The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1870-04-29
c.. Z. MERRILL.

Part of Speech, delivered at Carroll
ton, Miss, in May, 1868, by Henry
Boyd, colored, on the subject of the
adoption or rejection of the ScalawaG
Constitution, DISTINGUISHING twenty
thousand of the most intelligent white
citizens of the State, which Constitu-
ton was voted down by the colorcd
vote in June, 1868:
Ny CoLoRED FRIENDS: | appear
here to-day in your interest alone. The
white man is able to take care of him
self; and, as you can all see, have not
one drop of white blood in my veins
[laughter.] am a regular old-fashion-
ed, plain, corn-fcId niger, and have
not the capacity to instruct white pco-
pie as to their duties, even if | had the
will. l was a slave from my BIRTH
always cndeavored to serve my master
faithfully according to that letter OF the
Bible which reads: Servants be ODE
dent unto your masters, for this is
right" And l can lay my hand upon
my heart to-day and say. before God,
that | entertain no ill-will toward any
white man on earth, and least Of all to-
ward my old master and his sons,
whom loved as my own brothers, and
with whom l played in boyhood. In
all our ncighbor hood romps and frolics
and fights (for boys will fght,) they
stood at my back, as | did at theirs, when
ever it came to the pinch laughter /;
and, thank God, will do SO yet. | will
stand by them so long as they stand by
me whether oppression comes from the
Yankees, or from wherever else it may,
Whenever it comes to my making choice
between white men, l shall prefer those
of my own section to all the rpet-bag-
gers in the world. Laughter and APP
plause.] There amt very much differ
ence between white men and Yankees
[laughterl, and wherever you find it all
you'll find it in the whites mans favor.
White folk arc all cut pretty much out
of the same cloth, and both sections
have made their love for the niggers
subserve their own interests, as all men
are selfish by nature and can't help it,
and can't blame them.
When the late war broke out, l am
free to acknowledge, / was mighty glad
of it. | somehow felt that my freedom
was going to come out of it some way or
other, and, as | am, perhaps, as selfish
as white man, tell you l didn't
we'll, didn't cry much at the prospect
Well, when the first company left my
county for 'old Virginny," to fight the
Yankees, l enlisted with the balance Of
them, and went along as first cook and
head waiter for one Of my young mas
tiers. 1 had pretty good time, toe, for
while the white folks were out fighting
and marching, and suffering and dying,
I was laying back with the meat and
bread wagons. Laughter. | felt, for
once in my life, it was a pretty good
thing to be niger after all-for the
white man wouldn't let me fight along
side of him, and, after heard the first
she'll go off, God knows l wasn't very
anxious to do it either. Renewed
laughter.1 l know if | had been along
on the Yankee side wouldn't have had
such an easy time, for as selfish as the
Yankee is, he never objected to getting
somebody to do his fighting for him
whenever he could. Not he. Loud
laughter Some folks say he was will
ing enough to let the South do it all dur
ing the Mexican war. Applause.
/ used to be right smartly amused
hearing the white folks talk. My young
master came in one night after battle,
and says he, "Hcnry, we've just had a
big six hours fight. We whipped the