Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-05-28
BROWNLOW on CIVIL RIGHTS.

Senator Br0WnlOW has written Il long pOlC-
ical address to the people of Tennessee, in re-
sponse to certain resolutions passed by the
Nashville Convention of colored men, charg-
ing him with betraying the interests of that
race. These are the pregnant paragraphs OF
the address:
have done all these things for the colored
race, without owing my election to it, or hav-
ing the remotest idea of ever being a candi-
date for its votes or support. I have acted
from sense Of duty and because Of a sincere
and unselfsh desire to ameliorate its condi-
ton. I do not refer to my services to the
colored people by way of apology for my op-
position to mixed schools. My position on
this question is the result of mature delibera-
ton. 1t has the approval Of my judgment
and conscience, and sooner than apologize for
it or recede from it would see every politi-
cal organization in the land "go the way of
Wards ducks" and every politician buried
without hope Of resurrection.
So far from betraying the colored people or
violating any pledges to them, as msolently
and falsely charged by delegates in this Nash.
Vile Convention, who seem to have reversed
Taney's decision and proclaimed, in substance,
that's white man has no rights which a negro
is bound to respect, I have, since attaining
power as Governor and Senator, done far
more for the colored race than | was ever
committed or pledged to do, and more than
they had right to demand, in view of
the issues Of the canvass upon which / went
into Office.
And now, because I adhere to principles of
practical utility, instead of running wild after
distractions, am denounced as recreant to
duty and pledges If the members of the
late colored convention can afford to present
to the world such evidences of base ingruti
tude to myself, who have done more for them
than any other Tennesseean, can well afford
to be Indifferent to their abuse and despise
their threats 1t will not injure ME, nor does
it afford me any solicitude, except in SC far as
the bad blood engendered between the races
by such conduct and such spirit as charac-
terized the proceedings of that convention will
tend to their injury, the destruction Of the
common school system and the detriment Of
society and good government.
True, it may he said, the Republican party
in Tennessee cannot get along without the
support of the colored voters. TO this reply,
if it had not been for the Republican party,
there would be no colored voters. Second,
the Republican party can get along without
the colored voters as well as the coored voters
can get along without the Republican party.
And third, the $4,000 white Republican vo-
ters of East Tennessee have resolved to get
along without the colored voters sooner than
submit to this sum Of villainies and quintes
sence of abominatiou, known as the ''co.edu-
cation of the races"
My only hope for the future prosperity of
the colored people Of Tennessee consists in
the belief that the mass of them will repudiate
the abominable programme so insolently put
forth at Nashville Let them remember that
they now have, in separate schools, equal ed
ucational facilities with the whites. Let them
remember that the taxes with which these
schools are supported are contributed almost
exclusively by the white people of the State
that the money does not come from the Fed
eral Government at Washington. Let them
remember that thousands of the property
holders of the State, Of the political party to
which they are in opposition, have aided in
establishing our present school system, and
without the support of this class, in co6pera-
tion with their white political associates, it
could not have been established.
Let them also remember that it is not a
question as to whether we will have mixed
schools, but whether we shall have any sys-
tenn of public instruction at all. For it is
not in the power Of forty Congresses to estab'
lish this mixed school system in Tennessee.
If the Civil Rights Bill should pass without
the mixed school feature being stricken out,
the whole school fabric of Tennessee will at
once fall to the ground, as it will deserve to do.
Then the expenses Of the education of their
children, if they are educated at all, will be
borne by themselves, and not by the white
people, as they now are.
W. G. BROWNLOW