Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-08-15
EVENING. AUGUST IS, ,ls6s.

standing and intelligent PATRIOTISM
would be TO array them against almost
the entire white population Of the South,
the natural and inevitable result Of which
would be the exterminaiion Of the black
race. ar f.lU l.l
Therefore, Mr.. Speaker, for this briefly
stated main reason, il for no other (but l
have many, many others), i oppose the
arming, by the Federal Government, or
any other govern ment. Of the Union men
Of the South. say this as one who has
not only been q safe and true friend to
the black mana friend who always de-
nounced his bondage, but who never ad-
vised him to harshness. fudt :.
Sir, the thing has gone too far. III
another war is to be fought, it must at
least be commenced in the North. We
OF the South have had enough of strife
and bloohshed. fs nsaf ~.
"It is at the spell should break Of this pro-
What is writ is writ; would twere worthier !"
am not opposed to arming the mill.
tia Of the States. That is constitutional
and proper. But this bill, if / under
stand it, means something more-or
rather, something less. II means arm
ing the Union men, as such. against
what is termed the rebel or secession ele-
ment; that is to say, arming the black
man as against the white man. Sir, l
am opposed to this, FIRST, last, and all
the time" Gentlemen of my party may
tell me not to oppose this measure it
will ruin me politically Such an argu-
ment has no weight with me. They mis-
take the man. / want no influence, no
life, outside of principle If l cannot
be true party man without being ras-
cal and an enemy and traitor to my race
and to liberty, then ] am no party man !
But the Republican party proper re-.
quires no such sacrifice. We, sir, of
Louisiana, want no such state of affairs
as they have in Tennessee, and as they
have had in Missouri. i will advocate no
measure tending that way.
Sir, speak for myself and not another
though the white and the black man Of
my district are of the same feeling-but
| aim now to speak only for myself when
say / want no personal feuds in my
section, no civil war, no local strife nor
fraternal bloodshed. / differ from many
of the white men Of my section in politi-
cal matters, but that difference does
not extend to deadly hate. l am not
their personal enemy, and l am proud
to say that personally they all love
me and have the utmost confidence in my
integrity. 1t is for this main reason that
have been spared to live thus far. Twas
always the open enemy of slavery, and
opposed to secession, and all the direful
programme of the late leading Southern
statesmen, which has brought upon our
country such ruin as we now see; but in
personal sense, and in the matters of
life and death, / never was against my
native land, nor the enemy of my neigh
bors, and never will De. tid ~ af1
The truth is, this thing called Union
ism has about played out in the South.
AS a general thing those who went in
for the war, and fought the most bravely,
are TO day the safest and best citizens,
while many who were so-called Union
men, until they lost their slaves, are now
the most turbulent and mischievous. /
regret to say this, but truth is truth to
the end of reckoning" and it hurts none
but the wicked. And besides, those few
native Southerners who have remained
firm and true throughout all the strife,
even until now, have never been appre.
ciated by the Government, and are almost
universally ignored and sacrificed by the
new comers from the North, many of
whom would rather fraternize and seek
alliance with what is termed the uurecon'
structed rebel element Irepeat, Union
iom has about played out in the South |
We would not take up the sword now
for any political party. We have had
enough of fruitess irritation. What we
want is peace--the arts of peace and
the fruits of peace" We want no more
fruitless conflicts. And, sir, as friend
and defender of the black man, tell the
country this day that what the black man
Of the South wants and needs is not arms
to shoot his neighbor, but he wants land
and implements to cultivate it. He wants
q homestead, that he may be a freeman
indeed and not Bureau agents to order
him as a slave, more peremptorily and
insultingly, often, than ever did his an-
cient masters.