the only traitors III the land, and
that the entire party deserved the same fate
of poor old Brown; not because they wish
to abolish slavery, but on account of the
means they have ever endeavored to use to
effect that abolition. If Brown were living,
! doubt whether he himself would set
slavery against the Union. Most or many
in the North do, and openly curse the Union,
if the South are to return and retain q single
right guaranteed to them Icy every tie which
we once reyered as sacred. The South can
make no choice 1t is eitucr determination,
or slavery for themselNC.. (WoTsG than
deatn), to draw from. Know my choice.
| have also studied LarG to discover upon
what grounds the right Of q State to secede
United States, and the Declaration Of Inde-
pcndenCc, both provide for secession. But
there is no time for words. | write III haste.
! know how foolish ] Shall be deemed for
undertaking such step as this, where, on
the one side, have many friends and every
thing TO make me happy, where my protcs-
sion alone has gained lac al income OF more
| than twenty thousand dollars Il year. and
where my great personal ambition in my
profession has such grcas field for labor.
On the other hand, the South have
| never bestowed upon me one kind word,
a place now where | have no friends.
except beneath the sod place where
| must either become q private soldier or
| beggar. To give up all of the former for the
| latter, besides my mother and sisters, whom
| love so dearly, (altLough they so widely
differ with me in opiriCn,) seems insane;
but God is my judge. | love justice more
| than do q country that disowns it; more
than fame and wealth; more, (Heaven par
don me it Wrong,) more than happy home.
| have never been upon q battlefield; but
O, my countrymen, could you all but see the
reality or effects of this horrid war, as I
have seen them, Tin every State, save Vir-
ginia,) know you would think like me, and
would pray the Almighty to create in the
Northern mind a sense OF right and justice,
(even should it possess no seasoping of
mercy,) and that He would dry up this sea
of blood between US, whicL is daily growing
wider. Alas poor country! is she to meet
her threatened doom? Four years ago
would have given Thousand lives to see her
remain Gas had always known her)powerfIl
and unbroken. And even now would hold
my life as naught. to see her what she was
Oh, my friends, if the fearful scenes of the
past four years had never been enacted. or
if what has been had been but a fIightfll
dream, from which we could now awake.
with what overlooking hearts could we bless
our God and pray for His continued favor.
How have loved the old flag can never
now be known. A few years since and the
entire world could boast of none so pure
and spotless But | have Of late been seeing
and hearing Of the bloodr deeds Of which
she has been made the emblem and would
shudder to think how changed she had
grown. Oh, how have l0nged to see her
break from the mist OF blood and death
that circles round her folds sDoilino her
beauty and furnishing her honor. But moi
Day by day has she Lecu dragged deeper
and deeper into cruelty ard oppression, till
now On my eyes) hen once bright red stripes
LOOK IKE bloody gasLes on the face of
Heaven: look now upoI. my early admira-
uon OF her glories as q dream. My love Gas
things stand today is for tho South alone.
NOR 10 deem 1t a dishoror in attempting
70 MAKE Tor her prisoner Of this man, to
Whom she owes so much Of misery. If sue
cess attends me, 30 penn;loss to her side
hey say she has found that "last ditchn
winch the North have SO long deridqd. and
peen endeavoring to force Ler in, forgetting
they are our brothers, and that it's impulitiC
10 goad an enemy to madness. Sh6uld T
Teacn her IN safety and and it true. will
proudly beg permission to triumph or die in
that same 'ditchn by her side.
a Confederate, doing duty upon his own
iNSPohsiOilty' J. WILKES BooTH.