American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1868-06-27
Fer the American Citizen.
READ THIS, TOO.


: cident which occurred last week. As wa
going to your town-c:ty, you say,-I met
, freedman (no new thing, any one who tray
els four miles on almost any road, will say,
, who, after had passed about fifteen steps
called, and asked, if my name WAS no
M "Yes." Turning to come back to wher
l had stopped, he said /" 1 thought knew
you and | want to talk to you and get you
vice about something l have been thinking
about"
"Wbat is it you want to talk about7"
"Why, the Radical and Convention"
"Wsll, what about them7"
"Why, you see the Radical say they i!
great friends to US culored people but beer
thinking about it lately, and cant Sc,
where they have been our friends, or wher,
they has done anything for US; and | has
just come to the 'clusion, that | ought not
to vote for this Convention doings. And
have been talking to some of the culored
people about Canton about it, and they is
down on me heavy, derefore. wants to
know what you thinks about it,"
"Well, Bob, if live I expect to vote
against the Constitution, because the Con.
vention has created SO many extra Offices,
whose salaries have to be paid by taxation,
that it will take about $40, 900, more every
year to carry on matters in this State, than
it ever cost before. Now, all this money has
to be raised by taxing you and me, and every
other man in the State, without doing any
good to the people"
"Well, | has been thinking about these
taxes, and think it will take about ore
third Of what we people make to pay them,
so that we shall not have any chance to ever
make anything more than just 'nough to live
on"
"Well, Bob, I'shall vote against these men
and their Constitution because they have
oeen protesting to be great Union men, and
yet the best Union men in this county are
not allowed 10 vote. You know old Mr.. H.
He voted against secession, and gets mad
every time any one talks to him about seces.
sion But they won't let him vote, becaus.
he happened to be Justice of the Peace about
thirty years ago. And Mr. B. was a strong
Union man but they wont let him vote be.
cause he happened to Postmaster once. The
Yankees want to have all the white men out
Of their way in the South. shall vote against
them because they have so arranged matters,
that if their Constitution is adopted, there is
not white man in Madison county that |
know of, who is fit to have an Office, that ca
take their oath. The Yankees will say to
you black people, you are not qualified to
do the business of these offices, and you must
elect US. That's what they want with you
black people-just to put them into office.
That's as far as heir friendship extends to
you. If you want to prove it, or test it, Just
hold a convention in Canton and nominate
colored men for Senator and Representatives,
and for all the oflicss-refuse to have any
Yankee on your ticket, and then you will see
them trem6le and hear them howl. That
will show you what they are after.
"But they wont lot us do that they say |
we shaut do it that we must vote for them,
they say"
"But they have no right or power to keep
you from doing what have suggested. They
try to scare you BY lying to you. They told
you last fall that if you did not vote you
would be killed, lose your heads, and made
other threats"
Yes they told us all that and some vot-
ID who did not want to vote, cause they
cared they would be killed if they did not"
" But they lied then, Bob. | did mot vote.
Why did they not harm ms2
"But there is another reason, Bob, why |
hall vote against their Constitution. They
'rofess to be great friends of education, and
hat they have established a plan for free
chools all over the State. But there is to
70 a Superintendent of Education for the
'tate, then Deputy in every county. Well,
he salaries of these Supts. and these Depths
Till amount to about $4,000 every year.
Then, Offices and clerks have to be paid for.
Then, they may want a deputy in every Po-
ice District. There will be at least SIS oO9
o be paid every year to these men. 1t will
ave to be raised by taxation, too you and !
very poor, hard-working man will have to
az this every year, if their Constitution IS
doptsd and no child will be sent to school
fter all that $4,000 is paid. 1 advise you,
ob, to vote against them"
81 would like to do IL; but il do | will =.
Iske enemies. I believe the Democrats 10 !
ght, and hope they will be elected. But if i
vote for them fear the RAIDS. will do M =
ome harm"
Now, Mr.. Editor, is not the thought one +
lat ought to startle us in this land-that Il
lsse blue-bellied Yankees-men of no moral q
aaractsr, who have no interest in the State, j
ave crept abeut, like SO many Shiny snakes, y
mong the negroes, and made them believe g
lat if they vote against their dctum, evil t
i'll bsfall the poor nsgro-nay, that be will v
E liable to be shot at any timer Well, Sir, Il
icy have so taught the negroes in this couu. n
!. And that sneak, Lee, told negroes last Z
II that by csming and voting they had IL
wed their heads. l feel, Sir, that the last "
ne Of them ought to be made to leave the j
tate as fast as the cars can take them. y