Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-08-29
THE COLORED PEOPLE.
Interesting Letter from "a Friend" TO
the COlOFed PeopIe-R. Lewis and
w. J. Smith shown Up.

MIR. EDWARD SHAW have seen
two communications from you in the
APPEAL recently, which show plainly
that you have lost all confidence in W.
j. Smith. -Four years ago you were his
most Jealous supporter for Congress. Ifit
had not been for your zeal and influence,
he would have retired from the contest
and left the field to Mr.. Mum, never
having a chance TO occupy a seat in
| Congress by Brownlow's very doubtful
certificate. You thought he was the
great champion ofyour ace You would
not believe the evidence that he had re-
sisted every effort in the Legislature to
extend and secure your rights, until it
became manifest that your votes would
control elections in this Congressional
district. Then he delivered a speech,
written by the correspondent of the Gin
cinnati Gazette exalting your race above
all others, and you thought you had
a friend for whom you could never
do enough to show your gratitude.
Do you not think this is a good time to
pause and reflect a little?, Do you not
know that the only argument which
overcome the repugnance of BrownlOw
and of the East Tennessee Republicans
to your Acknowledgement was the fact
that your votes would keep them in
power? twas hard work to bring them
up to the point, even with this motive.
They always called you Triggers" and
had no more idea that you had rights,
and had no more regard for your well
fare than they ever had. You have not
sufficiently distinguished between those
who suddenly became your pretended
friends when your votes could give
them office, and those lifelong friends
of yours who demanded your right be-
cause God and the Declaration of hide
pendenee had ordained. Think a mo-
ment. See how timid an advocate
you had in General Eaton, who
refused the publication in the Post
of every article favoring your en-
reimbursement until it wa an accom-
plished fact. Do you suppose Barbour
Lewis cares anything for you only as far
as your votes can assist him to retain
power and get new and better offices?
Do you not remember how he avoided
voting for you on some himsy pretense,
although it was acknowledged by all
that you were the equal of any member
of that Board of Commissioners in abil-
ity and integrity? / do not wonder that
your people sometimes mistake their
Friends, bat ii seems to me you have had.
lessons enough to. begin to discriminate.
There have been champions of your race
through long years of obloquy and oppo-,
sition. They stood alone. They bore.
abuse and reviling for your sake, but
they did not falter, because they, had
planted themselves upon the right. Mr..
Sumner is n of these triends.5 Mr..
Greeley is another. They are tried and
proved. When Brownlow took the
trouble to go TO Philadelphia and
argue that you were fit for nothing
but slaves, Greeley and Sumner were
rcontending that you were men, and enti-
tied to the rights of man Are you
grateful if you turn your back on these
men, who are the real authors Of your
freedom? Are Smith, Barbour Lewis
and Brownlow to occupy a higher place
in your regards because they want your
votes to give them office, than these
old champions of yours who took their
lives in their hands for your sake, be-
cause they believed they were contend
ing for justiceT For myself, I think it
will be a sad and disgraceful spectacle
If the cOlored race are induced to join
the unprincipled rabble of ofaee-holdeTsI
in traducing the best friends they ever
had. 1t will furnish the most powerful
argument that they are not worthy of
the exalted privileges which have been
conferred upon them. l have addressed
you because you can understand these
Think it is time your peoplej
took a higher place in politics than to
the willing tools of demagogues,
to give office to worthless mem
a FRIEND TO YOUR RACE.