The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-08-06
connscatiosa,'


committee OF arrangements for the
coloSed mems. celebration OF the 4th
Of July in Lexington, KY, al which
Gen. Brisbin made speech, pro-
posing conlscation6o "rebeP' pro-
pertyl it, distribution among sthe ne
groes, The Acknowledgement Of rebels,
and the acknowledgements of women,
without distinction of color:
LoUIsviLLE, June 27, 1867.
To Messrs. Charles Perry, @. B. Tho
mas and G. w.. Smith, Committee,
Lexington. Ky. ''' = ~ 80
% GENTLEMEN: Your communication
of the goth instant, inviting me to
deliver an address to the colored citi-
zens Of Lexington on the 4th prox. !,
came duly to hand. AS I am conn
PEELED to be in Washington city yon
the day of your meeting, I am forced
to decline your polite invitation. You
ask for advice. I deem it q pleasure
and privilege to give you the benefit
of my counsel whenever you may
wish it, and it is a source of much
qualification to me to see that, thrown,
as you are, to certain extent, upon
your own resources, you are honestly
and earnestly seeking for light, and
are willing to learn of those who are
of larger experience than yourselves.
You are now emphatically the archi-
tects of your own fortunes-your dcs-
TIMES arc in your own hands. Your
friends have done about all that can
be done for you; what remains to be
accomplished must and can be accom-
plished by yourselves. Learn to ap-
preciate fully the responsibilities
which are resting upon you, and the
duties which you owe to yourselves,
to your posterity, and to your coun-
try. The world is watching yuu-
your enemies predicting for you the
fate of the Indian, who is gradually
but surely disappearing before the
advance of civilization-your friends
hopefully, confidently expecting your
rapid advance to the position Which,
as citizens of this great republic, you
are entitled to occupy. Cultivate all
tho virtues which ennoble man; be
honest, Industrious, sober; educate
yourselves, make money, and learn to
keep it; own your own homes; iden-
tify yourselves as good citizens with
the communities in which you may
live; in all your dealings with your
fcllow-man, do rs you would be done
by, aud learn to respect yourselves,
that others may respect you. Much
trouble is anticipated in the financial
world, and one of the results of this
will be suffering and distress among
tho poor. In view of this, it is Of
the utmost Importance that each and
all of you should secure some steady,
remunerative employment. 1t were
wise for those who have been raised
in the country to seek employment
there. The cities are already crowded
with the starving poor, who are una
BILE to find employment; and if, rs is
anticipated, the cholera becomes cpl
demic this sllmmer, the crowded
tenements and scanty fare of the poor
of the city will surely invite and in
crease its ravages. ,,
Again assuring you of my deep in
terest in the welfare of your race, I
am. very respectfully,
JAMES SPEED.
Commenting on this letter, the
New York Tribune says:
Those gentlemen who talk to the
colored men about the confscation of
rebel property, and its distribution
among the negroes, exotic hopes
which are likely to be disappointed.
The freedmen must raise themselves;
they must work now, and not depend
upon vague promises of future aid.
As Mr.. Speed says, there is little
more that can be done for the freed
men; we have given them all the
rights and privileges we ourselves
possess, and the opportunity is for
them to use. Cultivate all the vir-
pc xu1,inh onnnl,Io COW, mr.,