Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-08-27
n6y- We dive place to The communion

but rather to show, through the obvious
spirit of its author, the Gnimus which
actuates our immediate Radical neigh
bors. If he represents them correctly
they are determined TO be as vicious AZ
possible, in order to punish the contempt
and execration in which their own coz
duct compels them to be held by honor
able minds. If anything has been said,
Dor shall be said by us which does single
one of them injustice, we will retract 1t
on the same being shown.
The writer is much mistaken when he
supposes that we think the Radical lead
ers in the South have no sense. We
think the "colored and the uncolored
Radicals both have sense. We only
meant to insist that the colored have the
largest share of it. Does he not know
that some men have more sense than
other men ? And why should not the
colored gentlemen, who have had wise
counsellors,' have more sense than the
uncolored leaders who have had none
but their own passions?
We deny that the Radical leaders
know how to teach Africans anything.
When they trust them really, they will
laugh in their sleeve, and tell them to
pay their washerwomen and give them
back those rations. Have not the
Radical whites taken all they could get
from the poor negro ? Do they propose
to rob the Conservative whites, and give
the fruit of the robbery to the negro, in
order to steal that too ? Every sensible
negro man knows that these wise
counselIors," these Radicals, who seek
to govern through him, only do it in
order to feather their own nests. When
did these Radical councillors show
that they had anything but advice to
give to negro men ? Do they take any
money out of their pockets and give
that ? Every sensible negro man knows
that these Radicals who pretend to
know SO much as to teach him, and show
all the statesmen of the South how to
govern, know very little, and care not
for him, unless they can make money
out of him. He knows that these wise
counsellor" of HIS are set of sharks,
who are after the loaves and little fishes,
and want all the Offices and fat salaries
too He knows that such'of the a" coun-
sellors as came here from the North
followed the armies of the United States
"on the make, and would have rejoiced
to see the war 60 on, and the chains of
slavery drawn tighter thousand years,
if they could get rich by it And that such
of them as deserted from the Confederate
army or cause, when in the acme of
peril, measure all honor and all duty by
their own interests and the money it
brings 10 their own pockets. The SEN
sible negro man knows that they are not
such fools Though they are somewhat
his own interiors;, as not to know that
money covers multitude of WEAKNESSES.
And when he sees them hunting for it,
with dark lanterns, in loyal leagues, and
smiling and fawning and honeying him,
with lying pretenses of believing his race
can be capable of making laws and ad-
miuistering the great affairs of State, he
knows it is all to get his money, and he
puts his hand on his pocket.
We tell the Radicals they cannot de-
ceive Uncle Tom with such stuff, nor
prevent his seeing through their selfish.
ness in pretending to be his friend. He
knows their motives, and has more
knowledge of human nature than they
have, and sees through them. Every
sensible negro man knows that the air of
superiority they put on, in pretending to
be his counsellors," is false pretense,
that they dc not understand his wishes,
or his interests, and that all they care for
about him is his money, and that the
body of Radicals will desert the negroes
the very moment it is their interest to do
it, and that they have no friend among
white people, except it is those who have
been raised with them. All the rest are
sharpers after their money or their votes
with which TO get office and salaries.
Does the writer think the negroes are
green enough to suppose he is their
friend because he advocates their cause ?
We tell him that they know he is no
friend of them, because he loves himself
so much that he cannot love anybody
else. We tell him that they pretend to
be his friend, not because they have any
confidence in him, but because they pos
sess more sense than he, and feign that
they are duped by him in order to use
him. Uncle Tom makes many hearty
gufaw when he meets his neighbor Tom
in the log cabin and, with heightened
probocis, and white turning eye and
ivory, reeounts how he has done massa
Rad. The negro Ignorant -" nc
sensel" 1t is not the LEDGER which says
it, but this ignorant scribbler, who writes
the letter we publish without the manli-
ness to disclose his name. He actuated
b. Christian motives and charity This
very communication shows that he would
beat he devil as an inquisiior, in being
the mere cunning serpent; and that he