The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-04-26
Southern Coiorcd Orators.

i
The political speeches made by
colored men in the South possess
the merit and interest ofnovelty, and
are not only closely regarded by the
curious, but deeply pondered by the
studious. Early last week there was
a Radical meeting of the colored
men at Chattanooga One of the
colorcd men who spoke was Thomas
Kane. We quote couple of pas
sage from his speech:
"Our friends here try to speak of
little things or Lig things. 1 have
no education l can think big things,
but l can only speak little things.
Sherman's bill suits me very well,
according to my understanding. My
friends, so far as | know them, suit
me very well, and / think / know
who they are. think Brownlow is
one OF them. | have seen how they
worked for us and what they have
done for us. lknow that my peo.
pie all over the Southern States have
been deprived of the privileges Of
education, and of meeting as we do,
and saying, 81 am my own man."
When we stop and think where we
were few years ago, picking in the
cotton row, or hoeing in the corn
row, blowing among the stumps,
with driver and an overseer, and
an old master sitting in the house and
saying Drive 'em, and what we
are now, l hardly know what we
shall do. We are free, and more
than that, we are allowed to vote.
Do we know what we are going to
vote for Some men say : 'Ihe ne
gro has his legal vote, but | can buy
his vote with drink of whiskey, or
Il chew of tobacco Fellow citizens,
before any man shall buy my vote
with drink of whiskey or chew Of
tobacco, l will suffer this body to be
sacrifsed. (Applause. } When / was
in Selma, on election day l saw the
white men go down in their cellars
and bring out their jugs o! whiskey,
and ask men in, and say, 'who are
you going to vote for =? and | have
seen the vote of the Anglo-SaXon
race bought for drink of whlskey.
Great Applause. } Now, here are col
ored men that never saw church
or school house until lately, and
you needn't talk to me about buy
ing their votes while there are white
men, raised in the lap OF education,
that would sell their votes. Unless
| know, my friends, who | am going
to vote for, l shall not vote Mt all.
Don't, when you 60 to vote, let any
man come up and say: Who are
you going to vote for why SO and
1aS}a a%Sah a%Sahty hss hainto the rjgIht man ga
Your hair is short and kinky. Let
NE tell you; so and so is the man to
vote for, and the first thing you know
you will be voting to cut your own
throat. Now / don't know much
aboht political affairs, but believe
Brownlow is the right man in the
right place, and ii we have got to
vote, | shall vote for him, because |
see that he has worked for us. My
friends, the times are ripe. The
bud has come, and the blossoms
and the blossoms have dropped off,
and the apples nave grown, and il
hangs ripe and rosy on the tree, and
we can pluck it Off and eat it, and
cast the core on the ground and
plant the seed that it will grow up
into great trees stretching their
branches up into heaven. We must
learn to use this great blessing -
Teach your children the Constitution
OF the Unitod States that they may
grow up big.mouthed Radicals. l
thank you for your beautiful atten-
ton"