Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-07-11

| or dupeu lnauumehta 'o"'J =" N"''J
the will of our modern Jeffreys and Dali
| rymples, Masters Of Stair Glenlyons and
Lindsleyss-such are the Loyal Leagues
which, in darkened rooms, before blue
MISUNDERSTANDING ires, cross swords
and psalm.singing humbugs, have sworn
In "about foriy-6ve thousand" simple
freedmen, and taken from each misera-
BILE half dollar fee Of initiation. Those
poor creatures have stood before that
blue fame and all the other grim para
phernalia of this dark room humbug,
with sup0rstitious awe, mingled with
fear. To them it was the "Carloo
Dithaa" of their native jungles, the
"Obi Man." with his poisoned cocoa nut.
They will never forget that blue flame,
those crossed swords, the wild upturned
eye of "Forty Acres, with ominously
uplifted finger of the worthy Miller, as
he pronounced the "Anathama, mara
natha," on all who secede or break the
terrible pledge. Poor, simple, wronged
creatures In the wild storms OF mid
night when the blue lightning thrusts its
fingers through the storm'tossed cloud,
their imagination will bring out, clothed
with horror, that darkened room, that
mysterious flame, the upturned eye OF
"Forty Acres" and the 80 mote IL DC
of the mixed multitude.
Gentlemen, fellow citizens, freemen-
look at this mummery-thls political
humbug, and think that men OF rank, OF
standing, of fine intellect and kind hearts
are there. How can you account Tor It,
in this nineteenth century, What does
it mean7 Has the Lord, our God, Tor
saken us2 Are we people2 Has de
made us blind that our ruin may be more
sure7 Leaguers spd madmen, beware
Like blind Samson, you now sit beneath
the tower, not of oppression, but OF
human rights. You are madly grasping
the law and the ballot bex-the sure
columns of liberty. If you bow your
selves as he did, the beautiful structure
will fall, and you and your children will
perish unwept under its ruins. Leaguers,
beware A day of retributioais coming.
Blind guides leading the blind, how can
you escape? Every act of your own and
of your leaders is calculated to provoke
blood. You know this. Do you think
to grind the Anglo-Ssxon race beneath
the heel of your deceived colored dupes2
You thrust them once into the fiery fur
mace of war to save your own children.
You emancipated them as o military
necessity. At the last hope Of our totter-
ing Government, to save yourselves, you
and your party laid violent hands on the
colored element" and now you say
that it was all for love of that element.
Let us look at mr.. Lincoin's letter to
A. G. Hodges, Esq, Frankfort, Ken
lucky, dated April A, 1854;
believed the indispensable necessity
for emancipation and arming the blacks
would come 1t came, and was, In my
best judgment, driven to the alternative
of surrendering the Union, and with 1t
the Constitution, or of laying strong
hands on the colored element and arm
ing it. chose the latter.
Further quotation is unnecessary
comment useless. And now, dear
Leaguers remember, when you tell tho
poor freedmen that it was your love that
made him free, you speak not the truth.
When you gave him the right of suffrage
on the same account twas to save your
bacon, and you care no more for the
poor freedmen than BALKAN did for the
poor brute which refused to carry him.
Finally, Loyal League No. l." beg
leave to say to you, when you are about
to turn member out without cause, as
Paul said to the jailor, Do myself no
harm" There was not one sentence in
my letter which merited the act of Eek
pulsion." You kicked hole in the wall,
and l let the world in, sure of the ap-
proyal of honest men, and regardless of
all your threats.
am, respectfully yours,
WILLIAM DRIVER.
sSee McCaulay's Massacre of Glencoe.