The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-03-28

you not'propose to put in thesnegro's
hand IA two-edged sword "a sharp
tool, which is to wound the, user?
The fact is, yonr advice is fraaght
with evil, and evil only, to the black
man. YOU place him in direct hos
tility to the whites of the State; you
invite him'to, a fatal antagonism, and
thus you pave the way to his injury
and ruin. =s.l1 x.
With respect, now, to your first
allegation, that the men who might
rally under the Democratic banner
were no friends of theirs, let me
remark that this is a subject upon
which there may be an honest differ
ence of opinion. 1 believe that such
men are the best friends of the negro.
1t is true, that they may not have the
same use for the negro that your
party has; it is true, they may not
make such magnificent promises
may not indulge them in such init
mate association. But if genuine
friendship consists in telling its OBJ
ject the unvarnished truth, IN previd-
ing for its substantial and ultimate
good, then must the colored man
look for his friends outside of the
party which, with false lights, would
lead him to his doom. But may I not
with great propriety, inquire what
right you have to doubt the friendly
spirit with which I, and others of
your fellow-ex-slaveholders, are dis
posed to deal with those lately our
slaves? Do You feel that you have
superior claims over us because of
more humane and generous treat
ment of these people when we held
the power over them? I will not say
that you were a worse master than
A, B or @, but will say that there
is many q christian gentleman in this
community, who was as good and
generous master rs yourself, who
went up to the Democratic meeting,
and has never considered it his duty
to join the party to which you have
attached your political fortunes, and
outside of whose mottled ranks you
would make the colored man believe
he has no friends Not even in the
person of some generous man in
whose family he was reared and cared
for, and whose memory may, to the
freedman, be associated with the
kindest recollections of service that
was never too eXacting, and of q
kindness which in sickness or health
never varied. But. sir, You have
gone further-you haFe permitted
yourself, in the furry, 1 hope, of
an impromptu speech, to make the
strong and irritating declaration that
these men-alluding to the Demo
cratic citizens of this community
would enslave the colored men again
tomorrow if they dared. Give me
leave to say tn scarcely know how
to reply to this .rse. But imitat-
ing the mildnes speech which led
Paul to say, 81 am not mad, most
noble Festus, but speak forth the
words of truth, of soberness," I
would remark that your statement is
entirely unfounded, so far, at least,
as it regards the great body of the
Southern people. They desire no
re-establishment OF slavery. The
Democratic party advocate no such
proposition. In the Providence of
God, African slavery was established
and extended in this land. It did
much for the black man. 1t brought
him from the wilds and barbarism of
Africa, and under its auspices he was
improved morally, intellectually and
physically. 1t placed him in contact
with the white race; and. as time
rolled on, the colored people OF the
Southern States became the most
highly improved portion of the Afri-
can race in the world. But amid the
changes wrought in the great conflict
between the States, this institution of
slavery was abolished; the people
Of the Southern States in convention
assembled, and these conventions
composed of the ablest and truest
men of our section-of men who
had been prominent in the cabinet
IL