The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-08-06
GOOD ADVICE.
Letter from Daniel II. Goodlc

Letter from, Daniel II. Goodloe.
The following letter from Daniel E. Goodies,
ESQ ~. s. Marshal for North Carolina,) was
read before Republican meeting in Warren.
| RALEIGH, July 18th, 1867.
NJ, Dear SIR If could
he present at the meeting on Saturday, and
were gifted with the powers of utterance equal
to those possessed by many gentlemen who will
be there, would say to the white people that
| there is no escape from the present state OF
things-from military rule, from disfranchise-
ment, and from the paralysis of industry, except
through the gate of reconstruction offered by
the acts of Congress- Opposition to those acts,
| whether active or passive, will be equally un-
availing. Failure to form a State government
will remit the control of affairs entirely to the
hands of the military, or to those of persons who
| can take the test oath. On the other hand re-
construction under the acts of Congress will i'm
mediately restore fve-sixths of the people to
their rights under the Constitution, and will
render easy and certain the restoration Of the
remainder.
To the people of color I would say, rejoice
that you are free. 1t is consummation my
heart has yearned for from my youth up.
desired that it should come peacefully, with the
~-o-
my early manhood devoted all the energies of
my mind to the work of convincing white men
shat black men have equal rights in the sight OF
Cod and should have equal rights before human
tribunals with themselves. And now that you
are free, and also citizens and voters, take the
liberty of advising you to live on the very best
terms with your white neighbors, and with those
who formerly held you as slaves. Listen to no
man who whispers the word confscation in your
ears, or disfranchisement, or injury in any form
to your law-abiding white neighbors. Remem-
Der that if you were born slaves, the white peo-
pie were born shareholders, or were brought up
amid prejudice, and under unjust laws, which
existed before they were born. We are all
| more or less the creatures OF circumstances; and
as custom under the old order OF things pro-
duced unjust prejudices against you, SO custom,
under the new order of things, will change pre-
JUDGES and opinions, and turn them in your
favor, if you are true to yourselves For, as
Shakespeare says, he who Is true to himself Will
be false to no man.
There are eminent men in Congress, and in
the Northern States, who have talked loosely
about general confscation of the property OF
| the Southern people. I am sure they have no
real conception of the fearful calamtles they
would produce if their policy were carried out.
| They would ruin the black people as we'll as the
whites; the loyal as we'll as the disloyal; for they
would destroy all credit aud confidence, all en-
terprise and effort, and thus make it impossible
to give employment to laborers. All house
servants, field hands, and laborers of every kind
would lose their places if those who have pro-
perty are to be deprived of it by confscation.
| No crops would be raised; and starvation every
where would follow, as it has followed in the
track of the great armies which contended
against each other in the South. If confscation
should take place, [ warn the colored people
against iuduging in the hope that they would
get anything by it. know the thing will never
happen, and that it is morally impossible; but if
we suppose for moment that it is undertaken,
we may be sure that it will call forth, or produce
the most heartess and corrupt set of officials
that ever existed, and that they would steal
everything, squander everything, and leave
nothing for the government or the colorcd peo-
Pile. But be assured that nothing Of the kind
is thought Of by any considerable body of men
in Congress. Demagogues may come among
you and tell you otherwise to deceive you, and
to secure your votes; but they are as little your
friends as they are the friends of the white peo
pie. If you doubt it, ask them how long they
have been the champions of your rights 10
ninety-nine cases out of hundred you will find
that such men would have sold you to the sugar
planters and cotton planters of the fair South al
any time before you were set free.
10 whites and blacks would say let US cease
talking of the past. We can never agree as te
the merits of the great controversy. But in the
future there is but course left open. We
will make constitution as free as that of Yer
mont; and under it we will have equal laws
equal advantages and opportunities in life
Then every man must rise or fall according te
his merits.
Thus, my dear sir, you have the substance Of
what would like to say to the people of War
rem on Saturday, if could spare the time from
my official engagements.
am, very faithfully, your friend,
| DANIEL r. GooDLoE.