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In every part of the community of Freedmen beaten and on the plantations they were often shot — amid the threatenings of my life I visited one of the families, in which a girl had been beaten with a board and assumed the right to investigate the case — they talked of shooting — and I talked of sending them to Montgomery in irons — this gave the impression to the people that I was empowered with supreme authority from the government — and all the shooting and beating Freedmen everywhere ceased.

No man of northern sentiments was alowed to speak to the colored people. A white man did attempt to instruct them in their rights and privileges and was arrested — let out on bail — and was run out of town. I at times made a few remarks at the meetings of colored people and I soon found that through "rebel Freedmen" the town was in a great stir. To give the people to understand that norther sentiments could be presented I caled a political meeting and invited the whites who came. I discused the principles of the "Republican Party" in relation to the great issues before the country and clearly reasoned to the Freedman the part the ought to act — which compeled admiration from the imbitered whites.

At one time the Freedmen were not [[strikethrough]] alw [[/strikethrough]] alowed to speak their opinion but now they are proud to say "I am a Republican"