Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-09-25
THE WHITE RACE AND THE
NEGROES.
REMARKS OF GEN. j. b. GORDON.

In the course of a speech delivered in
Charleston on the 18th inst, Gen. James
B. Gordon, of Georgia represer tative
of " Young South''-addressed the colored
portion of the audience as follows
In the few words shall say to you, my
friends, if you will listen to me, [ hope to
deal with you candidly and honestly. The
Radicals have told you that the southern
people were your enemies. But believe
me, this is not SO. I was opposed to your
freedom. Laughter. We were all OPP
posed to your freedom. Now, that's hon
est, isn't it '' Yes, that's so" from the
crowd. And why was this so? Ill tell
you. We did not do this because we were
your enemies, but beCaTse we had bought
you and paid for you. Great laughter.
some people think you belong to them
now, in the Loyal League. 1t was the
northern States that sent to the shores of
Africa and captured and brought your ia
theirs to the north. And when your labor
became Improbable, they sold you to the
southern people,
The carpet bagger5 will tell you that the
north brought on the war to free you. Let
me ask why didn't they set you free when
they owned you :? You might then have
been born free, and might now have own
ed the forty acres which the lying ra&cais
promised you. [ say that they di! not
wage the war to free you, and no honest
soldier who participated in it will say 50.
The idea never was entertained. General
Grant himself at one time threat
were freed. They set you free because
they wanted to use you, not for any love
they bore you. And now they tell you that
we are your enemies. Have we not been
born on the same soil Are not our inter
ests identical? Have we not grown up
together, and have not our fathers been
buried under the same sod ? Why, then,
are we your enemies
You have been told to arm yourselves
against the whites. Cries of ''No, no. :"
Well, am glad to hear it. What would
be the result of arraying the two races. A
contest will come, which will be war of
races then which race must triumph p
You are III the majority on the seaboard,
and could destroy many people. But, my
friends, let me tell you the moment the war
of races is inaugurated that moment the
death warrant of the black man on this
continent is signed. There are three mil
lions of your race and forty millions of
white men. Now, [ ask you in all reason,
which race must go down
The speaker then alluded to the assertion
of Helper, who said that before the year
1872 no black man will have habitation
Oh this continent. In quoting this the
speaker said: He says SO because of spec
ulation. Lands are scarce in the North
They have a surplus of labor, and they de-
sire to blot out your race in order that they
might come here, take possession of the
place and cultivate the land. The Indian
once lived where you now live, but where
is he now? He couldn't live in peace with
the white men, and he went to war. The
few scattering mounds that are left in the
State speak the result Now, this is what
Helper says must be your fate, and most
singular to relate, large majority of the
Radical members of Congress are subscri-
bers to his book, and are giving it circula-
ton.
Now I speak plainly. If you are dis
posed to live in peace with the white peo-
pie they extend to you the hand of friend
ship. But if you attempt to inaugurate q
war Of races you will be exterminated The
Saxon race was never created by Almighty
God to be ruled by the African. These
are truths. We want peace with you. We
cannot live as enemies. One or the other
must go down. If you turn deaf ear to
the Southern man these green leaves that
now clothe the forest will not grow red
with another autumn before they will be
drenched with your blood and mine.
LETTER FROM JAMES B. CAMPBELL.
The following is an extract from a letter
written by Mr.. Jas. B. Campbell. of |
Charleston, in reply to an invitation to at |
tend mass meeting of the Democracy in |
Abbeville, s. c.:
But we have great and re-
sponsible duty to perform to another class
of our population-to the colored voters |
1t is our duty and the chief duty of the
to omit no honorable and truthful
effort to convince them of their error in fol |
loving the men who are now leading them.
It is desirable and essential to our success
in this State to convince them of this, but il
is of even greater importance than present
success that this shall be done by nothing