Viewing page 53 of 262

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Chambers Tribune,

LOCAL ITEMS
IKE, H. VINCENT.

Divine Service- Will be held at the Presbyterian Church to-morrow morning at 10 1/2 o'clock, and evening at 8 o'clock- Rev. J. L Reid, Pastor.

La Fayatte, Ala, June 11th, 1867.
MR. IKE H. VINCENT:
Sir:- In your Report, as Secretary of the Public Meeting held at the Court House, June 1st, you put me on record as expressing "my surprise and gratification at the unanimity existing between whites and blacks." What I did say was, that I was extremely pleased at the good will expressed by the white citizens toward the freedmen, the willingness manifested on all side to guarantee equal rights before the law to all, and the generous efforts put forth to educate them and make them worthy to exercise their new rights.

I certainly did not venture to speak of, as already existing, that unanimity which, as yet, we can only hope these favorable conditions may bring about.

I ask you to publish this in the next issue of the TRIBUNE, not as because the Report might convey an idea different from that which I intended to express.
Very Respectfully, ELLIOT WHIPPLE.

[We publish the above letter for the especial benefit of Gen. Swayne and Governor Patton. We have heard from various sources that these gentlemen consider this County one of the most disloyal in the State, and where the negro is least likely to have justice done them. To prove that such an idea is erroneous, we have from the pen of their own witness, a letter saying how pleased he was to "see the good will expressed by the white citizens towards the freedmen, and the willingness manifested on all sides, to guarantee equal rights before the law." If this fails to convince these Radical gentlemen that this Chambers territory is as loyal as any portion of the South, we would like to know what will. If they expect us to grant them equal social rights, they are sadly mistaken, and the promulgation of such an idea will only bring destruction upon the heads of the negroes.

If we, as Secretary, misrepresented the remarks of Mr. Whipple, we assure him that it was unintentional on our part, and if there really exists no unanimity between the two races, the negro is to blame for it, for according to his letter, the whites are doing all in their power to encourage such a feeling. It is not generous for the negroes to dislike us simply because we are white, we can't change our color.