The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-03-28
q'he Selations. between the White
and Black Man Coasidered. >,

: - n "a. q
The following correspondence will
Ebe read with general interest and at
tention. s Wholesome trnthssand cor
rect ideas are conveyed in plain and
iunambigtous language, which cannot
fail to be understood by the most IL
literate:, .is Nv b.
| COLUMBIA, s. c., March725, 1868.
Mr., r. .J. Ro6ertson-SIR: In the
address you made last evening to the
colored serennders, am I correct in
affirming that you said, in effect, rs
| follows: That your hearers must mark
every man who goes up to attend the
Democratic meeting called for Thurs.
day next; that such men were no
friends of theirs; that if they dared,
they would enslave the colored man
again tomorrow; that they conceded
no rights auhdteper to the black man.
Permit me to say that I, private
citizen, address myself to you as one
who is now in public life, and that I
desire to be satisfied that I have not
misrepresented your remarks. My
object is, further, if you assent to the
accuracy Of my statement, to call in
question, before the popular tribunal,
the tendency and correctness of your
allegation and briefly to discuss the
point at issue. Yours respectfully,
J. P. THOMAS.
COLUMBIA, S. O., March 25, 1868.
| Capt. j. p. Ihonads-SIR: You have
called on me, formally, to know what
I said in short address to the colored
men who serenaded me last night, and
desire me to answer through the same
channel
My reply is: That I do not remem-
ber the precise words that I used,
but they were to this effect: That the
Democrats were the political enemies
of the colored man, and the party to
be organized hero on Thursday next
(26th) would deprive them of their
political rights, if they could do so,
on tomorrow; which would be worse
than slavery. The ballot being their
only protection, sc.
hope the above explanation will
satisfy you on the points alluded to
in your inquiry. I am, sir, very re-
SpeCllully, yours, &C,
It. j. ROBERTSON.
COLUMBIA, S. c., March 81, 1868.
Mr. Z. J Robertson-S1R: I have
received your note in reply to the
inquiry I felt it my dnty to make. I
regret to say, that the character of
your response constrains me to pur-
sue the subject. Inasmuch as you
have not disavowed the language i'm
puted to you in your address, and
inasmuch, further, as [ have every
reason to assume that have not mis-
represented your remarks, 1 feel that
L may, with justice and propriety,
conclude that you did speak, as al
legged, to the colored men who called
you out.
Your remarks, rs alluded to in my
first communication, embraced, first,
n suggestion to the colored men-to
wit: to mark every man who might
go up to unite in the Democratic
meeting of Thursday, the 26th inst.
and, secondly, three separate allega-
tions, viz: that such men were no
friends of theirs-that they would
enslaee the colored man again to-
morrow, if they dared-and that they
conceded no rights whatever to the
black man.
I propose to consider these points
made by you in their order.
And first allow me to ask, what is
your meaning, when you advise the
colored man to mark the white citi-
zen who quietly goes to exercise n
right of which even radical legisla-
tion has not yet sought to deprive
him? Do you mean to suggest to
the negro thoughts Of vengeance and
schemes of injury? You understand
the force of words. Have you reflect