New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-05-23
Letter from Georgia.
AUGUSTA, April, 1872,

AUGUSTA, April, 1872.
To the Editor Of The Nep National Era:
Senator Hill, i'm his speech as reported in
the Globe" of the Goth instant, after ex-
tolling the intelligence, character, &C., of a
certain cOlored man he met on the cars. takes
occasion to allude to certain other colored
man in his own State" possessing less than
one-eighth African blood whom the. Demo-
Gratis of the Legislature of 1863 failed to expel
on that account, and who holds a prominent
position, &C., clearly referring to me, as l
am the only man whom the Democrats failed
to exclude in 1868, that holds at present a
prominent position.
As to the quantity of African blood in my
veins, desire to state that it is no fault of
mine that have not more, and, if blame is
to be attached to any one, think it should
be to certain schoolmate and intimate friend
Of Mr.. Hill, who had more to do with the
matter than 1 had. 1t is true that the Demo-
Gratis did fail to exclude me from the Leeis-
lature, but page 229 of the Journal of the
Georgia House Representatives for 1868 will
show that the motion to separate us from
other colored men was made by Mr.. O'Neal,
Of Lowndes county, and against the earnest
protest Of Mr.. Beard and myself. 1t was
made by the Republicans by reason of an old
statute supposed by them to have been am
nulled by the adoption of the constitution of
1868, for the purpose of delaying and OBJ
structing the Democrats in the consummaton
of their unlawful act, and accepted by the
Democrats, that they might make the ulti-
mate exclusion of the three excepted ones
the more humiliating. They reached Mr..
Boards case and expelled him on the last
day Of the session, and would have expelled
Mr.. Davis and myself, law or no law, at the
next session, had not General Grant been
elected in the interval between the two ses-
sions.
1t is also true, as Mr.. Hill alleges, that 1
have stopped at hotels, and do now, but
hayenever proclaimed, while boarding at such
places, that was either white or colored
man, but have left my status to be determined
by the class Of people whose peculiar virtues
have resulted in producing such an anomaly
as myself.
I do not think that Senator Hill would be
guilty Of alleging what is not true about any
one, especially an humble individual like N.Y.
self. 1 have too high regard for the char
acter of Mr.. Hill to entertain such thought
for moment, but when he charges that l
passed for a white man until these troublous
times suggested to me that there was profit
in being colored man, must at least say
that some one has imposed upon the Senator
and misinformed him respecting me. If going
where 1 pleased and taking advantage Of
and to which believe every man entitled,
without informing people as to my race, but
allowing them to draw their own deductions,
is passing for a white man, then am guilty
Of that charge. Mr.. Hill must have omnis-
Gent power to divine that embraced the
cause of my race because "there was profit
in being a colored man." The discovery of
the secret motives which actuate the conduct
of men, has been hitherto power which was
supposed to rest alone with the Almighty.
Ifprompted merely by mercenary principles,
would have found it immensely more profit
able, when once recognized and known as a
white man, to have continued to pass as one,
as the smallest acquaintance with the politi-
cal history of Georgia will at once disclose.
Take the matter of Federal offices in this
State. Eighteen positions pay more than
two thousand dollars per annum. The Re-
publican vote is about 10000 colored and
10000 white-these mainly in the northern
part of the State, where there are few, if any,
negroes. Yet there is but one colored man
in the State holding one of these positions,
and that man myself, and secured not through
the influence of men had helped to place in
power, but by an agency outside of Georgia.
Take the case of this Congressional Dis
colored-so Ear as the Republican vote is con-
cem-every white Republican being in office
except one, and he having two brothers who
are now holding positions, and having been
only short time out of Office himself.
make these statements merely to prove to
Mr.. Hill that if l ever was white man il
would have been vastly more advantageous
(pecuniarily) for me to have remained so
But principle has ever been my guiding star
Born slave, but reared by an abolitiOnist-
underground railroad mani was early
taught the doctrine of the equality of all men
drew my inspiration in early life from Sum
ner, Douglass, Phillips, Garrison, Puryis
and the host of noble heroes who fought 70
the abolition Of slavery. am charged will
being "pet' of Senator Sumner. If Mr.
Hill means by that that 1 am devotedly at
tached to the noble champion Of the right
Of my race, he is correct, and where is th'
colored man--lct him have more or less thai
one-eighth African blood-who does not re
we're and love Charles Sumner? If he mean
that 1 am particular favorite of Mr.. Sum
ner, am indeed glad to be informed of tina
fact, for then even the distinguished Georgi
Senator might esteem it an honor to b
his pet.
1 am called an "agitator." feel prou
of the title if, by agitating the wrongs sui
fered by my race, 1 can aid in securing tn
passage of a bill that should commend itse
20 the intelligent support Of every true love
of ,-.stice and liberty. b.