The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-05-12

olIiia, ana Wneh ! say every citizen l q
noI Ilnilt OF quarry the expression.
can every man Car0llnIan, Whethe
hS - "htSc ~ oidch' WhrLhef lie Is Dor
hete' a. !lie NoFtl1' or III Europe, who
So'u ci'iItH anu mas IIe interests q
Ile 9ta'e a' hearl' ana ne Is entitled I
an the pLoctect1"n tiat tnt laws OF tn
S!aIe IN" OF tle Chl'ed states can CIV
hlh' lam pleugtd 10 Ia!Iiii every prom
! lse made Ill the last canvass. lean 0nl
DO that II the people OF South CarolIn
VIII htip me-. can 90 nothInS o! my
self. may Indicate to the leglsIatHr
what consider proper course for then
to pursue, but 1t Is for them tomake tn
laws. My dut.J Is to execute them, ant
| your duty Is to send the best men to tb'
legislature, irrespective ut race or party
Select no man tor public office who i
| not TIT t0 bill the position, | care not VIVA
may be his politics or his race. Make
| It your rule that you Will place no man
III office unless re Is competent. If yor
elect good men to make the laws,
| pledge to you my honor that those laws
| Shall be framed, so as to place every
man ana woman OF both races and par
Ties on an equalfo0tIng before the law
we have just passed through an tX-
citing and bitter contest: IT my voice
cOnld reach every man IN South Carolina
II could impress it upon them as feel
1t myself, II we wish to consult the best
Interests of the State, if we want to
bnlid up and bring peace and prosperity
back to her sunny fields, | would say
to one and all, forget for a while at
least all about politics and devote your
selves to the material Interests OF the
State. 30 to work ; resolutions Will dc
nothing; public meetings will do moth
hGieVefy man should place ms shoulder
TO the wheel he must go to work resO-
iutGly, honestly, earnestly, and boldly
III the dlscharge OF ms duty to 0l1ng back
harmony ana unanlmlty between the
races OF the south.
know, my friends, you can do 1t. |
tell you, my colored teIIoW-cltlzens, that
nave not one particle or feeling OF Ill
VIII against single lndiVlduaI OF your
race, ana IL SO happeneq that the hrst
commission that Issued AS governor or
the otate OF South Caroilna was Issued
10 coI0red man, ana hepuollcah at
that. When ! was III Washington, a
colored republican, an eX-ot1lce- holder
OF TINS state, PROFESSOR 0reener, OF the
State University, came 10 me ana asked
IoF afecolllmendatloh; toid MN that
"o"'N "0U 7V'''S " H''' t"'"" NY
rec0mmehdatlon would be to hlnl, but
upon bis renewing his request L gave
INN letter. and L told the President
That had not intended to give any
OF the late admlnlstra-
ton IN South Carolina, but as Greener
was colored man, mad voted TOR Hayes
ana stumped the state Tor rChamOerlaln,
thought | could afford TO make anneX-
ceRtion to his case.
What L say to you here L wish every
man TO repeat. L only say to you, judge
the ADMINISTRATION by Its acts. L don't
want you to become Democrats or Con-
servatlVeS. | ask you to forget all about
polltIcs, ana only want the support OF
those men IN South Carolina who be-
ileVe that am Standing on the constl-
tutloh, ooeylhg the laws ana Keeping
my oatn TO see Juseice G"ne TO every
man III oouCi Garolllla. nave the rlght;,
as governor OIL the state TO ask that.
nave Iile rlSht TO appeal 10 the people
wl10 l, nave electea me- ana ash them TO
nold up ny hahqs as long as l am DONG
[igllt' W men am dolh2-Erong, let
tneul turn tllGil oacks upon, me- II
VIII WINE men ana olack men VIII 90 thls
|tlu tly 3n9 IoIset an tile allllhoSlIy en-
ohiueiIu ttl'- Ti;II uulln t,ie Past slruTSle IL