Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1867-05-31
A Reply to Senator Wilson.

At Montgomery, Ala, Senator Wilson
was replied to by Gen. Clanton, formerly
Confederate officer, as follows:
"The gentleman from Massachusetts says
you Qhe colored people, ought to identity
yourselves with the radical party Of the North
because they have waded through a bloody
war Of four years to set you free, to give you
the right to sit upon juries, ride On railroads,
testify as witnesses in courts, and much else.
I deny every assertion he has made On these
points, and challenge him to the proof. He
who says that>this war WAS commenced by
the North to set you free and confer on you
the rights which you now enjoy, falsifes the
history of the country; not Intentionally, 1
hope. The government during the late war
again and again declared most solemnly that
this war was not commenced or being waged
for conquest, or with view of interfering
with our property in slaves in the States.
6 Fir. Lincoln urged us TO return to the
Union, pledging the government to receive
us most cordially, and give slavery its pro-
lection in the States. We were threatened
with emancipation if we did not come back.
In one hand the government offered us
union and slavery" and in the other was
rebellion and emancipation. Having gone
to war on principle, the South chose the lat
ter. No man knows this better than the hon
orable Senator Nor will he or Gen. Swayne,
who is on the stand, deny the assertion [ am
now going to make, that we could have gone
back in the Union and held you as slaves to-
day. You are not indebted to the North or
the South for your freedom, but to God. In
stead Of abusing us, you ought to remember
that this rebellion, which you are taught to
despise, by your enemies and ours, who only
come amongst you for your votes, was an in
strument in the hands Of God for your deliv-
erance, 50 far as mortal eye can devise the
purposes of the Creator.
''The Southern people do not envy you
your freedom. They would not restore you
to bondage if they could. They have your
we'll being at heart I did not fire a gun for
slavery. More than half the Southern army
never owned a slave Hardee, Cleburne, and
many others, signed a petition long before
the war closed for your feedom and to afford
you an opportunity to volunteer and assist
your white friends Of the South in achieving
Southern independence.
"Mr. Davis recommended this course,
and I, in the theatre, in this city, endorsed
his policy in the presence Of very large as
sembly, and stated that would take pleas
ure in commanding colored troops. You
acted well your part during that unfortunate
struggle, for which you deserve, and have,
the gratitude Of every Southern man andwo
man in our midst. Again as to how you
became free: The North aided to free you
with bayonet and by military proclamations
only as they believed it would injure us and
and raise up hostile element in our midst
and seemingly making your welfare secon-
Diary consideration. To render this act o.
3 theirs valid and constitutional it was neces-
sary that we should act. We called togeth
er our conventions, and without hesitation
made you constitutionally free forever. W.
also gave you the right to testify where you
are interested, and [ advocated, in this State
House, your right to testify in all cases.
ellis party is in power, and he is here aid
5 ing to keep them SO. He is here to form ;
political alliance with you, and what few
whites can be induced to join him. They
want office, they want spoils, and they wan
to retain power. It is quite pleasant ant
: profitable to them. It is not because the,
love YOU better than other people. [ war;
$ YOU against him and all like him, at home o
from abroad.
A CASE OF CANCER. For some time Their