The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-10-28
Letter from a ''ColOred Man"


say we ought to vote with them because
they set us free and gave us the right to
vote. The Democrats say we ought to vote
with them because they own all the land
property and are able to help US, and are
willing to be our friends, if we will only
show by our votes that we are not their enc
mics. They say that the Radicals are their
enemies, &, if we join the Radicals, they will
be compelled to treat us as enemies. They
say the Radicals have taken from them the
right to vote, and are forcing them to pay
all the taxes, and that if we vote with the
Radicals we will be as much their enemies
as the Radicals are.
Now, colored brethren, we have got to
decide which way we will vote. l have
tried to find out the truth of this matter,
up my mind that it is the interest of all col
ored men to vote with the Democrats, and 1
want to give you briefly the reasons why 1
think so.
have found out that it is not true that
the Radicals fought to set US free, but that
they offered to the rebels, whilst the war
was going on, that if they would cease the
war, they might hold us in slavery forever.
The rebels refused to do it, and fought on
The Radicals found they couldn't whip the
rebels without declaring us free and taking
us into their armies. When they did this,
they whipped the rebels. So you see my
cOlored brethren, the Radicals did not fight
to set as free, but they set US free to get our
help in whipping the rebels. Instead of
our being indebted to the Radicals for sett-
ing us free, they are indebted to us for
helping them to whip the rebels; which they
found they couldn't do without our help
We are indebted to the rebels for not laying
down their arms when Mr.. Lincoln offered
that if they would they might keep us in
slavery. If they had done as MIR. Lincoln
and the Radicals wished, We my colored
brethren, would be slaves to-day. L know
the rebels didn't refuse to lay down their
arms because they wanted lis to be free mo
more did the Radicals fight because they
wanted us to be free. After they got into
the war they couldn't help from letting us
get our freedom. So you see the Radicals
are entitled to no credit for setting us free
they had to set us free, otherwise the rebels
would have whipped them pll the time, as
they had been doing until we were set free
The truth is, my colOred brethern, that the
Radicals are indebted to us for setting them
free, for, if the rebels had continued TO
whip them as they did at Bull RIM, and
had they gone up North with their armies,
they would have made slaves of the whole
Radical Yankee nation. But we prevented
the rebels from continuing to whip them,
and, therefore, we were richly entitled to
our freedom from final defeat.
But the Radicals sey they gave us the
right to vote, and, therefore, we ought to
vote with them. Now, my colored brethren
1 want te show you that there is no more
truth IN this statement than there Is in the
statement that they fought to set us free.
AT the same time that we were set free,
on the 22d of February, 1865, Legislature
was elected by the white Radicals;and pow-
er was given to that Legislature to decide
who should vote and who should not. They
met together at Nashville to decide, and they
| did decide that none but loyal white men
should vote. So you see, my colored breth
rem, these Radicals, at that time, didn't
think colored men ought to vote. They
found out, in a short time, that majority
of the loyal white voters were opposed to
the Radicals, and would turn Brownlow and
all the other Radicals out of office. So they
called the legislature together again, and
took away the right of voting from great
many loyal white men who had got certif-
Gates to vote, but they still continued the
right of voting to white men-although it
was proposed to let the cOlored men vote,
yet the Radicals in the Legislature refused,
and said that colored men ought not to vote.
After while they discovered that still a
majority of the white loyal voters were still
| opposed to the Radicals; and thereupon the
Legislature got together for the third time,
and tnen it was that they consented to let
the colored men vote, but because they
found that they would all be turned out of
Office unless they could get help from the
coiored men. Now, you see, my colored
brethren, that the Radicals gave us the right
to vote to save themselves from being turn
ed out of ofice-just as they gave us our
freedom during the war, to save themselves
from beng whipped by the rebels.
Now, my colored brethren, don't know
how you may feel, but, as to myself, I
don't feel thai I am under obligations to the
Radicals for giving me the right to vote,
when l know that they gave it to me, not
because they thought l ought to have it, but
because they believed if they didn't do it
they would be turned out of office; and be-
cause they believed that you and were so
| Ignorant that they could make us believe
they were our friends, and would do great
things for us; when, in truth, they only
wanted our votes, to enable them to hold on
to the offices and thus fill their pockets with
public money.
If you have any doubt wether have stat
ed the truth to you, just go to any white
man that you know to be honest, and to
have no office that he wants to hold on to
and ask how these things are. l know you
will find that have stated facts, and, if
you are sensible, you will under no obliga-
ton to Radicals, either for setting you free,
or for giving you the right to vote.
WILLIAM PARK.
p S.-Will the white men read this let
ter to the cOlored men in their employ.
Franklin, Tenn. Sept. 81, 1868.
"KEEP stiff upper lip" Demo-
Gratis. and don't despair of success in
this State. The Radical enemy used