The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-09-04
For the Standard
JAMES H.. HARRIS IN sURRY COUNTY, N. C

bered by the people of this County. The
was an unusual number of persons preser
who had assembled in the grove near th
springs of Mr.. T. F. Prather, of all grades
men, women, boys and girls, white and Co
ored to hear Mr.. Harris. Mr. Harris wa
conducted to the stand which had been prt
pared by the colored people for the occaslo
by Col. S. Forkner, r. R. Galloway, Isaa
Armfeld, Jesse Owen, S. NJ Marshall, Chas
Z Tucker and several other members of tn
Union League. Mr. Harris assembled tn
platform there was a movement toward tn
platform with evident excitement and in
tense desire to behold the wonder of the age
The ground was literally packed with men
women and little ones around the stand
After few moments OF quiet, such quiet a
pervades most crowds, ]. M. Marshall ros,
and said =" Fellow-citizens of the County
of Surry, will introduce to you, Mr.. Harri.
of Wake; you will give him your atten
2 ton | have no doubt you will be Interested
Mr.. Harris then rose and commenced his
address by saying Fellow citizens of the
County of Surry, the white and colored PEG.
pie have lived together in this country fol
two hundred-tifty years, and lived happy.
Such happiness as can exist between master
and slave, but they have become eslranged,
and do not know each other. They knew
each other in their old relation of master
and slave but they do not under their new.
This ought not to be- They must get ac-
quainted once more. The white man knew
the colored man when he was his slave, but
since he is free, he appears not to know him.
The white man does not know what DISPOSE
ton to make of the colored people But,
will tell you, gentlemen, just let them alone,
that is what to do with them You must
get close together once more, then you will
begin to understand each other again. Be
cause your relations are changed, there is no
good reason why you should not live togeth-
er and be happy. IF the people are willing
to do right and be just in all this broad land,
there is not a reason to apprehend that we
will not be happy in our new relation as well
as old. f
The white people can surely afford to be
just after witnessing the fidelity of the col
ored people during the long and bloody
struggle which resulted in their freedom.
The fears of the white people that the color
ed would revolt and murder their wives and
little ones, and rayage the country were not
realised; for with wonderful fidelity thew
staid at home and worked the farms and
made support for the families of the whites
while the men were in the field fighting to
keep the colored people in perpetual bon
dage. Wonderful fidelity! Who will doubt
them now?
There is lesson to learn nv colored
friends To be free is not to be licentious
Liberty brings with it great responsibilities.
we have duties to perform to ourselves, our |
wives and children, our country and our God. |
We must labor, and labor hard. Our fami- |
hes must be cared for and our children edu-
Gated, our taxes paid, with innumerable other
duties that did not cucumber us in our for
mer condition of slavery To be free brings
with it great responsibilities that we did not
encounter before. To elevate our race re-
qulres OF us continued application to our
multiplied duties. Lay aside our pet preiu-
dlces labor for those that pay us the best,
and treat US with the greatest kindness
Thls is natural and will not be condemned by
any fair minded person. Learn to be good
citizens, honest upright and Intelligent, and
harbor not prejudice against your former
masters who treat you kindly now. We
have friends mighty friends in the North
and mighty friends in the South, and we
have only to conduct ourselves right to be
appreciated. You will not believe these
evli-mlnded men who persuade you that YOU
VIII get a portion Of your masters land;
aepend on your own energies for your sup,
port and the education of your race and
people. Ii confiscation comes, it is not pro-
oaole that you would be benefited by ii. for
me land would be sold at the highest bid
Ter, and you have no money to purchase.
therefore, have no assurance in PROMISING
you anything on that score. The speaker
old several anecdotes to illustrate his no.
ition. ~
The speaker said that the white neonle
nustaiso learn lesson. When they hired the
,olored people to work that they only hired
nelr time, that otherwise, the colored peo-
, u were as free as they were and entitled to
III the privileges and immunities that free
om and white people were. The time was
IL that they had any right to. If they were
mind they could afford to be just. warn
GU to-day, for am authorised to speak and
peak that | know. If you continue to be
MUST and fail to treat them as citizens and
quail IN political rights if you try to intim-
late them and prevent them from register
e and voting for their friends, your lands
Ill be confiscated and you reduced to
'ndilon OF dependency. l hope you will
OF 90 TINS, your sense of honor and self re-
oect VIII not permit you to do so. 1 appeal
your magnanimity, your sense of Justice
nd Christian charity to aid us in the eleya-
on OF our race. Promote and ENCOURAGE
abbath Schools among us. Give us the ad-
antage OF your education and the adyan-
ge OF your experience. Turn not your =
ick upon US now that we are free, for Won Z
ught us all that we know; you taught us
'w to work you taught us all we know of
utn and right; you taught us your lam
mage and what we know of men and things:
u taught US your religion and all we
low OF God There are thousand ties
ID recollections that call upon, you for help
raise us from our present poor and help
Is condition. Remember, that we are not
blame for your losses, and now that we
Tree you should not neglect us and con-
mn us. In -FOUR new relations let us be friends
we have been in times past.
Mi. Harris here took up the subject Of So
u equality and dwelt at great length on
he SAID the idea was an absurdity-
lcn thing as social equality never did ex-
ana never could. 1t was contrary to rea-
and sense. Opposed to the true princI- :
es OF liberty and right. It did not exist .
y where, nor at any time. From the be-
ming OF the world until now, such thing : /.
not exist. It never had nor ever would. :
was an absolute absurdity. But the right !.
{ cnoose our own company was only a general !
,uI tnat was not denied by any nation or :,
ople. It did not exist in the Northern !
ates or Southern States, It did not exist !,
me Canadas or West Indies, in Mexico or :.
nth America, + did not exist in England 6
France, Spainser Portugal, Russia or AZ =
a. There was no reason IN it. This had Z
thing to do with political right. It was =