The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-06-29
A Black DemOStheneS.
What Henry Boyd told the Negroes Of
Mississippi.

Part Of speech delivered at Car
rollton Mississippi, in May, 1868, by
Henry Boyd, colored, on the subject
of the adoption or rejection of the
soalawag constitution, DISTINGUISHING
twenty thousand of the most iotelli-
gent white citizens of the State,
which constitution was voted down by
the colored vote in June, 1868:
My Colored Friends-I appear here
to-day in your interest alone: The
white man is able to take care Of him
self, and as you all see, I have not one
drop of white blood in my veins
[laughtcrl. am regular I'D fash.
ioned, plain, coruGeId niger, and
have not tho capacity to instruct
white people as to their duties. even
if I had the will. I was slave frow
my birth-I always endeavored to
serve my master faithfully according
to that letter of the Bible which
reads: Servants, be obedient unto
your masters, for this is right" And
! can lay my hand upon my healtg C.
day aud say, before God, that l el-
teftaiu no ill-will toward any white
nun on earth, and least Of all to ward
my old master aud his sous, whom I
loved as my own brothers, and with
whom I played in boyhood. In
all our neighborhood ronps and fro
lics and fights <for boys will Ggh),
they stood at my back, as did at
theirs, whenever it came to the pinch
daughter and, thank God, I will do
SO yet. l will stand by them so long
as they stand by me, whether the op-
preston comes from the Yankees, or
from wherever else it may. When
ever 1t comes to my making choice
between white men, [ shall prefer
those of my own section to I'LL the
carpctLbag :ers in the world. (Laugh-
ter and applause.) There Amt very
much difference between white men
and, Y ankees (laught.r), and whenever
you fiud it at all you'll find it in the
white mans favor. White folks are
all pretty much out Of the same cloth,
and both sections have made their
love for tho niggcrs to subserve their
own Interests: all men are selfish by
nature AID cant help it, and | can't
blame them.
When the late war broke out, am
free to acknowledge, I was mighty
glad of it. I somehow felt that my
freedom was going to como out of it
como way OF other, and, as I am, per-
,haps, es selfish as white man, I tell
you l didn't--well, I, didn't ory much
at the prospect. Well, when the Fl. st
company left my county for sold Vir-
ginny" to 6ght the Yankees, / enlist
ed with the balance Of them, and went
along as first cook and head waiter
for one Of my young masters. / had
apret:y good time, too, For while the
folks were out 6ghting and marching,
and suffering and dying, was laying
back with the meat and bread wagon.
Laughter. ! felt, for once in my
\ life,i wasia pretty good thing to be
- niger after all--for the white man
4 swouldn't let me fight along side oi
81 him, and, after heard the first she'll
sgo of, God knows + wasn't very anx-
y ious to do it either. 2: Renewed laugh.
terry III kasw If 1 had been along on
the Yankee side wouldn't have Shad
such an easy time, for AS selfish as the
Yankee ia, he never objected ITO get.
tiog somebody to do, his feh'ing for
him Whenever, he could. Not he.---
cloud laughter.) Some folks say be
was willing enough to let the South do
itall during the Mexican war. ZAP.
tplauss.1 a4a 81, ersss,e ~
2. ! used 70 be right smartiy amused