The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-02-05

friends supposed that Lincoln's proc
lamatlon ever contemplated the i'm
mediate elevation of the ex-slave to
place and power that meant the hu-
mutation, not only of the negro's
best friends, but the destruction of
that reliance which was the most i'm
portant element in the remaking of
this Southland.
would ever have signed a paper in
which he could have foreseen such a
saturnalia of wickedness as reigned
over the South during the days of re,
construction? A period of our history
that every man who remembers it
would gladly blot out if he could. No
it would have been better for THAI
great heart to be still in that noble
breast than know that an instrument
of his making could be so construed
as to produce such a condition in the
land of his birth. God was merci'fu.
in taking him from such a scene. He
never intended it. No! Not that man
whose tender heart held no malice
And, like the Master of Galilee. he
taught love of ones enemies.
A Touching Incident
"Please excuse this seeming digres
sion. | remember we'll, as if it was bu,
yesterday, when old mistress came in
20 the kitchen and told nv mother:
Aunt Jane, you are free. AS free
as | am. And you can go.'
"She wore large gray shawl, ano
as she turned to go I saw tears on her
pale cheeks. My mother caught holG
of her shawl and with streaming ewes
said:
Miss Jennie, where shall l 90?
What shall I do? l have nine chill.
dren, and | know no one but you. Why
eve were all crying now.
"'Oh, no, Aunt Jane, she said, you
need go nowhere. You can stay right
here if you wish, and as long as
have crust of bread you and your
shall eat. l will pay you
what wages I can. And as long as 7
live and you stay, if you suffer I will
suffer too.
owe stayed and she did suffer much
more than we. This scene was at the
moment being enacted in thousands
of homes all over this broad land
Those words were as the star of Beth
lehem on that dark night to every
negro then on the plantations of the
South, as he stood dumfounded at see
ing old mistress in tears.
DenOunces Carpetbaggar
"And when old master came to his
home from the war, he
said amen to every word that old
mistress had said. And all was well.
until the carpetbagger came and, with
his damnable practices, preaching and
promises, Matched the hell into which
the South was plunged from '65 to '76
and out of which the negro came reft
of the friendship and help of those
whom he knew and who knew him.
those whom he loved and who loved
him. And the scamp fled with his ill,
gotten gains to safer quarters and
left us to shift the best we could and
meet the storm of an outraged man
hood. Today I wish you to celebrate
the release of our friends from a
worse slavery, more CALLING yoke,
than we ever wore. And let US cele-
brate by returning to our first and
best love, and let us join hearts and
hands with them and sing with all the
soul:
"T never will leave or forsake thee
Where you live l will live, your God
shall be my God,
And where you die there will I BE-
buried.
The Real Freedom
'If this celebration shall mean this
to US, then long we shall have oc-
- Il, l..
the only kind of blow that we may
strike which will mean liberty and
freedom. 1t is in this way, and in this
way only, will the negro in America
ever be free. Let us first free the
white man from the impressions we
made on him under vicious leadership
of false friends,an then we may hope
for him to free us from the bonds
which our own hands have welded
about our feet. And not until that dav
arrives can we have an emancipation
celebration that will mean anything.
"Let us regain the love which we
forfeited for the few political husks
on which we fed, and that love will
make us free. At present / think W.
are foolish for celebrating an event
which has meant nothing to us but
humiliation, persecution and alena-
ton, degradation, obloquy, scorn and
contempt. We are celebrating an
event that has never taken place. and
you know it as well as l. But some
things did take place on that memo
rable first day of January. The ruined
Southern white man gave us homes
and food He fed us when hungry