The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-09-03
from the Memphis Appeal.

The conduct OF the colored people since
their smaucipation has been . mystery TO
| the Southern whites. During the war the
blacks remsined nc home. were docile,
obedient and tractabls. When they had
| no much to incits thsm 60 insarrectien
they kindly and carefully took care of the
mothers. wires, sisters and children of the
soldiers who were fighting for the perpet-
iuatton of their bondage. The kindness
made q profound Impression upon the
whites who manifested their gratitude
toward the freedmen in acts of reciprocal
|kfndnssssos AT the close of the war the
rsiation Between the two races was one of
mutual dependence. Having been raised
and die together. they regarded their
interest and destiny an one and the same,
ThatFeciprocai feeling of kinduess SUBJ
sisted between them. without which no
people or community can prosper. But
as soon as the misunderstanding carpet
bagEers commenced swarming In the south
everything WAS changed. The blacks
Turned upon their white employers, rushed
into the loyal Leagues and swore horrid
oaths that they would not vote any other
ticket but that which their new owners
and ogeFseers ordered them to vote. Race
hatreds and antagonisms were rte result.
But new.e is dawning, After fourteen
years. the eolored people have discovered
their error. La Alabama. Mississippi,
South Carolina and Louisiana they are
voting with their white employers. having
learned By experience that their interests
are identified. Here in Shelby county,
where only seventy or eighty negroes
voted with the whites heretofore. one
thousand colored men marched up to the
polls and voted with the Democrats for
the best men. In short time there will
be- mo color line in the South, and couse-
#quently no race preiudices. The blacks
are already coming TO the defence of their
slandered friends and neighbors. As an
evidence OF this, we refer to the letter
below, from the RosedaIe Leader, which
has been inclosed TO MS by several leading
Democrats of Mississippi. with the
request that it be published in the Appeal;
u % RosEDALE. Aug s., 1880
MIR. .EDIToR-I notice in your paper an
srticle taken from the st. Louis Globe
Democrat. stating that Eve eoiored fami-
lies from Bolivar county, had passed
through st. Louis. and that one OF them
WEE forced TO leave here from violence.
buildozing. etc., from the white people,
leaving bis crop to the benefit OF the land
lord. Now. Mr.. Editor. Republican rs
am. / don't think il right or fair for such
slanderous reports to go out uncoHtFadlett
cd as they do great injury TO our country
and are calculated to keep. people from
settling here. [ am probably as well &C
uuainted with the people of the country
az any colored man in il, and / am
satisfied the Globe Democrat has been
misled in this matter. can bear witness
60 the good feeling existing between the
races hero. Not single case OF distur-
bauce has occurred in the country. and had
there been would have been informed OF
il. AIM Republican in prlneiplss and
have taken prominent part in every cam
paigu or six or eight ysarg, and can
truthfuiy say have never met With rough
or. unfair treatment. aud don't think
and I hope that the Republican party 10
mot 30 bad of that leading papers have
to publish such unfounded statements. az
they only serve to iniure the party, for all
know they are untrue. The statements
made at Washington By Col. Yerger, q
white Democrat. and by Louis Stubble-
field. colored Republican. both from this
country, were fair, just and true history
of the condition Iof the coIored people in
this country I have been in the employ
of the Democrats here for years. and was
given a license to pratisa law by Demo-
cratic Judge, and hare met with no un-
kindness from any member OF the bar.
and they viii rank favorably with any bar
of the same numbersin the state. | have
also been em pleyed as g teacher 10 the
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