Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-04-05
ANOTHER LETTER FROM FRA
TERNITY.


AA@NA
SHAH the Negro Have a Place fn fhe
Conservative COnVentiOnf
/ beg, Messrs. Editors, 70 say a word
more to the Conservatives upon this, as
conceive, vitality important question. We
have come, as / humbIy conceive, to the
turning point in our great nisfortunes,
We can but make our up minds to follow the
wise oounsels of Judge Whitworth, or
rather, might Say, il each would take
counsel Of his Judgment instead Of his pas
sions, his prejudices, his pride of opinion,
and bis resentments, and no man is ft
counselor in times like these, and upon
such questions as are now before us, until
he has done 50, at least 10 far as in human
nature lies.
Had We done this long ago, how differ
ent would have been our situation TO -day
] am not going 20 criticise, nor even alinse
TO the past in any fault-fnding spirit, Ia |
do not claim in this % have been wiser
than others. But let rs not fail TO profit
by the lessons Of the past. Let as not OBJ
stinately persist in holding on TO position
which, however well chosen, however sup
ported by reason and patriotism at the
moment, has, from a change in circumstan-
ces over which we had no control, ceased
TO be wise and safe.
1t might have been better if the work of
emancipation had been gradual that pro-
vision had been made for the old, the Young
and the infirm. 1t might have been better
that only a qualified suffrage should have
been granted until the negro should have
been educated and better fitted 10 discharge
intelligently all the duties of freedom.
But shese are questions Of the past. They
have been decided, and we must not forget
that he DECISION Is FINAL AND IR-
REYOCABLE. ] give to these last words
the strongest possible emphasis, because it
Is upon the practical recognition of this
fixed, undeniable, and irreyersable fact.
that all our hopes of the future depend.
We are no longer the governing race. The
negro under intelligent counsel is, as I have
before said, and it cannot be too often re-
peated, the controlling poiDer Of the State.
Two-thirds Of us are not only no longer
the masters, with power to dictate our
sovereign will, bat we are, however,
humiliaing The confession, politically slaves
slaves Of those who were but yesterday
our ehatiels. But these, our masters, have
no luminosity towards us, no resentments
which ordinary sagacity and q kindly and
confederate regard for their ueak7lesses, and
their future welfare may not turn aside.
Let us imagine change of place with
the negro, and then do by him az we would
expect to be done by under like circum-
stances. We want peace, liberty and gen
eral prosperity restored to our unhappy
land. lis in the power of the negro to
confer it. He asks nothing of us as the
price Of this great boon, that we cannot
confer without sacrifice, even of pride on
our part. He asks only that we shall re-
cognize frankly, unmisiakably and practi-
oally the rights already conferred upon
him, and an equal share in the rights and
blessings which We ask him to confer upon
others.
He asks that we shall not treat him
with the contempt which he met with at
the hands Of the Radicals, who denied him
. place in the convention which was "a
1esignate their future rulers, and policy
nat we shall treat him no longer as a
dave, but as a freeman in the fullest dcceD-
alton Of the term that in so far as equal
rights are withheld from him, we shall
give him pledge, such az he may confde
10, that we in our turn shall invest him
With all, and equally Nth ourselves, the
rights, the privileges and immunities of a
freeman. For the rest, with ali the disad-
vantages and drawbacks of his situation,
he is willing to take his chances.
But in all this would have no imita-
ion Of the hypocritical cant of those who,
while using the negro for their own advan- |
lage, affect to be influenced only by mo-
ives Of humanity who would have him
believe that he owes everything to their /
and that he can only repay the /
iebt Of freedom by serving the selfish ends i
IF despicable party, rather than their
1wn interest and the interest of their
'ountry and posterity.
/ would say 10 him frankly: "The white
nan was once the governing race, and YOU
we're but an humble slave. We fell to
and at last fighting among our
elves, without any intention on the part
f any considerable body of either, of
making you free. But il was such an even
ght that part Of us, seeing that you
ould decide the contest in their
avOr, concluded to offer you a
drtial freedom for your services,
provided they could not brighten the Rebels
nto submission by simple threats. The
Rebels wouldn't knock under the bargain
vas consummated, and You have fairly
nd honorably won your freedom, and your
ormer masters have no complaint 10 make
gainst You 10 unkind feelings or resent
nents TO crafty. But, on the contrary,
gill rejoice with all their hearts to see YOU
10 well, and as far as in their power, to
lelp you along in the world. And this
hey say, not only from motives of graft
ude for faithful service in olden time, but
because ofthe noble and humane treatme1t
which they received At your hands even
Shile you were struggling for freedom and
or the kindly protection which YOU gave
o their helpless women and children in /
he hour Of their severest sufierings. For
ii this, and much more, they ask Gods
blessings on you, whatever may be your
uture course towards them.
You may, if yeu please, apply the old 4
aging 10 us, that "when rogues fall out,
ionest men get their due" For, so far as
our labor is concerned, We we're all equal
y rogues, as you will find out, by-and-by, l
then you come to read the history Of your
ace, and that first one and then another,
as sold his interest in your muscle, Just as
e has found il his interest 10 do 80. SO,
hat now, without being in debt TO any one,
on are, by an accidental or Providential
lrn, In the wheel of foltune, a part OF the
ovening race, while some Of those who
ere your late masters are nowat the bottom
the wheel, and others, your former mas
n, and who we're equally opposed 10 setting
GA free, are now playing the part Of petty
rrants.
Now we have bargain to propose 20
on. We don't affect 10 deny that self-in-
rest is at the bottom Of il, and If you don't
link il 70 your interest TO accept il, We
rant claim il Of you, as the Radicals do,
J matter Of gratitude or right. You have
le right of voting, but not the right of
sing voted for Nov, ifyou viii help us,
e will help you. What we ask is, that ali
en, white and black, and Of whatever
irty OF complexion, shall have equal rights,
le right not only Of roting, but of being
,f.A L. Il Il Ill IL 4