The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1867-05-23

To warned them against the efforts that
were being made to pldce the two. native t. 1a-
ccs in ar.agonism to each other, to d1vloe lnc
State by a broad black line, or If they shese'
by broad white line, This meant Yar' m
tcrnccinc civil war. ard of the devastations
of war we had enough They should reg"rui
as cmissar;cs of evil, as enemies to themselves
and to humanity all persons, white OF COL
ored, who should so counsel or act as'o
bring ahou. such an!agonisni. lie was Tor
pcaee-ocacc with them and with all men II
practicable. Hc wished them well, wished
tlem success in their new career, wo';id E"t
take from them ono iota of their rights nor
abrdge their equality under the law. lie
trusted that putting aside all passion, all
nreiudiccs and allcyil counscllnrs, they would
contini. to act in the future as 'thcy ifad so
creditab.y acted for two years past, and Dy
industry integrity and good conduct sce"-
mulatc means to secure the comforts OF their
families and Tic education of their children.
! Gen. Krrsr.lw thanked the coiored men
for the opportunity afforded of addressing
tl,cm. anil for the confidence which it mani
fcstcrl They had been welcomed by the gen
tlem#n who preceded him, into the ranks
of the frccmcn; lie had to .lrank them for
welcoming him to tho privilege of tEec speech
in thcir presence. 1t had been intilna;cd TO
him. that Eany Of them were offended, that
tl:cv hal not before been approached by The
whites with political discussions lie, for
himself, had felt that lie lnd no right to
thrust Ills opinions upon them unsought.-
They had held their own meetings without
notice or invitation to the whites, and he for
| one, felt that he hasl no moro right to intrudc
upon such an assembly unbiddcn, than upon
one Of their social entertainments His pre-
,t,ccssor had left him sut little to say. The:
proposition which he makes, covers the whole
.ros,nl-.hc necessity Of harmony between
the two races. lie repudiatcd the idea that
the whites could entertain; unkind sentiments
towards .peop!ct O whom they owed go much
with whom they had been associated from
iaGancy, in the most atfcctionate relations
w;,c, exist outside of the natural tics of
blood. They Ind been taught TO believe that
the South had enslavcd them, and the North
had freed them. That they should stick to
the men who broke :hc c'isin. The South
dil not cns!arc them. The colony Of South
Carolina runrc than century ago, enacted Il
law prohibiting the Introduction of slavery
here. This law was annullcd by the British
Government. Slavery was thus forced upon
South CaraIisl, and became part Of her sys-
ten, against. her will The North did not
make the war'to free the slave. That motive
was disavowcti. In September 1852, Mr.
LINCOLN offered the South the alternative Of
roiuraing to the Union preserving slavery,
ar of continuing the war at the risk Of eman-
cip;ttion As late.as December 1861, or JAM
'G5, when our arms were worn G1e rEst FROM
long usc,. and tho very cannon loarsc from
frequent thunlelings-whcn Successful in
vadins armies swept rcsistlesss eyer the land,
and the Southern ranks had been worn down
to mere skeletons, the same terms might haye
been made and the Union restored with sla-
very. But we fought, not for slavery, but
for the right of self government, and VIC
fought it out to the end. It is in vain tore
fer tothepast to cmbittel' feeling between the
races. Two lMndred years ago, the African
race Stood as it had done for three thousand
ycars.befare, a race of savages on their ma
tive shores, woraliippins idols and fet:shcs.
/ We nowbsloM, under thcrroy;1cnce of Col,
four millions Of freedmen on the American
continent, Intelligent worshippers Of the true
God, the only exception to the general con-
dition of the African race existing on the face
sf the earth. When you are taught to be
excited against the white race. by a rehearsal
of the crimes of slavery, remember that your
present enlightenment has been one Of its re-
suits But We have to deal With the present
and the future, not the past. He was here
to assure tkcm tl:at their white friends con-
cedcdto the full extent, their rights under
the reconstruction Acts. Their freedom and
enfranchiscmcut was established; what would
they do with it: The entire prosperity of
the people of Sout!, Carolina depended upon
the success of agricultural pursuits. Upon
!; this the happiness and welfare Of both races
depended. Their interests were therefore
Identical nothing could lie good for one race
that would not be good for the other. The
spirit of hatred and opprcssion-of discord,
suspicion and distrust cngcndcrcd between
them would be fatal to the best Interests OF
both. The people of the South denied them
no single, legal right which their opponents
could offer them; they had been tempted with
the offer of lands as he had heard there was
| no power under the constitution of the United
States to deprive any person of his property
without due process Of law; they could expect