The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-05-01

tHaG you were emanclpitcQ Dy tnt
North. Look at Lincoln's proclamation
during the war, and the action of Congress
He had no complaints to make ofwhat the
North did, it was the natural drift Of the
war and your freedom was the result, moi
OF their intention at the beginning, but Of
the force of circumstances. Did they ever
emancipato their own slaves? No, they
sold them because they were not prof.
table North. We would have done the
same. In fact human nature was about
the same all over the world, and it is hard
to give up property without price, even a
broken down horse. The North pre-
ferred to give up theirs by gradual eman-
cipation, othey could sell them South
A striking illustration of PHILANTHROPY and
securing proftat thesame time. The Dutch
commenced the slave trade, then Mass.
men became the greatest traders, but he
didn't believe they wouldengage in !. now
because the hearts, the minds, the feelings
Of men are changed and everybody admits
it was wrong. Some try to excite
you by fears of your being enslayed
again. Is there a man here who fears it?
Uaughter.) It is an insult to any color
ed man ofproper spirit to be talked to as
child. Let them see you are not child
rem to be scared by ghosts and bug a-boos,
but that you are men worthy of the rights
conferred on you-with brains to think and
act for yourselves. (Applause.) What
is your duty in regard to parties. Ispeak
as if l was colored man politically andad-
viseyou as such. Don't mingle up with any
party as a body, for that will be no profit to
you. Don't go as class with the radicals
for that makesa gulfdeep and wide between
you and your own people, and don't let it
be said that you, as a class, are arrayed
against the whites as a class. Have no
secret meetings, care not whether North
ern or Southern. What are the results if
you succeed in building up a radical party
in the South? You livein climate such
as no country on earth can boast of-all
your interests and affections are conferred
here and you do not want to leave this
home of yours, poor asst nowis. Now ifyou
build up a radical party-go against your
white people here-they are in tne MAORI
ty in Virginia make war upon them,
don't you see the whites must have every
advantage in the contest. They could have
nothing to do with you socially, for you
would be declared enemies, and all inter
course must cease This is solemn mat
ter and Que it behooyes you to look we'll to
before you decide which way you will 60
For God S sake letus have no family squa-
bic, for we are one family. Let us be calm
ndcooland reason understandingly. Sup
pose you as race oppose the Southern
whites, 60 with the radicals, and they
come here from the North and Eu-
rope by thousands, to compete with you
for your labor, to underbid you for work
and to finally exterminate you. The Spea-
ker here related several instances to show
the prejudice North and in Europe against
the blacks. He urged the colored people
to think whether they wanted to leave this
country, to give it up to free white labor
North, and, if SO to build up radical par
ty hostile to the South.
He read them the Fable Of the Belly
and the Membersa and iorcibly applied it to
the two classes South. He told them if
all did not work together, if capital and
labor did not combine, that gaunt famine
with her cadaverous cheeks will stalk
abroad through the land and the wall of
distress be heard on every side. He then
beautifully alluded to the ties which should
bind the whites and blacks Of the South
together, in words that brought tears to
many eyes.
Confscation was next alluded to. It
would be ruin to all, white and black. And
what bill! 1t proposes to give 40 acres
in trust for you. Does any honest color
ed man want it? "a very weak eyes
from back corner, whereupon respec-
table colored man informed the house he
was happy to say that man didn't belong
to this community You are to be treated
like wooden men, it is to be put in trust !
for you and will you have it? Cries of
no. Then ''let every tub stand on its own
bottom" for "by the sweatof your brow
shall you live" is written by One who is
ni i,...;er then men and Governments. =
This Confscation would bring ruin to
white and black; it would encourage rob-
berry, murder and break up the very foun-
dations Of society. So judge for your
selves and when man comes before you
for Office with this cry, let him see you
are free and honest men and that you dare
resist the snare SO temptinsly laid for you
The speaker here devoted large por-
ton Of his speech to plain, practical, earn
est advice to the colored people in regard
to their social duties holding up the
great cardinal virtues, that were the
same now as in the days of Reyela-
ton, urging upon them the Importance
of honesty sobriety and purity Of life.
He urged them to encourage their preach
ers, to educate their children and above
everything to work, to save enough to get
little homes Of their own. To aid this
he suggested the formation of Savings
Bank Of their own. There was no South
ern man and no Radical who would work
these things out for you. You must do
it for yourselves He here repeated the
beautiful allegory Of Abou Ben Adhem,
which teaches that che is most blessed
who loves his fellow man."
In conclusion the General said: Take
the course I have pointed out and you
have it in your power to give an illustra-
ton of theregeneration Of race, such as
the world never saw, aad prosperity, and
the highest position may be yours, Fol
low any other, allow yourselves to be led
astray; give way to feelings of bitterness