The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-23

hogs, and pickle their own PORK. sugar cure
their own hams, eat their own chickens
and make their own butter, cheese. etc.
BE answered: 1--WE could not keep hoes,
chickens, or ANYTHING of the sort here, fhe
niggers steal them ALL" said Yoa
don't blame the governments for that, tIo
you? he replied that they did in part
the negro citizenship, their right to vote,
their falling under the influence of bad po-
litical scalawags, had so demoralized them
that they are worse than they would have
been, and that now they are much worse
OF than they would have been if we, the
white folks, could have exercised legiti-
mate influence over them. 'N
One day fell In with lawyer in the
car was in, and, as he expressed sentl-
ments that / had heard so generally ex-
pressed By others / present him as rep
resentative man: He said, after they were
whipped they thought they would mind
their own business and leave politics alone,
relying on the magnanimity Of the North !;
for ten long years they had endured this
state of things, but now it is so bad that it
is perfectly unendurable.t But be didn't
see what they could do so long as the Mig
ger party was backed by the bayonets Of
the United States army, I'VE cannot fight
the United States army" said he
''we cannot even fight a turkey
gobbler, and our only hope for
justice is in q change Of admins
tration. The estate legislature of Missis
sipDi was composed of two-thirds al ne
groes, and some whites, he said, who were
DID site worse than the niggers they
held all the Offices, they sold the state
bonds ct such discount that they paid
from 20 to 40 per cent interest; their tax
alton was ruinous; the educated. intelli
gent white people had no power whatever
the governor Of the state is a son-in law Of
Ben Butler, and pretty lot of fellows he
brought with him. who went Throughout
the state, promising the niggers anything
and everything if they would vote fol
them: I'VE are your friends--we gave
you liberty" they said to the negroes, and
so the negroes voted these carpet-baggeri
and scalawags in, obnoxious as they are
The governor did not own an acre of LAND
or cent of property 10 the state. Instead
jof the government protecting the freed
men it is the white men who need protec
| ton. aoJ J" .,1,' ''5'
| / asked him what they wanted, what
| thew expected and what did they recon
| mend. He said simply to be let alone and
! we will soon kick out these political cor
morants, these carpet bagging thieves
and then we think the two races Of men
will get on better together
i l said it may be remembered in the
North that you once before asked to be
left alone, but Ihad no such answer te
give, no such rejoinder to make. Ihave
no wish to recriminate. only simply to have
q right understanding Of things, and I dc
not think it right to judge all for the ex
cesses of the few. sid2 f..1
At my outset INTENDED to give the rea.
soning of other gentlemen, but my letter is
getting too long, and / will conclude with
j few more remarks. / think it gray,
mistake to give political power to q people
that are so dreadfully unfit to possess it
1 but having given the ballot we ought no
to seek to use it for sinister party pur
poses think -
i LIST. That the Fifteenth Amendment /.
the source of half the evils that aff1ict tina
unhappy country. r-.--.A =-.vz.a<g r
End. That the races will better adjus
themselves if left alone.
3rd. That the whites must be the-dom
inant race. "a "a E@fE
/ 4th. That the bad state of the South re
/ fleets back upon the East and West, caus
ing diminished demand for their manu-
81 features and produce. =
Il TANK that the argument, that we hd.
II to make the freedmen citizens and voter
r upon principle,i is without force. The bes
, principle to hold to, is that which will Civ
us good-the best government in tn
Estates; individually and united.
: ..a--- -r Jas. g. ag7-' 1.en. j. GEORGE