Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-14

To the Union and American:
Will you please allow me a space in the
columns Of your paper to say few words
in regard TO the Freedman's Savings Bank,
and its workings. also wish to set my
self right as one of the advisory commit
tee of the Nashv Re branch, and as a min
lister of the G,rpl Of Jesus Christ for
over twenty-th &c yrRrs standing In this
community. l ana identified with nv peo-
pie in everything That pertains to their
welfare aud pr,sPriit. They have been
treated badly and many advantages taken
Of their igTCr4nco ly these who pretend to
be their best friendJ IN educational work
and every other way possible they hive
been deceived by those who say that they
have left their homes to help e.. Instead
of helping us, they greatly helped them
selves, These LypOcIiteS have, IL fact,
helped themselves TO Isearly sae-fsurth of
the hard-eaFned savings Of the colOrei peo-
pie Of the SOGth. through the medium Of
the Freedman's Bank.
The Nashville branch was established in
1865. Several cOlOred ministers Cf the
gospel were chosen as members of the ad-
visOry board, among the number several
pastors Of churches, pastors who enjoyed
the esteem, confidence and Christian love
of their congregations. Right here | must
confess that we fell into bad hands. |, for
myself, have watched and cared for my
people ever since the beginning Of the war.
Their interest is my interest; their distress
Is my distress. AftiOng ell the class of men
who try to claim so much love for the
cOlored people L have never yet seen one,
nor found one who was really in favor Of
the elevation Of the black man to the emf
hence of the white man. / have long
since cOnsOled myself with the idea and
conviction that The former stakeholder t1it
gre as good Gdrics aRd come az near
doing the right as any one else, and that
in MANI instances, he lrW do more.
Now, these managers in the Freedman's
Bank have deceived US all. Their aim was
10 deceive in the beginning by being so
eager for colored preachers TO be CONNECTED
with the advisory board, and thus to infiu-
enee their membership and congregations
TO deposit in the bank. Ny confidence in
the Freedman's Bank has never been
shaken until within the past few weeks. /
placed the utmost confidence in the bank,
as did all our cOlOred people, and many
whites, though there are few c0lOred citi-
zens Of this place who have had doubts as
to the good faith Of the bank FOR over three
years and stopped all business connection
with il some time since.
The managers Of this institution have
taken advantage of as and our ignorance.
The parent bank at Washington would reg
ularly send out agents to the branches in
the various Southern cities 10 hold public
meetings in churches and there urge upon
us the advantages Of the bank a q uiiable
and safe place for Our money. These
agents would tell the people that the Cen
eral Government was bound for every dol
lar, and that the bank was perfectly safe.
At the same time, they would invite pas
tors to use their influence in behalf Of the
bank. /. for one. did use my influence in
behalf of the bank. because / thought it to
be safe place for the savings Of the color
ed people. | did everything to encourage
economy, as well as education, morality, in
dustIy and Christianity.
The agents. with their oily tongues,
proved the bank TO he the "geNest educd-
tor for the colored people. as they Lad
Just been emancipated. In 1911 Rev. j.
W. AiyOri, President Of THE bank, got me
to call a meeting in my church (the First
Colored Baptist). that he might speak Il
nv people. The advisory board and about
seven hundred people assembled AZ the ap
pointed time. | introduced Mr.. Alvord
who commenced by saving:
L sometimes preach, hVt nov will tall
TO you about banks. You ask me. is the
bank safe? I'll ak you, Is Uncle SdH
sdfel (many voices-"Ges, he is safe An
other vOice-~Can the bank break?) III
dHsloer you by asking, can you break In
Gle SAINT (Cries Of'NO, NOr) Than goa
can Rere7 break this bank. You can break
Uncle Sam just as soon az you can bredL
this bank. Ecery dollar Of this bank q
infested IN United States Bonds. tool
a look over her bonds just before l lief
Washington.
Mr.. Alvari is a preacher, and | am one
also. want the world and all mankind L
know that have now found out that Rev
j. ". AlvOrd stood up in my pulpit anC
told lie, thereby fOoling many, and in
creasing the confidence Of all present in TIM
bank. Unless he repents of this sin (Which
is a great sim, hell IciH be his home.
Now, after their pockets were filled ant
it was seen that the bank was about to g
through, Mr.. AlvOrd resigns. Hon. Fred
erick Douglass, who was placed at its head
soon saw its awful condition.
In the long run, depOsitOrs may ge'
something; but, whatever they do get, they
nav thank Frederick Douglass for hi:
wide-knOwn integrity and honesty OF pur'
pose.
Out of nearly two thousand depositors II
this branch, l can safely say, from the siz'
of my congregation, which is about sixteeI
hundred, that One-fourth of the dePositor'
are from this direction. Now, you know
they must look al me as having told a trutl
or a falsehOOd, so l make this explanation
am, your obedient servant,
A. G.. MERRY,
Pastor First Colored Baptist Church, Nash
vile, Tenn.