Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-08-30

OF humanity tnaL never udu d thought, ID
principle, country, or aGod, aud who are only
useful to the Catilines and Robespierres of civil
revolutionsi as so many noisy mecbines to throw
up hats and shout huz2a Such were the fe-
lows that found refuge from enrolling officers
in the Southern swamps Too cowardly to
fight under the Stars and Bars, they are found
fit aud worthy tools for the persecution OF the
disarmed and defenceess, and admirable gas
pipes to- hiss out hosannahs to the vulgar vanity
of their sort from the mountains OF the victor.
The third class of our would be-copartners IN
the business of reconstruction are the scraplngs
Of ground swell of New England fungi; and
| from the specimens. that have come South to
grow respectable on the ''Nigger vote, and get
rich By picking up little things, such as spoons
| and the like, L am very much inclined to the
opinion that most harmonious and lasting
| brotherhood may be established between them
and class No. 2. Such individuals in the days
of slavery would have been kicked out OF the
meanest darkey's cabin 10 the slave States, and
it is to-day an undeniabe fact that their status
is far below the standard of responsibility, even
| among the coored people they have succeeded
thus far in imposing upon loo low, and mean
and contemplate at home to be entrusted With
any office OF honor, trust or profit, they are here
to offer their patriotic services (?) and Vlrtuous
example Tor our moral elevation and political
advancement; and supposng the negro to be-,
at least, little bit lower in the scale OF hu-
manity than themselves, they come with the
confident expectation and lmpudent boasttul Ines
that Sambo and Simon, Peter and Poux, and
all the rest of US small try darkles, will at once
see liz their august personages the verltabie
champions Of our freedom, and fy on the wings
of gratitude and love to glorIy and reward them
at the polls-for their manly "har- breadth
'scapes in the imminent deadly breach" while
bleeding aud dying to set US free.
They know that we are in the alphabet OF
letters and their object is to take advantage OF
our general ignorance and universal credullty;
| and by pandering to our evil passions, and the
! vices incident to ignorance among all races,
| they expect to ALLEVIATE us from the only true
friends we have on the habltable globe, and
array US in political and deadly strife against
our former masters aud protectors. .
Such are the classes who, we are told, are to
be our future friends and legislators, and with
whom is is said by radicalism it is our duty to
unite in political organization fol the recon
| struction of the South. May the Gods forbid
| it! If the black race of the South have neither
the virtue nor the intelligence to feel tbe wound,
surely they have pride enough to rouse some
| feelings of resentment to the deep and damna-
| bic insult conveyed in the programe that names
them as the fourth class in the catalogue of
| imfamy.
If the colored man is worthy Of and entitled
to the elective franchise, it is very clear that
he is a lso entitled to place in politics in pro-
portion to the number he brings to the sup
port of the successful party; but it is not upon
this self-evident proposition that ! now an
1 neunce my determination to test radlcalsm to
! the very core on the question OF mixture OF
races In the halls of the National Legislature.
Neither l. nor my colored friends, nor the
intelligent right thinking white men of this
country, are willing to trust their honor or IN
terests in the hands of any one of the three
classes referred to; they and believe it is far
preferable to selec5 some reliable colored man,
and meet the issue at once and directly IN the
way that it can be done under the recon
ous measures
s'iRcIoh Pe III nd many other reasons: Mr.. Ed
~ ihe'e' a. solicitation OF many gentle
men of both races, cons> hefore the country,
name and though it is now siose sn;ne ;e and
my ambition is not at all overw.> y hrouoh-
shall cheerfullycounselwith my frienu, ~ai9n.
out the District as to the plan Of the camp III
the most available candidate, &C., and WI.
most gladly yield the field to better selection.
[ am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient
servant, JAMES P FICKL1NG.