The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-01

An INTELLIGENT FREEDMAS.-As has been
suggested by revercd and estimable citizen,
''if good.common sense, intelligent and wide
spread observation qualify amy one to give
sound advice to his fellow freedmen, as to the
best and wiscst course to pursue in lie new
rcIa. ion to which tbcy stand to their former
owners; Mr. J. II. HARRIS OF North Carolina,
is certainly that man; and they would do much
better for themselves by needing the advice OIL
such prudent counsellor hlan listening to
those who are in no way qualified to direct
them, but who are only urging them on in a
course which will ed in their own certain
misery and destruction" "Ifthc blind lead the
blind both will fall INTO the ditch"
We give below The remarks of this freed
mans friend, and would ask the reflective and
intelligent portions of our colored population
to read and we'll digest its contents;
A SENSIBLE NEGRo's SpEEou.-A con-
vention Of negroes was recently held in
Raleigh, N. G. The best speech during
its sessions was made by Mr.. ]. II. Harris
native. of Raleigh, and late the delegate
from the league to tile Convention at
Cleveland. "Mr. Harris labored to show
the colored people that their best friends
were the Intelligent white class in the
South, aud not the people at the North.
That their freedom had been achieved BY
law Of necessity, as military measure,
and not BY benevolent crusade of the
Northern army, as many supposed. He
cited the prejudice prevailing at the
Moth which shut the colored man out
from every avenue Of employment while
in the South every branch of industry in
the mechanic arts and the cultivation of
the soil was open to him. There had
never been such exhibitions of diabolcal
and murjerous hate exhibited towards
the colored race in The history Of the
world as were developed in the New York
mobs of 1868, and in other Northern ci>
ties. It Was no place for .he colored man
to look for an asylum. They must re-
main where they are ard work out their
destiny side by side with the white man.
They could not and wculd not migrate
/. Travelled ~ geo
miles in search Of Il better country-he
had made the circuit Of the West India
Islands and gone o7er Africa bit he had
now returned to bis native State Of Nprri:
Caroliua, where he inteydrd to live, to
die and hc buried. He course!pd mJ,t-
Grafton, kindness, and a patient and res-
pcctabe Cemcanpr toward the whites,
and the effort to make their Interests
mutual, showing them they (the col"red
people) were not their enemies, but frir;.d.
The past should be buried in Oblivion:
and the future only engage their efo's to
improve and elevate themselves. This
speech was in the happicst vein, and kept
the house in roar Of merrimcnt. Its
effect was most happy upon the. multi
tude, and must do much to disabuse
them Of many false injurious notions.
He was not in favor Of making large de-
mands at this time for their rights. but
allow the present misunderstanding and
consequent i'll feeling to cool, when they
would be sure to receive what they had a
right to claim God was on their side,
and be saw a glorious future before the
colored race in the Southern States"