Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-11-28
TRUTH ABoUT THE s0UTH
TWO wELL-KNowN wGNDHAM COUNTY REruBL- /
GICANs TELL WHAT THEIR ENrEhtENCE HAS I
BEEN AMoNG THE SOUTHERN PEOPLE.


ATLANTA, GA, Nov. gath, 1881
Dear Phpair II have seen considerable
in the papers lately about the attitude Of
southern Democrats towards the northern
people since the election Of Cleveland and
Hendricks, also several clippings from north
ern papers from letters received from their
correspondents in the South go to show
that the negroes are in state o. aUject fear
that the southern white people are going to
put them back into slavery and deprive them
Of all the rights of citizens. In addition to
this have received letter from one Of your
townsmen stating that it is currently report
ed that shall be obliged to leave this coun-
try on account of my being Republican.
Aud Col. Estey, who is now with us, has al
so received letter asking il it is true that
have got to leave Atlanta on account Of be-
ing a northern man and Republican.
Now am not accustomed to writing for
the papers, as you well know. But feel
that ought to do what l can to stop these
false ideas and MUST statements about peo-
pile among whom l now live. / have been
living here now for nearly year, and l see
no reason to believe that any northern man,
be he Democrat or Republican, cannot live
here just as peaceably aud with as free cxer-
else of all his rights as a citizen, as be can in
the North, so long as he behaves himself rs a
decent and law abiding citizen ought. l ex.
press myself here in regard to the Republi-
can party just as strongly as | ever did in the
North. All the avenues of business are open
to all alike-the churches, the schools, every
thing. Nor is northern man ostracsed
from any class of society he sees ht to enter
or is capable Of entering. My stay here has
been very pleasant one so far, aud believe
it will continue so, and l honestly believe
that all the stories ahoat that northern men
are ostracised or in any way deprived Of their
rights as citizens are tissue of fdlsehoods
out of whole cloth-that is, taking them as q
whole There may be some exceptions, and
in such cases perhaps some cause. It passes
my comprehension how sensible people any
where can believe them.
As to the negroes, there was a feeling
amongst the ignorant oues when they heard
that the Democrats had elected their Presi-
dent, that they would try to put them into
slavery again, but think the better informed
ones have told them better, aud the represen-
! tative Democrats have taken great pains to
| inform them that it can't be done. l think
they are satisfied now tina. there will BE- no
trouble, and those have heard express them
selves all say I'VE will try it again 10 elect
a Republican Prssden) in four years
have not had the pleasure of seeing or at
least hearing one of them say he WAS a Dem
ocrat or ever would be, but they are to a man
] Il,,JT I hot ba
gro behaves himself, as ! have no doubt he
will he will get just as much rights as he
has ever had. l think with education
he will keep his place the same as white
men, that is will not try to force himself into
places he Is not fitted for any more than a
white man does. This is what | believe ed
ucation will do for the race. believe the
better class of negroes believe this too, and
and it is only the ignorant who listen to the
idle stories about putting them back into
slavery, and all that nonsense.
trust this will set your readers a! rest
about the condition of the South, in this sec
ton at least. The war is over aud there is
no more danger of its breaking out here on
the old issues than there is in the North and
believe these people are as loyal 10 the In
ion aud as law abiding as any in the aud
am and always have been, as you well know,
Republican, and am sorry that the last
election went against u, but have too much
confidence in the American people to believe
that they will elect any President who will
not administer the government for tbs good
of the country as far as h3 is capable II
not, the party can't cou:iuus in otfi,s mora
than four years. Therefore | am in favor of
putting a stop to this quarrelling and calm z
each other Names and of taking the situa.
ton as it is an1 hoping for better luck next
time. HENRY w. WALKER.