Year: 1867




a COLORED MAN SPEAKS.
We publish the following portion
Of a speech Of Mr.. George Cox (col-
ored) delivered at Tuscaloosa, Ala,
on the 18th ult. We should be glad
to publish the whole, but the pres
ence of other matter prevents us
from doing so. The Montgomery
Sentinel, from which we clip it, says
Of Mr.. Cox: "This man Cox was a
slave at the surrender Of the rebel
armies. He was raised UP to black
smithing, and when he was freed by
the Government did not know let
ter in the book; nor did he have the
least idea of what writing was. He
never has been to school day, but
by close application during such
times as he was not at work at the
anvil, he has learned to read and
write; and as to his ability all can
Judge from the speech.


FRIENDS AND FELLow-c1T1zENs -
I feel truly happy to have the priv
ilege of meeting you again in my
old home, the city of my delight,
where my boyhood days were spent,
the recollection of which brings joy
to my heart; but the cruel hand of
q pratraetnd war has PASSED aun,.
and laid waste many of her most
favored and magnificent places, but
I feel happy. in the hope that time
and energy, such as you are ,prover-
bal for, will soon replenish the
waste places and restore your city
to it's former beauty. 1 am told
that you will very soon hear again
the old and familiar sound of col
lege bell, the echo of. which will be
music in the ears Of the quiet fish
erman as it passes between the war
rior's steep banks, harbinger of
the return of educational advantages
/ am told, also, that the small but
strong Hurricane above will soon
throw her current against a huge
water wheel, starting into action the
machinery of cotton factory
These are favorable signs, and speak
well for the gentlemen who have
taken courage and gone into these
useful enterprises.


I hope to see anxious inquirers
after the road that leadeth to recon
struction and peace between North
and South upon an enduring basis,
for until this is the case, gentlemen,
we are all bound to suffer, not the
poor, the black, or, white alone, but
all must suffer together. To escape
from the present state Of depriva
ton, there is but single. road, anC
that is to accept the terms offered
!. for reconstruction. Do this and en-


ter into joy and peace, or reject i


and continue in misery and suffer
ing. God forbid that we should


suffer any more. The war is over


let it's issues he accepted and it
strife ended. We have nobody tt


fight and nobody to hurt but our


selves.


Do You ask me to tell you whc


your best friends are? With clea
! conscience, I can say that they ar,
those men who constitute the part,
which stood by the departed Lin
coin when he signed the Emancipa


ton Proclamation. I know ther
, are men who claim to be our bes
, friends, and if they are / am trul
glad of it; and we must, of course
treat them and their profferedfriend
r ship with due respect and courtesy
r / feel satisfied that their generosit
{ will knowledge that we are onl
e acting the part Of honest manhood
when we tell them we owe ou
4 friendship in another direction, an
: it is our imperative duty alike to ou
: selves, to our country, and to ou
e God, to stand up for the party ths
q first stood up for US the party tn;
has given us the right to protect OF
e freedom by our votes, and the onl


party that we can look to for til
e happy results in the future, to whic
IS l have already referred


Now, gentlemen, the time is ne:
e at hand when we are to prove ou
e selves men at the ballot BOX, as "
e have in the field, under the old fla
i Of the Union, emblem of Freedom
e or to prove ourselves unworthy tt
8 boon granted to us by the best Go
8 ernment known to the nations Of Il
V world tssi : iez-s >'S@1- - 49,


We are to cast our first vote f
IS men in whose hands our destiny al
n that of children must rest, wheth
/ for good or bad, or in other word
d for men who are to lay the found
=, ton principles upon which our fre
1 dom and prosperity will depend.
e, Therefore we must see to it that y
rs elect such reliable men as are in hs
: mony with the Union Republic,