The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-05-23
aerrit smith to she Hree,lnen. :

Gerrit saith to the Rrcotlmes,., .
r We make the following extract from
tha speech Of this distingaishsd Ado.
litionist,S delivered in thes African
Church in Richmond, last Friday
night. 1t iswell worthy of perusal
by the freedmen, and contains some
admirable advice: ~ sssH
We must learn, in judging one an.
other, to make proper allowance for
difference In circumstances and edu
cation. Had been born and bred ut
the South, I should probably hnye
been stakeholder. Had one of Won.
been born where I was, and. brought
up IN my circumstances, he. would
probably have been Oh Abolitionist.
Least, of all, must YOU believe that
the White men of the Sonth, because
they wronged you in tho past, will
wrong you i'll the future. You are
now freedmen; and gradually, and. I
trust, rapidly, their minds and hearts,
and lives will adjust themselves to the
new relations in which you now stand
to them. The educated men OF the
South, with here and thero an excep.
ton of incorrigible baseness, will
prove themselves to be your friends.
Do not cultivate, nor let others cul-
tiyate In you, ljealousyiof them. Far
better will it be, both for your spirit
and the spirit of those friends, that
you generously confide in them. Let
me here say, to the end of guarding
you against an indiscriminatine and
! unwise confidence. Trust no man,
white or black-votc for no man, bo
he of the Republican or Democratic
party, who does not acquicsce in your
possession of the ballot, and rejoice
III your delivcrance from the yoke of
slavery. Respect yourselves, and YOU
are safe. Failing of this, you arc
lost
Give no countenoncc to ."confisca-
ton" The scheme will never be
realized. 1t never should be. It
could not be entered upon without
running the whole South. black and
whlte-and, but too probably, with
out running the whole nation also.
Buy your homes, and then you can
enjoy them. Were they wrested from
others, there could be no blessedncss
d IN them. "Confscation" would en-
gender such war in the heart-aye,
and such war of the hands also-as
could not for several generations be
calmed into peace.
Were called on to SAY what is in
dispensable to bring peace to our
still deeply disturbed country, 1
would say:
l, Tho South must sincerely nc
quiesce in the abolition Of slavery
and in universal suffrage.
2. The North must, through the
earnest action of Congress, relieve
the South of all fear of "confisca-
ton" She is painfully embarrassed
and IN no small degree paralyzed by
this fear. There is hesitancy to buy
her lands, from the apprehension
, that the land-holder cannot give d
. sure title. And this threat of econ
fiscation" constantly tempts her poor
to hope that they will get homes
without paying for them. Moreover,
the whole South is in distressful need
of loans. But, so long as this threat
OF ''contiscation" hangs over her
lands, what prudent capitalists will
consent to take mortgages upon
them?
B. Through such action the North
: must restore to their political rights
!; the disfranchised class in the South.
: This Acknowledgement works evil in
; many ways, and good in no way. 1t
, was not necessary to withhold politi-
cal power from its subjects, through
!, the fear that they would wicld it in
Il disloyal spirit. The great majority
OF them have ali eady become or are re
rapidly becoming loyal Morever,
this disfranchiscmcnt does, through
the sympathy it begcts for its sub
lects, increase rather than diminish
their political influence. One more
objection to it is, that on its face it
violates universal suffrage; that prin-
cipic which is fast taking its place
amongst the settled and permanent
American principles. Another OBJ
lection to this disfranchiscmcnt is
that whilst we are aiming to establish
political equality between the races,
1t has the appearance of setting tho
black man above the white. And
still another objection to The disfran-
chlsement is, that it is regarded by
Its subjects rs an invid;ous and in.
sultlnS distinction. SO also is it re-
garded by the masses Of the Southern
whites. And We must never FORGET