The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-10-22
a Colorrd Man 10 CUlored Men.

The following letter from SolOu Johnson, Il
respectable colored man of this city, 10 his
fellow citizens OF the same race, contains re-
Elections worthy of consideration by them:
10 mly C1lo..d EtLo,c- Citi=sas:
On my return IA the city after IN absence of
three months, finding much confusion OF OPT
Mon and feeling among my people on the eve
Of the most important day for our race,
wish To address Il tcW words Of explanation
and of warning 10 my own people, whose M
tereSt IS til" same "a mine.
as soon as IL became known that FOR the hrSt
time wc We're TO be entitled 10 vote i'll the cleo
tlouS, | saw that mean and designing men
were trying to get the ear OF the colored peo-
pie and 10 put them 1T emmity with those
they had lived with all their lives and alter
Il littlc while | was satisfied that many Of
them had been carried away by these evil
people, who Werc strangers among MS and adj
vrnturers, and | thought it right, with some
others that we should hear what gentlemen
we had known and respected all our lives h;td
TO say, and we invited them TO address us
ut the Theatre.
From that day 10 this some of the colored
people under the lead of these bad men, have
threatened and abused me, and called me Il
rebel and other names, though my only object
has been, rs il is now, 10 benefit my race ;lnd
advance their in ntcrcsts. i knew that my pco-
pie were ignorant about political matters, and
| wanted them To be informed. did not wish
them TO be tied hand and foot, Us they are now
b. these men, in II worse slavery than before,
because ii * II slavery of the mind. A great
many Of them have gone beyond the reach Of
reason but there are very many of them who
are beginning 10 find out that | was right :;
that the white people and the colored have got
10 live together III the South, and that IL Is
better To live IL peace than 1t var. l wished
10 be wlih my people in all things If possible,
but could not follow them in giving up aud
abusing old friends, and tying on 10 men
knew nothing about, who would use them rs
long aS they wanted to, and then thro" them
aside and tramplc on them. SO, Is cannot 20
with them, they abuse me but the day VIII
come, and il is not long, when they VIII see
that have been their truest friend, and they
will wish they had not bound themselves To
the men who are scckIn. 10 get Office and
money BY them.
These men have framed ticket with three
white men and TWO cOlorcd As candidates for
the Convention. L cannot vote for them
Tnev do not represent me, and ! am glad To
say that there are no" Il Srea: many others OF
the colurcd people whom they do not repre-
sent, and cannot, because they have nothing
iii common with them. II By the votes Of the
cOlorrd people the ticket called the llunnicutt
ticket is elected there VIII be- Il broad line
drawn between the colOr.d people OF the
South and the white people ana that - "hat
and many others wish to avoid If possible.
| have no right TO instruct them how 10 vote
any more than they have II right 10 ins truct
me: but | wish 10 let them know no" stand,
and that afa not 10 b. driven or frightened
from the right course and hope and beller"
there are hundreds and thousands III the Stale
who think with me- and who DO not mean 10
be driven into voting for any such ticket. DO
YOU not know that the best way for our race
To gain Il respectable stand hereafter Is to keep
vii res spectacle people andalthCugh you are
told TO laugh ~ respectability, your own coin-
mon SENSE viii tell you, II you "Ill think,
that no party can thrive, rs no man can thrive
without it, and you ought To be on your guard
against men who are not respectable, ana VINO
object 10 res pectablc people. Another thlne
want 10 say i, that the bread you eat ana the
homes OF yourselves and families are provided
by the white, people whom your candidates de-
nOunce and Who's: property they say they
viii coailscate, and who they say they "lil
NOT allow 10 vote.
Now suppus. YOU had Il man in your EN-
plovmeut who told You 10 your face that ne
intended 10 take your property away iroui
YOU. turn you out Oi doors, not let you Eote
or hold ollice, how long would you Keep MIN
In your employment; l think you would say
not one minute; and yet, II you Will thInk q
minute YOU viii see that most or you are say
ius exactly that thing TO those "ho employ
YOU Now, their human nature IS just IKE
YOURS and they will not keep you minute
longer than you would keep them. lhey wa
get other people 10 "ork Tor theil' ana you
mill have TO 20 by the board, and the Ole
kindly feelings between you VIII never CONS
again and YOU VIII regret 10 the last day oil
YOUR life what You are doing now but II vii
be too late
Some of you seem 10 think no" that thi
Government was made for the colorrd peopl'
Of the South. | think IL was made Tor tn,
common good OF ali; and the people OF tn
North, those who call themselves your friends
are beginning TO sho" you thatyou are soIn.
TOO far, FOR they say you shall not vote anon!
them and If you show, by voting Tor sucl
men as those you haze nominated III the South
that YOU are not qualified 10 Judge, they WI
exclude you IN the South too hereafter
SoLoS JOHNSON.
RicImo,,d, October 70, 1867.