The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1868-10-29
Letters From q Coiored Man.
EQUALITY OF RIGHTS WITH TIE WHITE
PEoPLE-fHE TRUTH ABOUT 1T.
No III

enjoying equal rights with the white
people. We are in more danger of fall
ing into errpn, and getting into trouble,
on this sutSe,, than on any other. Iii.
Of the utm'st Importance, therefore, that
we co'ore'l people should understand
clearly 49, mean. by equally of
r'kp,s. NJ
You E"Er.y colored brethren. that
whilst we t,t.e slaves. We wers considered
as the property of our owners; and
hence, that We had no rights secured to
US, except tho right to live, and to be
protected against cruel treatment. The
law always secured to US these rights,
and the Courts Of the country were AL
ways open Tor our redress, when our per-
sons were cruelty treated. 3u, our great
est protection WAS, in the fact, that il was
the interest OF our owners to treat US we'll
themselves, and to project US from bad
treatment by Others Besides this, we
lived with our owners and their families.
and, As was natural, strong feelings of
Mutual attachment existed between US
and them
Alter ~e were set free we ceased to be
ProPer.sp4we became entitled, at once,
to all the essential rights Of feeemen. We
had right to appeal to the Courts in
| our own names, and 10 demand that our
! lives, our property, our liberty and our
characters should receive the same pro.
lection ~ that given to white men. We
had the right to work for our own benefit
10 bold property, and iu al! respects to
claim the essential rights OF freemen. In
other woIds, as coon rs We became free
we were entitled 10 equality Of rights
with white men before the law. These
were our civil rights, which flowed nee
essarily from our freedom. We are en- 1.
ureiy safe IN The continued enjoyment OF
these gresc rights Of ireemen. All men,
Of all asESeS freely eoncede them to us
'nu, NJ ~ PSTSex T;sTr5-- .ue,. nv
! voting ana holding office-,here is a
corAic, Of opinion, whether we ought to
have these rights or no.. II is certain
that for some time after We were set free,
most Of the white men were opposed to
\ giving US the privilege to vote. The
n .J;c,I, NTH Cn,a,,o. H.o..,
their head, were as much opposed to il,
\ "a the Democrats. have already shown
you that The Radicals had the power in
the Legislature, and tha, they refused to
give Us the right to vote until they had
| made two laws disfrancbisiug the white
men; and that they finally gave us the
right TO vote, simply because they found
they would be turned out OF office t. none
but ~hr men were allowed to vote.
They ga. 20. til. risaso vote, therefore,
Tor no other r+a'0pl that we might
vote to keep them Office. Ifmy re
4 eo'lsction serves me, il was soon after the
i$'tbt II voting was given 10 us, that the
| official acts Of the Radicals and OF Gov
ernor Brownlow in Nashville, the Press
and Timcs, edited by Mr.. Mercer, dc
clared that II he believed the colored men
would vote with the Conservatives, be
soul1 labor as hard TO take away from
them the righ' Of voting, as he had done
to give !, to them. This shows con
clusively, that the Radicals did not make
us voters because they believed We ought
/, 10 vote, bu. because they wanted our
votes to keep than 10 Office. If TREY had
4 believed that We would vote with the
Democrats they never would have allow
Ell us S!e. Hence, il is clear, nv
colored breloren. that the right Of voting
VAS not given to us, to he exercised "a
4 we might choose. like hesmen, bu, to he
exercised in obedience 20 Radical orders.
II is equally clear. that il We exercise the
right Of voting like freemen, and vote,
our will and not tha, Of the Radical lead.
sIs, we have no assurance that the
Radicals vii! not carry out Mr. Mercer's
threat, and try TO deprive US OF .he righ,
\ 10 vote.
On the other hand, my co'ored breth
rem, the Democrats tells us publicly that
they were opposed to giving US the right
TO vote, becauee they believed, like the
Radicals, that we lacked Information to
vote wiseIy. and because they believed
that the Radicals only made us voters in
order 20. make too's Of us 10 securing
them 10 otice. They remind u. of ho y
~e were bound by loyal League osths
last year, and bos we we're marched to
the poll, under Radical ovsrse,r., and
forcsd 10 vote as told Us. They say, and
~e eani dsuy it, ,hs, this proves that we
do not vote as heemep, but as The mere
ssls'ss Of the R,dicsl leaders. Nov, nv
'co'ored brethren, OF what value IL this