The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-10-02

tfrOm the Memphis Appeal
, The conduct of the cOlored people since
their emancipation has been mystery to the
Southern whites. During the war the blacks
remained at home, were docile, obcdient and
tractable. When they had SO much to incite
them to instruction they kindly and carefully
took care of the mothers, wives, sisters and
children OF the soldiers who were fighting tor
the perpeiua,lon Of their bondage This kind.
ness made profound impression upon the
whites, who manifested their gratitude toward
the freedmen in acts of reciprocal kindness.
AZ the close of the war the relation between
the two races was one of mutual dependence.
Having been raised togetherl and knowing
that they had to live and die together, they re.
garded their interest and destiny as one and
the same. That reciprocal feeling OF kindness
Isubsistcd between them, without which no
people or community can prosper. But rs
soon as the misunderstanding carpetbaggers
commenced swarming in the South every
thing was changed The blacks turned upon
their white employers, rushed into the loyal
leagues and swore horrd oaths that they would
not vote any other ticket but that which their
new owners and Overseers ordered them to
vote. Race hatreds and antagonisms were the
result But new era Is dawning. After four
teen years, the colOrcd people have discovered
their error In Alabama, Mississippi, South
Carolina and Louisiana they are voting with
their white employers, having learned by ex-
perencc that their interests are idenucal.-
Here in Shelby county where only seventy or
eighty negroes voted with the whites hereto
FORE one thousand colored men marched up to
the polls and voted with the Democrats for the
best men. In a short time there will be no
color line IN the South, and consequently no
race prejudices The blacks are already com
ing to the defence of their slandered friends
and nelghbors. As an evidence of this, we re
fer To the letter below, from the Rosedale
Lsader, which has been incloscd to us by sew
eral leading Democrats of Mississippi with
the request that 1t be published IN the Appeai'
RosEDALE, Aug. 5, 1850.
MIR, EDITOR-l notice in your paper an ar
ticle taken from the st. LOUIS GiObe. Democrat,
stating that five colored families from Bolivar
county had passed through 81. Louis, and that
one Of them was forced to leave here from vio-
lence, bulld0zing etc, from the white people,
leaving his crop to the benefit of the landlord.
Now, Mr.. Editor, Republican as | am, don't
think it right or fair for such slandcrOus re-
ports To 90 out unContradccd rs they do
great I'M ury to our county, ana are calculated
to keep people from settling here. am prob
ably as well acquainted with the people Of this
county as any colored man in il, and | am sat
iSed the Gl0bcDcR0rrut has been mlSCd in
tins matter. | can bear witness to the good
feeling existing between the lW0 races here.
Not Il single case of disturbance has occurred
in the county, and had there been | would
have been informed of it. | am Republican
in principle, and have taken prominent part
in every campaign for SIX or eight years, and
can truthfully say | have never met with
rough or unfair treatment, and don't think
and hope that the Republican party is not so
bad Otf-that leading papers have to publish
such HntOunded statements, as they only serve
to I'M ure the party for all know they are I'M
true. The statements made at Washingt by
Col. Yerger, white Democrat, and by Louis
StubbIefield, a coored Republican, both from
this county, were far just and true history
of the condition of the colored people in this
county | have been in the employ of Demo
Gratis here for years, and was given license
to practice law by Democratic Judge, and
have met with no unkindness from any mem
Der of the bar and they will rank favorably |
with any bar of the same number in the state. |
| have also been employed as a teacher in the |
public schools by Democratic superlntend- !
ent, Col Ierger and have never known any
difference made between Republicans and
Democratic in appointing teachers. | have
been impelled, Mr.. Editor, by what conceive
to be my duty, to deny such reports and be- |
leving that justice demands of me this denial
of wrong done the white people, among
whom live and expect to live, it gives me
pleasure to state that in this county black and
white Republicans and Democrats all get
along smoothly, and all are free to vote and
go where they desire, and unless turbulent and
violent are never interfered with in any way.
Very respectfully, II, l.. RICHARDSON.
I