The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-05-07
secret Political sooietIes.

Secret Political Societies.
We commend the article below to
the consideration of the colored peo-
pie in this section. It is an editorial
from the Knoxville Commercial, and
furnishes matter for their reflection:
During the progress of the war, it
became a military necessity, and Abra-
ham Lincoln issued his emancipation
proclamation, and the colored citi-
zens became free. But alas, by the
song of the syren, a large proportion
Of the colored citizens of Tennessee
have lost their liberty, and they are
again enslaved. The colored man in
all the other States is free. He is free
to act for himself, free to think for
himself, free to vote for whom he
plenses, and. in each and every par
tioular, he is free man. But it is
not so in Tennessee. We have a class
of men who came among the colored
citizens with what they call league.
These men, by deception, persuaded
the colored man that the league was
good for him to join, and, by fair
promises, they succeeded in getting
large numbers to sign away their
liberties, and to place themselves in
worse bondage than that they had
just been released from by the eman-
cipation proclamation.
When the colored man joins the
league, he then, by n solemn oath,
swears away his liberty. He can then
no longer act for himself-he can no
longer vote as he pleases, and sup
port such measures as his Judgment
shall convince him is best for his own
interests; and why? He has s,oorn an
oath to do as these league managers
tell him to do. He has s,corn an oath
to vote for just who and what the
league men tell him he must vote for.
He has s,Corn an oath that he is no
longer n free man, but that the league
governs and controls him, and holds
him as their slave. Ho has sworn an
oath that he is not capable of being
n free man, and, therefore, he swears
to let the league do his thinking, his
acting and his voting, because he
must vote rs they say. He swea1s
that he will not be n free man, but n
slave to the league. Little did the
colored man know that q trap had
been set for him, when he Joined the
league. Little did he dream that, by
so doing, he was selling his liberties
and his manhood, to future ill for
himself, as truly as ever mortal sold
his soul to perdition. These leagues
are formed by designing men, to con-
troll the weak-minded and ignorant,
and to make them their servants and
tools, and as soon as the nen who
control them have accomplished their
own selfish purpc ses, they laugh /at
the victims of their treachery, and
the league has answered the purpose
for which it was brought into exist
ence, and becomes thing of the
past.
Colored men of East Tennessee,
you who have not fallen into the
snare, shun itas you would the poison
of the upas tree. You who have been
caught, and are now held in bondage,
assert your rights as free men, and
regain your liberties rs soon as you
can. It does not become any race of
men to be herded like cattle, and be
driven to the ballotbox and made to
vote as few designing leagues may
want them to, and for their benefit
alone. Let the colored man in the
league compare his situation with tho
free man, who is at liberty to be n
free and independent man.
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