American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-08-02
CORRESPONDENCE.

| SO ITtte as W fefniHu us Vi II CerIdiii
small boy, who, after listening 10 a
discussion between two disputants,
being Intercepted by the paterfam-
ilias as to which had the better of
it, replied he did not exactly know,
but n certain one grew very angry
and red in the face. To this man
of such assinine tastes, we will give
few quotations from his favorite
author:
''Out, you mad-headed ape!
A weasel hath not such deal of spleen
AS YOU are tossed with"
But
"By the gods!
You shall digest the venom of your spleen,
Though it do split yon! for, from this day
I'll use you for my mirth-yca, for very
laughter,
When on art waspish."
After assuring you, Sir, that dia-
tribe, buncombe and fury are not
arguments, and that you will al>
ways find us ':cheek by jowr' with
men who possess merit enough not
to be afraid of clean deal, and
who have good taste sufficient to
keep them from saying that "with
the aspirants for office before the
late convention, it we're impossible
to make a bal selection" when the
author was one of the most anxious
aspirants, we bid you and your vul-
garity adieu. and proceed to more
weighty matters.
Friends and country men, believe
me when l tell you that the present
will be one of the most momentous
epochs in your history. You have
but one party in Your midst, which
is an anomalous position in the hiss
tory of government, and it cannot
long exist. You have the negro
element, fixed and undeniable
political factor, also to deal with
heretofore antagonist to your party.
Your material interests compel you
to desire the continuance of this
element in your State. Now, out of
these heterogeneous materials you
are to evolve victory and prospect
ty. Think you, then, moderation,
aud cool, well poised
heads are not requisite Federal
power has made the negro what he
is. and this you cannot and ought
not to undo, for he has the right to
acquire property, which you tax. II
you deny him franchise, you violate
a fundamental principle of republi-
can institutions, taxation without
representation, besides outrage com
mon justice.
We have no desire to thrust the
negro forward unduly, or demand
more than the abstract right his pc
sitiol entities him to. No man, of
any color, should fill an office, ex>
cept by virtue of merit and capa-
bility. We ask you, however, calm
ly, honestly, who turns the burrows
of the broad acreage of your staple
product, and if you can find an ade-
quate substitute for this labor any
where on the face of the earth 2 DO
you not want even more than You
have, to occupy your now waste
placesf But, forscOtIi, We are told
by professional writer's and speaks
ers, that 1T is ssDemocratic doctrine
of the first water" to reduce the
of our present labor, and
to eradicate all impress of it's exist
ence from our institutions. Is not
this little too chryst5line for you,
people of the country, who hold
large agricultural interests, and live
alone by the fruits of this labor, and
not by income the result of prOfes,
sional services? Did you ever stop
to think what you would do if it
we're all gone? You must ksoon
meet this issue, politically aud Fl
nancialIy. Then meet it now, if
you are wise, by assembling on the
fourth instant with the more moder
ate and thoughtful of your people,
and devise means to retrieve the
errors already committed. 1T you
10 not, you leave this element prob
ably to the manipulation of un>
infuences-which, if it
loes nothing more, perpetuates
strife and financial stagnation.
We counsel no man to be false to |
lis party or trusts, but to be true to
himself and his country. l ask no
avors of any man, convention, or
,artr but am actHated solely by
he interest l feel in the county that
ave me birth, and whose soil and
Welfare l hold as dear and sacred as
my man who b:eatbes the free air
# heaven within it's confines. l
Vould do nothing to disturb the re-
'ose of her mothers or the slumbers
f her infants.
We should insist upon the incom-
ng Legislature repeating al! regis
ration Laws now in force, and sub