The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-11-17
[From the Toledo Blade
Mr.. VaIIandigham to the COIOred VO.
ters-SOund Advice.

/ LeES-SOuu0 AuV1ces
Thefollowing were Mr. Vallandigham's
remarks, addressed, al the Democratic
celebration in. Dayton. Ohio, October u,
1870. to the colored voters, of whom quite
a number were present:
And now allow me word ia our new
| ly made voters of African descent. I
have no apologies to make, tonight for
| anything in opposition to them which I
may have said IN times past-nothing now
to take back. My opinions upon the
| question of negro suffrage and equality
remain unchanged. Loud applause But
you have in fact, at least, been made citi-
zehs and voters, and recognize the fact.
Some Of you speak of me as an enemy of
your race. This is not correct. Individ-
| ually have been your friend. l have
| taken you by the hand when your now
white Republican friends Stunned and
cursed you. AT my doors some of you
| have received that charity, in years past,
which was denied you at the hands of
your abolition friends, so-called. TCries,
that's so; we know it. u No colored man
ever asked a personal favor of me for
years past, and was denied and as well
before you had suffrage conferred upon
,
IN court or against a mob quite as willing
ly and as earnestly as any other man
But my opinions as to the question of con-
ferring political rights upon you in this
country were honestly entertained and
! candidly and strongly expressed. Yet if
you shall prove yourselves worthy of these
rights and capable of exercising them as
good citizens, will then very cheerfully,
and IN man-lke manner, publicly confess
myself mistaken. Your future is in your
own hands. But remember that you do
not hold the balance of power in this
county, nor IN this district Loud cheers
You cannot control things by your votes.
Numbering several hundred voters here
you are yet rather a source of weakness
than OF strength to the Republican party.
And you owe nothing to that party, ex-
cept the mere right to try the experiment
OF suffrage. They did not confer it upon
you for your sakes, but for their own as
gartlsans and demagogaes loud cheersl
They wanted your votes TO put themselves
INTO office and keep themselves IN power.
Beyond this they care nothing for you.
lCrles OF that's so; you're right"l The
mass OF you were personal slaves, or the
descendants of slaves in the South before
and during the war. At the point of the
oayonet they freed you, only now to make
you, II you submit, political slaves for
their own profit and advancement. And
now l, who owe You nothing, and to
whom you owe less than nothing political
~, warn you not to organize as a colored
party Beware of threatening or attempt
ing to make all of your own race act and
vote as distinct body. If you do, then
be assured that sooner or later the white
WI
and here we are as twenty to one. In
political struggle we can oVerwhelm YOU.
In a contest of arms-in a war of races, if
you provoke tive can crush out and ex-
terminate yOn. Wherefore be wise in
time. The Irish do not vote in body
neither do the Germans nor the Ameri-
cans born and be assured that a negro
party" Will bring forth white mans
party. And not long after will come vio-
fence and bloodshed; and Judge Crane is !
dead, and General Schenck has nhw nei- |
ther law office nor house in this city or
district where you can find refuge. Laugh |
ter. If you would prove yourselves wor-
thy to be and remain citizens, separate, !
divide politically and otherwise, as other |
citizens do. Identify yourselves with the |
community in which you live. Refuse to |
be made the slaves and tools of dema-
gogues and when thus you shall have
established your fitness for citizenship. no |
one will ever attempt to deprive you Of its
rights. Remember that /, who speak |
these words, owe you nothing, and you
owe me nothing; but right or wrong, |
wisely or unwisely, you have been forced |
upon US as citizens, and I counsel you now |
as such: You may harken to me or not, |
Just as 1t may please you; but be assured |
that the time will come when you will say |
that | counseled you most wisely and we'll |