Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-08-17
THE ELECTION IN MEMPHIS.
The OWL RIghfs RiII

munication from colored female CORE
spondent in the City of Pork:
To the Editor of the Commercial:
see by late kilograms from Memphis.
that the recent Shelby county election
has gone in favor of the Conservatives
or Democrats, as they should be called,
Of the darkest and deepest dye, whose
cry has ever been down with the Re-
publican party" down with the negro.
and everything that looks forward to his
elevation among u.s. Yet these very
men can have the impudence to look a
colored man in the face and tell him they
are his best friends
They say more colored votes were
polled for the Democrats than ever be-
fore. This / do not believe. 1t is a
specious falsehood only told for certain
purpose. | do not believe there is a
colcred man in Memphis who has one
spark OF seli-respeet in his bosom who
would vote the ticket. The evening
LEDGER, one Of the meanest sheets pub
lished anywhere, came out in an article
not long since, urging upon white men
who had colored men in their employ to
discharge them, il they voted any other
than the Democratic ticket. In eonse-
quence ofthis great many colored men
refused to vote at all, because they could
not vote as they desired Ever since
the passage of the civil rights bill
in the Senate, every issue of the above
named detestable little sheet was filed
with seditious and riotous language
Colored ladies and gentlemen have
Al
streets with such expressions as How
are you, Civil Rightsl' Say, niger
teacher, are you going to teach in a
white school?' etc. All of which has
been borne with that submission which
has ever characterized the colored peo-
pie Of this country.
Our enemies cay that a great many
Republicans are not in favor of the civil
rights bill Among the most prominent
ones they name Brownlow. OF him we
have little to say; he has betrayed the
trust confded in him by the colored men
of Tennessee. In the future he deserves
only their contempt. God has already
afflicted him in such manner that he
can scarcely talk or walk, and in few
weeks, or months at most, we hope to be
spared further insult from that quarter.
As for those other weakened Republic
cans from Tennessee who voted against
that bill, they will find that when their
time expires they will not return to Con-
gress.
They tell us if that bill is passed ne
groes will want to sit in their parlors,
and marry their daughters. Colored
people will not want to do anything of
the kind. Every mans house is his
castle, and he has perfect right to in
vite there whomsoever he pleases, and
no sensible colored person would think
OF thrusting himself therein unbidden.
For the actions of ignorant colored per-
sons the same allowance should be made
as for the actions of ignorant whites.
But in places thrown open to the public,
such as places Of amusem ent, steam
boats, hotels, cars, etc, al who pay
should have right to enter without any
distinction on account of color. IL is
true in some cases that they have places
set apart for colored people, but such
are always inferior to those prepared for
the whites, and colored ladies Of educa-
ton and refinement are subjected to all
kinds of insult from any worthless,
drunken white man who may choose to
enter.
Nowhere in this country has social
equality been carried on so extensively
as in the South. As general thing the
men who are loudest in denouncing the
civil rights bill are the very ones who
have colored women as mistresses. And
/ believe the reason why they object to
Al
they are afraid that their white and COL
ored children will get too near each
other 1t is no uncommon thing in the
South to find two sets of children, one
colored and the other white, both bear
ing the name of the sane father, who is
white, but their mothers are different.
Many Of US inherit all the pride and
ambition of our Anglo Saxon fathers,
and Just rs soon as we become educated
we feel very deeply the wrongs which
are inflicted upon us. We do not ex-
pect, as some of our enemies say, to
rule this country. We do not desire
any such thing, The very idea is alb
surd But we do expect to enjoy all
the rights and privileges OF American
citizens The Irishman, the Dutchman,
the Frenchman, the Italian, the John
anybody, from whatever
country, can come here, aud alter re-
naming a short time be permitted to
enjoy all the rights Of American citizens,
while the negro, who was born upon
Americas soil, and who has TILED the
same, and who has contributed IN no
small degree to make this county second
to none, is debarred from 4he same.