Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-09
Hama for ,he sonshern s.aaes.

In inc Hcmutfabc Nittot1 J"es w" ~
Missssipp, Let the military report Il as
II may. aud Congress do with the State
as II will. there is much encouragement
aud ground to hope for the future Of all
the Southern States. II shows what
may be done by organization aud energy.
We shall not be 50 uncandid MS to say
we think tho negroes ought to vote. We
do not intend 10 deceive them. We
never have done 80. We think they
ought now to have every protection Of
law TO their lives and liberty and prop
erty which white men have In the United
States, henceforth and forever But we
think il is against our interest and theirs
too, that they should vote, because they
do not know what the effect Of their
votes will be, and do not know when II
will injare them, and US also, to vote one
way or the other. That is the reason
they ought not to vote, as white men do.
And we tell them so, instead Of cheating
them on tho subject to get Office, as the
Radicals do, on prctensc Of being their
friends But for the preaent they do
vote, and we suppose also will in the
Presidential election. And, since this
is the case, il is our purpose during The
canvass TO show them why II will do
them good, as well rs white men, to vote
with the white people and do what they
can 20 make friends Of men with whom
they will have to live in the same coun-
try, il they stay here. White men Will
not leave their country, and they intend
to govern il We hope to show the
black voters their true interest, before
they learn il by hard experience, which
will be fer. more unfortunate for them
than merely losing their votes, which put
no bread in their mouths, or clothes on
their backs, or money in their pockets.
The Mississippi election encourages
us to hope they have already learned
some sense about this matter. There
they have voted with the whites by
thousands, and against the white scala
.wags. They know the difference between
scalawags, even il they have fine coats
on, and gentlemen, as well as white PEG
pie do. And now that they have begun
to find out that these scalawags who have
been pretending to be such friends to
them heretofore, are only runaways from
their own country, on a hunt in this,
after their votes for Offices, and after the
white gentlemen's money, their minds
will change rapidly as to who are their
friends. These things take time. They
have distrusted the arguments OF white
men. But they will not doubt the acts
of the Adventures. And as they must
20 with white gentlemen or white scala
ways, they will not be much longer
deceived, it may be, and the more
intelligent Of them will begin to
vote for the most honest and sensible
men for office, so that we may have
good and fair government by men who |
know how to make it so. There is rea-
son to be encouraged in this respect.
Besides Mississippi, they did right well
in Georgia. They had very little organ
ixation, and yet the Democrats carried
the negro vote by majority in num-
Der of counties. And they elected
member of Congress in one district in
which the whites were in very small
minority. So 1t was in South Carolina,
where the Democrats carried sixteen out
Of the thirty-one districts of the State.
There the negro vote is the largest in
proportion to the population Of any
Southern State. With the same organi-
cation they had in Mississippi, we be-
Iieve Georgia and South Carolina might
have been carried as well. And why is
il unreasonable to expect to carry Vr'
yinia, North Carolina, Georgia, and,
indeed, every one Of the ten, in the
Presidential race? Why may We not
also carry Tennessee, worse cursed with |
Acknowledgement and outraged as it is
han them all2 We see no reason, but
nope and reason for hope, In organiga-
ion, faithfulness, industry and energy.
Let no man falter who would have lib
,rty or prosperity for himself or his chill
lren. II we succeed. we shall be glad
,eyond measure. five fail, our country
will be in the hands of bandi.ti, and we
AN then only be saved to inhabit it by
evolution and the sword.