Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-04-26


of the men composing the Convention, which is to
make the new Constitution, those privileges can
neither be taken away or abridged. I know Of no
one in the light of present events who is in favor
of doing either. Where, then, is the use of par
ties of divisions of secret political organizations
or Of political organizations of any character 2
Why then surrender your own Judgment INTO the
keeping of others My friends, you can in no
way well illustrate your manhood and prove
your fitness for the new privileges with which you
have been invested, as hy exercising Your own
Judgment and following your own conN ictlunS OF
right and wrong, regardless Of the dictates and
commands of Others who set themseiNeF-up as
your peculiar masters. Let no man crack the
party whip over your heads Talk about iIcCG0u
and slavery ThaS man is the ycriest slave Oh
earth, who is bound by secret oath, or some
stringent party obligation, to do that which MS
conscience may dlsapprove OF who allows amy one
man or set of men to control his opinions and
govern his will. Such a seryitude-such a slave
ry OF the mind, Is even more CALLING than that OF
the body.
Throw aside all such mean and debasng tram
mels, and i'll looking about you for tho to
carry out the behcsts of Congress and to set the
old chip once more at1oat, select those in whose
past htStOJy and present friendship YOU have con-
| fidence-mcn upon whose Judgment, and, above
| all, upon whose CHARITY you can rely. Take the
men provided, of course, always, that they
lawfully qualified to engage in the work. whom
you would approach for advice in difficulty or for
| assistance i'll extremity. Who are they Look
| around you in the community and see who they
are Take the men whose counsels are forpeace,
quiet and harmony, and who do not seek to agi-
! tate the public mind by new and dangerous ia
sues, which must prove destructive, il accom-
| plished, to good order and stability of govern
ment, and which, even now, are Withdrawing the
thoughts ofso many from that which is Of the high
est Importance, the means OF livelihood and the
education of yourselves and children.
| Perhaps some of You may have read or heard OF
! the proceedings of Convention, which has just
| adjourned in the city of Richmond, ard which
was held under the direction Of monstrOus pre-
| tender by the name of Hunnicutt, who has been
addressing your race at various points i'll the
State Of Virginia, making great professions Of re-
gard for your brethren there, but who always
slsts the cat out of the bag" and betcays what he
is after, by handing around the hat" before he
leaves. North Carolina has always been quiet,
steady, moderate State 1t has been very graft
flying to see that colored people, in their now
relation, have done nothing to impair the reputt
ton OF the State i'll that respect. 1t is atterinE
to your good sense, and the best evidence OF your
correctness of purpose that in none of your meet
ings or public demonstrations have you exhibited
any OF the violence or vindictiveness that was eX
hibited i'll that Virginia meeting. l pray Heaven
that you will continue to keep aloof from such bad
cOunsels. SpuTn them you would the evil one.
SpuTn them you desire pedce-as you wish 10
live in friendship and harmony with your white
brcthren,-as you long to see the troubled ele-
ments composed, and calm creep over the troubled
waters,-as you are anxious TO go quietly about
your duties and avocations and to lay up some
thing for your children and for old age.
What would it advantage you that the leading
white men IN this community should be forever
DISTINGUISHED Or prevented from holding office?
Have you any animOsities against them to crafty:
Would it make you sleep the sWeCtcr, or your APP
petite the better, and Your condition i'll any
spect improved, that such men Gov. Worth,
here for example, who has always been your friend
and who, if it is Union men you desire to reward
or to honor, has record Of answering COnsis-
tency in that respect, should be placed under the
ban No, my friends, do not believe it of yOu.-
Under the excitement of the moment some of you
at times may think and speak differently, but the
whole history Of your race shows that to cherish
bad and revengeful feelings is not one Of your
fFaJ
contrast to many hcreab0uts who have white
skins Let us all here, this day,-to sum up the
whole matter III Il single word adopt that grand,
impressive and 9od-ike motto: Universal freedom
and universal charity.
beg here to recall to you the advice of Gen.
SickleS in that excellent and practical speech
which lie made to the freedmen OF Charleston
few evenings since: Beware said he, Of thcso who
would excite anmosities between the two races
He told them, most truly, that the prosperity Of
the South and the welfare OF the country were IL
timeteIy associated with the harmony and good
fcolin|, between the people Of both races. lntel-
igcnco, capital, land are not less important than
labor, and yet, without labor, these c&n have no
solid foundation.
What would bo thought OF the man, who, living
III q household whose interests, comforts and tria.
must ali be identical, should nevertheless give all
his confidence to outsiders strangers? Would
he not be thought very silly fellow, and would
he not deserve to be unprOSperOus and unhappy
And 1t is thus put the case to you VIII yOu in
the hurrv of the moment, under the evil counsels
Of des gnnG demaGOgues, take il for granted that
we Of this political household are to be necessa
rily opposed to each other, and cannot live in
peace and harmony? No, give the race with
whom associated al the memories Of tho past
and against the best part Of whom it is now sought
to array YOU, st least d trial. 1t will be time
enough to desert them when they show a DISPOSE
ton TO deprive YOU OF present rights, OF to inurc
OF Cypress you. SO far d, the dominant power i'll
tho government is concerned, the privileges which
they have given you are not the result OF any spC-
ciat love iur You, is evidenced in the fact that
IN nearly every State Ill which they have the as
cendancy they have denied the right OF suffrage
to your brethren there. They Influenced by
the double motive, that they thought it would
punish the South and believed it would porpetuAte
their party.
1 should be glad, il had time, TO talk to you
about your moral and educational interests. l
want to see you become under Providence, viz
tuous and Intelligent power IN the land Educate
yourselves and your chidren-be industrious and
saving dlsCOuntenance the idler-trOWn upon the
vicious, -encouragc the weak and the struggling.
Erect school houses,-build churches. Establish
among yourselves at once and firmly that same
rule OF morals that has :.iWays existed III well gov
erned society: Put the mark upon the man who
Is guilty OF dishonesty or immortality and let him
be TO you as d heather man and publican
Above oil strive to understand the true nature OF
your Iberty,-what it means In the light of that
liberty, properly appreciated and understood, you
may do great things and accomplish grand des
tiny; and earnestly trust that that light may
lead you into the paths OF prosperity and peace.
stand and said (in substance) that he understood
this meeting was SAID by some to have been called
by party of men, for party purpOses,-that so
far as he was concerned he could DENY the impu-
tatiOn. His first knowledge that such meeting
was to be held was derived from note presented
to him at his office by two Of his cOlOred friends,
who added their personal solicitations to those
contained i'll the note that he, with other gentle
men OF the city, whom they considered tho friends
of their race should address them on the subject
of reconstruction. He had never been q candidate
for popular favor, and he appeared before them in
compliance with their invitation and to subseIve
no personal ends Because he had never engaged
in politics, he valued the invitation as a c0mDH-
Mountaineering, as he had right to do that his
conduct towards them in private life, and in the
way of his business in the Court House, had been
such as to inspire them with confidence that he
was disposed to deal fairly and justly by them
He trusted such confidence was not misplaced
The first recollections OF this holiday were assoc-
atcd with an old black man, from whom in the
little streams about Raleigh and Chapel Hill, he
had taken his first lesson in the art of fishing
This same old man had taught him while still
boy that true plety was confined to race or con-
diton i'll life, and his appreciation and that of the
family to which he belonged of the faithful servi-
ces ofthis colored friend of his youth was SUCH |
that he would never be permitted. though now a |
gree man, to suffer from priyati0n or want.