Year: 1867

To-day, James HI. Harris, the colored ora


tor addressed the people of Surry at thi


place. 1t will be day long to he remem


bered by the people of this County. Their


was an unusual number of persons presen


who had assembled in the grove near tn


springs of Mr. T. F. Prather, of all grades


men, women, boys and girls, white and col


ored to hear Mr.. Harris Mr.. Harris wa


conducted to the stand which had been pre-


pared by the colored people for the occasion


by Col. S. Forkner, r. r. Galloway, Isaac


Armfeld, Jesse Owen, S. NJ. Marshali, mas


Tucker and several other members oi Tue y,


Union League Mr.. Harris ascended tie


platform there was movement Io"aru .ne


platform with evident excitement ana III


tense desire to behold the wonder OF the age


The ground was literally packed with men,


women and little ones around the stand


After few moments OF quiet, such quiet as


peryades most crowds, j. NJ. Marshall rose


and said: Fellow-citizens of the County


of Surry, will introduce to you, Mr.. Harris


of Wake; if you will give him your atten-


ton have no doubt you will be interested" i"


Mr.. Harris then rose and commenced his
address by saying ng-Fellow-citizens OF the
County of Surry, the white and colored peo-
pie have lived together in this country for
two hundred-tifty years, and lived happy.
Such happiness as can exist between master
and slave, but they have become estranged,
and do not know each other. They knew
each other in their old relation OF master
and slave, but they do not under their new.
This ought not to be- They must get ac-
quainted once more. The white man knew
the colored man when he was his slave, but
since he is free, he appears not to know him.
The white man does not know what disposi-
ton to make of the colored people. But, 1
will tell you, gentlemen, just let them alone,
that is what to do with them. You must
get close together once more, thcn, you will
begin to understand each other again. Be-
cause your relations are changed, there is no
good reason why you should not live togeth-
er and be happy. If the people are willing
to do right and be just in all this broad land,
there is not a reason to apprehend that we
will not be happy in our new relation as well
as old.


The white people can surely afford to be
just after witnessing the fidelity of the col
ored people during the long and bloody
struggle which resulted in their freedom
The fears of the white people that the color
ed would revolt and murder their wives and
little ones, and ravage the country were not
realised for with wonderful fidelity they
staid at home and worked the farms and
made support for the families of the whites
while the men were in the field fighting to
keep the colored people in perpetual bon
dage. Wonderful fidelity! Who will doubt
them now?


There is lesson to learn my colored
friends To be free is not to be licentious-
Liberty brings with it great responsibilities.
We have duties to perform to ourselves, our
wives and children, our country and our God.
We must labor, and labor hard. Our fami-
lies must be cared for and our children edu-
Gated, our taxes paid, with innumerable other
duties that did not cucumber US in our for
mer condition of slavery To be free brings
with it great responsibilities that we did not
encounter before To elevate our race re-
quires of us continued application to our
multiplied duties Lay aside our pet preiu-
dices, labor for those that pay US the best,
and treat us with the greatest kindness
This is natural and will not be condemned by
any fair minded person. Learn to be good
citizens, honest, upright and intelligent, and
harbor not prejudice against your former
masters who treat you kindly now. We
have friends, mighty friends in the North
and mighty friends in the South, and we
have only to conduct ourselves right to be
appreciated. You will not believe these
evil-minded men who persuade you that you
will get portion of your masters land;
depend on your own energies for your sup
port and the education of your race and
people. If confscation comes, it is not pro-
bable that you would be benefited by it, for
the land would be sold at the highest bid
der, and you have no money to purchase.
Therefore, I have no assurance in promising
you anything on that score. The speaker
told several anecdotes to illustrate his DO
sition.


The speaker said that the white people
musta learn lesson. When they hired the
colored people to work that they only hired
their time, that otherwise, the colored peo-
pie were as free as they were and entitled to
all the privileges and immunities that free
born and white people were The time was
all that they had any right to. If they were
mind they could afford to be just. warn
you to-day, for am authorised to speak and
speak that know. If you continue to be
unjust and fail to treat them as citizens and
equal in political rights if you try to intin-
idate them and prevent them from register
ing and voting for their friends, your lands
will be confscated and you reduced to
condition of dependency. 1 hope YOU will
not do this, your sense of honor and self re-
spect will not permit you to do so. Iappeal
to your magnanimity, your sense of Justice
and Christian charity to aid us in the eleya-
ton of our race. Promote and encourage
Sabbath Schools among US. Give us the ad-
vantage of your education and the advan-
tage OF your experience. Turn not your
back upon US now that we are free, for YOU
taught US all that we know; you taught us
how to work; you taught us all we know of
truth and right; you taught us your Ian
guage ndwhat we know of men and thinos
you taught US your religion and all we
know of God. There are a thousand ties
and recollections that call upon you for help
TO raise us from our present poor and help
less condltlon. Remember, that we are not
TO blame for your losses, and now that we
are free you should not neglect us and con-
oemn us. In our new relations let us be friends
as we have been in times past.


Mr. Harris here took up the subject of So
clal equality and dwelt at great length on
II. lie said the idea was an absurditv
Such a thing as social equality never did ex-
lst and never could. 1t was contrary to rem
son and sense. Opposed to the true princi-
Piles of liberty and right. 1t did not exist
any where, nor at any time. From the he.
ginning OF the world until now, such THING
qua not exist It never had nor ever would
IL was an absolute absurdity. But the right
70 cnoose our own company was only a general
r1gnt that was not denied bv anv nafion -,