Year: 1869

AS t0reShad0Wed Dy US N our issue OF


Friday, the Maryville Republican-the
| only paper in the State owned and con-


trolled by colored men--on yesterday


struck the Stokes colors and run up the
flag of Senter and universal suffrage.


1t is proper to state the paper has here


tofore been under the editorial manage


ment of white Radicals, although the
property of the present owners. Hith-


erto, it has zealously supported Stokes.
Having relieved themselves of their edi-
torial encumbrance, the proprietors, w.
B. Scott s. Co., proceeded at once to


make the paper conform to their own


views of political honesty and propriety.


The Republican is well filled with ex>


cellent editorial matter. The editor is


WE. Scott, Jr, who is well educated


and quite accomplished, and deferential


in his manners. Neither Scott the elder,


nor Scott, Jr., is negro Importation"
but both are native East Tennesseans


Their address to the people of their own
race is manly and well considered docU-
ment, and is one of the best things of the
kind we have read in any journal. 1t
should be carefully studied by every
colored voter in the State 1t is as fol-
lows:


CoLoRED VOTERS.


You who have so nobly earned your
birth-right of freedom, remember that
passion and prejudice never brought
about your enfranchisement. Some of
the very same Republicans who voted to
relieve you of your disabilities are now
actively engaged in advocating their re>
moval from the disfranchised whites.
A proscriptive policy, and retaliative
measures, will inevitably revert upon
your own devoted heads with overwhelm-
ing force. This is not your fight, it is a
fight between the whites, and to bring
you into it is both unwise and dangerous
to your well being as peaceable citizens.
You are the balance of power, and
whether all men vote or not, you have
your rights settled beyond question.
1t is not the aim of any party to
wrest from you the rights of citizens
ship. On the contrary you stand in a
much better position than any other |
party. Your favor is courted by all, and |
your power acknowledged. This ques~
ton of universal suffrage will be settled |
whether you 60 for or against it, and bold |
and manly stand for the restoration of |
those dear privileges that you now enjoy,
to the disfranchised of Tennessee, will en-
dear you to every American citizen who
desire peace and prosperity. There is
no further practical use Of keeping any
one out in the cold any longer. No State |
can debar her citizens from exercising the
inherent right Of citizenship for apy
longer period than we have. Your rights |
are made secure by congressional legis"
ton, so that you have no excuse to
offer that you are protecting yourselves
in opposing universal suffrage We
warn you not to be led as slaves by de-
signing white men, who inhame your
worst passions for the purpose of being
elected by your votes to some office that
could not be reached by calm and peace~
full means. Allay all excitement. Peace
is what you need, as we'll as liberty. For
as you derived your freedom from war so
would it pass away by the same measure.
1t is to your interest to cultivate peace
and friendship with all mankind, it is to
the interest of all to live in unity with
each other. We can have our prefer-
ence for this man or that man, this meas
ure or that one, but if you desire to
rise to full and perfect manhood, to
become an educated and religious people,
to grow prosperous and happy, you must
accord the same rights to others that you
enjoy yourself You have enemies, and
they are not confined to any particular
party, who would pretend to lead you on
in the path to greatness and glory, and
who when they can do without your aid
in securing Office, will basely desert you.
Let your voices then swell with that of
the noble Republicans who are battling
for the great and good cause-Human
Liberty. Let your votes be cast for
peace, and we assure you that in one
year hence you will not rue it.