Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-09-17
A SENSlb- ~ A'"'
Major W. ]. Sykes to the COlOred People
Of Maury COunty-He Tells
Them HOme-Truths.
There Ought Not to be Race Conflict
The Interests Of the Whites and
Blacks are Id dentical.

Special TO the Appeal
SPRING BILL, MAURY COUNTY, Sep
tember 16.-MAior w. J. Sykes spoke
here to-day to the colored people, who
gathered in large numbers to hear him
and paid him the closest attention. He
said:
To you, my colored friends, wish to make
few remarks specially. When say my col
ored friends, mean exactly what say. Be
fore the war was the owner OF slaves. They
are now free, and am not here to gfieve or
complain at their freedom and my loss OF
property. have toward them the most kind
ly feelings, and have every reason to believe
they entertain similar feelings toward me. As
IL is with me, it is with nearly, IL not quite,
all the former shareholders OF the south. Your
| freedom was one of the results, or rather one
| of the accidents OF the late war. Neither party
| Is entitled 10 your particular gratitude. The
Republicans did not begin the war to secure
your freedom; nor did Jney prosecute 1t for
any such purpose, If their dec arations are to
be believed. Could they have restored the
Union without the abolition of slavery,
they would have done SO during the
| nrst three years Of the war. The persist
ence OF the southern states in what was
called the rebellion resulted in your eman
| cipation- From this statement OF facts,
| which is true, 1t appears that your freedom
was one OF the accidents of the war, and not
| the purpose Of either party 10 the cOntest.
You are free, and all parties, at the north and
| at the south, are pledS cd to maintain all your
| rights. 1 am aware that you have been told
| that the Democrats, and especially the south
| ern Democrats, wish to deprive you of your
| rights and some go so far a TO say they wish
| to place you again in bondage. TIE men who
| make such ex pressiOns know them 20 bo un-
| true They presume upon what they cor slider
your Ignorance, anu their OBJECT Is, py huch
| statements TO control your votes and to use
| you as machines for their own Depe1t. Tne
! fact that you have for years voted, without
| lSI or hindrancs, in opposition to your en-
pIoSers and to the men on whose land you
| five and cultivate, shows that you are undls-
| turbed in the exercise OF the voting pTlvi-
| ieca No man here or elsew mere in the
| so1thern states, proposes TO isterfere in the
| sIightest degree with your voting. and al
assertions TO the contrary are intended for
political efHert. We desire the utmost har-
nony and good feeling between the races.
| Our Interests are our interests, Laws " hich
| ipjure US inIure you. We are all alike inter
| est.sd in Q good, cheap aid honet govern
ment. am aware that many OF the Leaders
| OF the Republican party are :rying TO stir u p
strife and create distui Dances between the
| eulored and white races OF the soutn, because
thew think they can make political capital
| out OF these unfortunate feuds. do not say
that such are the purposes OF the whole Re-
| who, think, would scOrn Gnd despise such
| conduct, and vino would frown upon all at
tempts TO get up collisions between the races
| Win ndiguation and dis ust But that such
ara the purposes Of certain leaders OF the he
publican psrty at the north, a some OF the
soufh is ev deut from their speeches aud
all their articles. We must guard against 1t.
W. must cult vate peace VIII each other and
promote harmony and good feeling among
the benefits OF said government, or the evils
Of mtsrule, IN one aud the same country.
What good can strife and contention 90
either you er usf How will IL benefit either
you or us, If, by the loss OF your lives or OF
ours, votes may be made for the Republican
| party In the northern StateG7 II we diheT in
pclilcal sentiment, let us bear and forbear
with sa0h other, and disappoint those who
expect to gain or retain political power by sn-
| gent eTipg i'll will and strife between Us, The
constitution M de by the Tennessee Demo
Gratis in 1870 secured TO you the right Of voting
| and all other rights. That constitution, by
its [ .o1sand dollar exemption clause, saves
most Of you from State taxation ihe poll
: tsXes are devoted 10 purposes OF education,
Of which your children enjoy the benents
I the legislature OF Tennessee, which has
been Democratic since 1870, has established d
q public school system of which your chill
dTen receive the benefits as well as the white
) children. You enjoy, under Democratic rule
Z in Tennessee, the same political rights and
ths same educational advantages that youI