Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-16

Williams, Ike Duncan. Rev. Marcus
Harding, and Tom. &. Crunk-Sena
tor FOOte on BrOWnISw, the Legis
Iature, and EquRIify-ETe PrOphe
sizes Grant for President. and APP
PeaIs 10 COIOred Voters 90 strike
Ihe ShackIes from the Whites.
a large meeting was held on Broad street
corner of Market, last night, at which a
number of speeches were made, and much
enthusiasm prevailed. Hon. Henry s
Foote was first introduced and spoke al
length. We publish the following extracts,
embracing the main points Of his remarks
FELLOW CITTzESs II Is. some years since
/ had the pleasure and homer of addressing
Nashville audience. Many painful
events have taken place since NV voice has
been raised on any question of public duty,
and but for the fact of being desired TO
come here by persnos of character and
standing in this community, of all classes
and colors, / would not be here to mingle
my opinions and feelings with yours.
/ come not to disturb the quiet of this
community, or to assail the character of
any one, or to deprive any human being of
his rights I come in a spirit of freedom
and brotherhood, deeply sympathizing with
the present condition of this people.
want 10 see concord and brotherly feeling
prevail.
We are all fellow-citizens and equal be-
fore the law, and I say to you all, that no
community, or State, or commonwealth
can prosper and be happy unless the great
est unity of interest prevail in its midst.
Every class is equally. interested in main
tanning this important truth.
The late war was in the beginning, only
a contest between the white people of the
North and the white people of the South.
Every party pledged itself as against
the abolition of slavery. President
Lincoln. in his inaugural message,
sOlemnly declared that he would not in
terfere with the institution of slavery in
the South He honestly declared that he
stood pledged to the platform of the
party who had elected him. As the war
progressed, it was found expedient to
strengthen the Federal army, and proc
lamation of freedom was promulgated to
the country. rejoice, for one, that that
proclamation was issued. But it was not
BY that proclamation the colored people
were set free; it was through the interVen-
ton of Divine Providence alone.
Let it ever be said to the credit of those
thus liberated from their shackles, that
during the whole contest, they as class
were quiet, orderly, generous, Just, and pro-
tectiVe of the white people of the South.
The great God did not see tit to prompt
them to any special effort for themselves,
but the boon was offered them and they ac-
worthy of it, They have proved worthy of
freedom and that they are capable of
maintaining it by the right Of suffrage.
When the war ended, l was a refugee
in Canada, meditating profoundly upon the
woes of my country. | there came to the
conclusion that the only means of insuring
prosperity TO every community of the
South, was to secure to the colored man
all the rights and privileges of the white
man. This was before any such truth had
been proclaimed anywhere. | state the
fact, and challenge contradiction, that no
man here had before dared to assert this
truth.
| made it my business to address
letter to the people of Tennessee, urging
them not TO wait for such legislation, but
to at once recognize the equality of the
colored man. No man in Tennessee had
ever before written or spoken word to that
effect before. The colored people were
free without the means of maintaining
their freedom. There are only two ways
of maintaining freedom, one, physical
force, the other, the ballot.
When | got home from Canada | found
that Governor Brownlow had written a
letter to the President asking that might
be permitted to return, and he told me- in
our first interview, that he expected TO be
impeached by his own party in the Legis-
lature. | proclaimed the right of the
colored man TO vote at the polls, sit in the
Jury box, testify in courts, hold office, and
to be in all respects tree aud equal with the
white man.
| found the Legislature opposed to it.
The whole body were opposed to it. No
man will deny this. They had not been
educated up to this great truth, and / can
not blame them for it. The Governor pro-
tested against allowing colored men any
right but the right to testify. IEE
With painful reluctance | left your Dor
ders until the light of truth should break
upon this people. That time has come
and this is why [ am here tonight l
dared to encounter, single-handed, all the
heaped upon me by my friends,
and others who did not see as [ did. The
man is not living who dare say he pro-
mulgated any such truths as / then at
tempted to establish. Ny letter was pub
lished, but fell still-born from the press.
undertake to say that the colored man
deserves freedom, and is capable of main
tanning it. l undertake to say that the
physical organization of the white man
and the black man is precisely SINH
lar, and ] assert this in spite of what
all the doctors in the universe may
say to the contrary. Go to the schools,
and you will see that the colOred children
are making az much progress as the white
pupils. Fifteen hundred years ago, rc
were barbarous race. Our forefathers
were naked and painted barbarians wan
dering over England, Scotland, ireland,
France, and other portions of Europe, and
it has taken fifteen hundred years to bring
us up to our present standard of eiyiliza>
ton. WIZ
From contact with the whites, the COLI
ored people have every day grown more
and more enlightened, and, with education,
can maintain their freedom.
| prophesy here tonight that Major
General Ulysses S. Grant will be the next
President of the United States. A voice,
ION the Democratic ticket?') / care not
on what ticket he may be placed; he will
have the whole support of all the people.
Radicals say he has been too reticent; but
that conduct is wise, is Washingtonian, and
becoming an officer holding the position
which he occupies. He is going to be
President, and do you suppose he will do
anything against Republican institutional
No. The white people of this country will
be made as free as the colored.
/ say to you, my colOred friends, that it
is impossible TO maintain the present state
of things L care not for the militia, or any
other organizations, and a change
must come. The white man is
bound to do justice TO the black
man, and the black man is bound
to do justice to the white man. If you,
in voting for the next Legislature will
place men in power who will unshackle the
whites, the colored men will forever be re.
cogniZed as the benefactors of the white
race, and they will be bound to Won in