Burqas, mosques, ‘gay propaganda’ all banned in Hungarian village
Published time: 25 Nov, 2016 17:52

© Ammar Awad
© Ammar Awad / Reuters
The far-right mayor of a southern Hungarian village has banned the open expression of Islam, including the building of mosques and wearing of veils and headscarves, as well as the promotion of same-sex marriages.

In a post on Facebook, Laszlo Toroczkai, mayor of Asotthalom, a village near the Serbian border, outlined the proposals adopted by his council after a session on Wednesday.

All board members voted for the new rules, with only two abstentions.

“Instead of looking for a scapegoat, I offer an immediate solution, a defense against the forced mass resettlement [of migrants] by Brussels,” Toroczkai wrote in his post.

“Today the Asotthalom village council adopted my proposal – which is an action package – to defend our community and traditions from any plan for the outside resettlement [of migrants]. All that needs to be done is for the rest of Hungary’s municipalities to adopt our preventative action package, and with that we will have defended our homeland.”
The mayor of the Hungarian border village of Asotthalom, Laszlo Toroczkai © Laszlo Balogh
The mayor of the Hungarian border village of Asotthalom, Laszlo Toroczkai © Laszlo Balogh / Reuters

The measures that Toroczkai put in place include a ban on the construction of mosques and any other place of worship which undermines the Catholic Church, a ban on the muezzin’s traditional call to prayer, and a ban on all face coverings such as the hijab, niqab and burqa, as well as the burkini.

Additionally, the ordinance also bans any kind of “public propaganda” which shows the institution of marriage being in any way other than “between a man and woman. This includes any public activity, performance, demonstrations, billboard, leaflet, or audio advertisement.”
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© HVIM1920 Hungarian mayor stars in action movie-like video to deter refugees

These measures, Toroczkai says, will protect Hungary from the “two pagans”: migration from the south, and “extreme liberalism” from the West.

Toroczkai belongs to the far-right Jobbik party, whose stated aim is protecting “Hungarian values and interests.” But the party has also been accused of racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia.

"I want to be an example to other pioneering local authorities on how to protect themselves from external resettlement or any other subversive intentions," he said at the council meeting, as reported by delmagyar.hu.

Toroczkai is also the leader of the Sixty-Four Countries Youth Movement, a nationalist group seeking to reclaim lands that have historically belonged to Hungary. He is also known for his harsh anti-migrant rhetoric, including an action-movie like video showing big, burly men giving chase to illegal immigrants on motorcycles, helicopters and even on horseback.

Hungary is one of the European countries least welcoming to refugees and asylum seekers. In a referendum held in October, 98.3 percent of Hungarian voters rejected mandatory EU asylum seeker quotas in a referendum proposed by PM Viktor Orban. However, the referendum failed to reach the required 50 percent turnout, partly due to a boycott by the opposition. Orban himself has made a number of remarks on the subject, including suggesting that all refugees who came illegally be deported onto camps on an island or off the coast of Africa.

Revealed!! Buhari orders NNPC To Pipe Crude Oil From Niger Republic To Kaduna

November 25, 2016
Wisdom Nwedene

The Nigeria Petroleum Corporation [NNPC] is exploring the possibilities of piping crude oil from Niger Republic for refining in Kaduna, NNPC Group Managing Director [GMD], Dr Maikanti Baru said on Friday.

buhari-ty-2

Baru who paid courtesy visit on Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i in Kaduna, said President Muhammadu Buhari was personally committed to the project.



He said that it was important to explore alternative crude supply to Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, which has been affected by vandalism of pipelines and age.



“Due to challenges with the aged refinery and crude oil pipelines that had been breached severally, the operations of the refinery has been epileptic.



“This we are determined to resolve through various intervention methods including evaluation of alternative crude oil supply from Niger Republic through building of a pipelines of over 1, 000 kilometers from Agadem to Kaduna.



“That efforts is being championed by Mr President himself.



“We have already started engagements with the Nigerien Minister of Petroleum and the Chinese that are operating the field at Agadem.”



Baru also pledged to sustain efforts at enhancing energy supply to power industries in Kaduna through the development of Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline, as well as development of power plants in Kaduna and Abuja.



“These projects will be given special attention during my tenure.”



The GMD disclosed that the College of Ptroleum Resources in Kaduna would start operation on Januarry 1, 2017, and thanked the state government for undertaking to construct internal roads in the school.



He urged the governor to sensitise resident against sabotage of the nation’s oil assets due to its adverse effect on the community, environment and national economy.



Responding, El-Rufa’i said the corporation has assumed a new toga since Baru took over, adding that prompt remittances by the corporation to the Federation Account has remained consistent.



“We are very interested in the NNPC because how well you do affects our lives as states and as a country.



“This is why many of us are quite gratified you are in charge, and already results are beginning to show as remittances to the Federation Account are higher, state governors are happier than before,” he said.

November 23, 2016 6:23 PM
Since his election win, Trump has talked to Putin more than any other world leader
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking to journalists in Moscow on Wednesday. Alexei Druzhinin AP

By James Rosen

jrosen@mcclatchydc.com


WASHINGTON

In the scarcely two weeks since Donald Trump’s surprise victory over Hillary Clinton, he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spoken at least twice by phone.

Their aides have had additional contacts.

That’s more contact than Trump is known to have had with any other world leader since he defeated Clinton in the Nov. 8 election. But it is a concrete display of what many predicted would be a reversal in the standoffish relations between the two nuclear powers should Trump win election.

Russian news outlets reported Wednesday that Trump and Putin already are negotiating how Russia and the United States will act in the Middle East next year.

[RELATED: A new round of Russian hacks began just after the U.S. election]

Putin cultivates an image as a stern-faced tough guy with a black belt in judo who rides horses bare-chested and exiles political foes. But it appears he can hardly contain his joy at Trump’s ascension to the presidency.

Putin discussed his most recent talk with Trump at a briefing in Lima, Peru, on Sunday.

“The president-elect confirmed he is willing to normalize Russian-American relations,” Putin told reporters. “I told him the same.”

Putin said he and Trump had not set a date for a personal summit, but he noted that their representatives will be meeting soon.

At a meeting of the 21 member nations in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group, Putin also met with President Barack Obama, inviting him to Moscow after he leaves the White House.

Putin, however, noted the two countries’ ties have been strained under Obama.

“We acknowledged that despite the fact that our dialogue was not easy – if truth be told, it was difficult to work with each other,” Putin said.

The president-elect confirmed he is willing to normalize Russian-American relations. I told him the same.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Clinton was part of the reason for the worsened relations, regularly criticizing Putin’s actions at home and abroad when she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

Since the 1917 Russian Revolution put Soviet communists in power in Moscow, two U.S. presidential candidates have rarely expressed more disparate views about Russia than did Trump and Clinton during their brutal, divisive campaign.

Clinton repeated denunciations of Putin for intervention in Ukraine and Syria, and for oppression at home. She joined U.S. intelligence agencies in blaming Russia for the computer hacks that resulted in the publication of thousands of embarrassing emails from the Democratic National Committee and in accusing Russia of trying to interfere in the U.S. election.

Trump, on the other hand, praised the Kremlin chief as a strong leader and vowed that as president he would work with Putin to defeat Islamic State militants in Syria. He cast doubt on Russia’s role in the email hacks.

Within hours of Trump’s election victory two weeks ago, Putin was one of the first world leaders to call and congratulate him. “He spoke about resuming and restoring relations with Russia,” Putin said afterward on Russian national television.

After the their most recent talk, on Nov. 14, the Kremlin said in a statement that they had discussed the need for “joint efforts against common enemy No. 1 – international terrorism and extremism.”

2 The number of teetotalers who will lead the White House and the Kremlin after Donald Trump becomes president Jan. 20

On Wednesday, Russian officials continued to push the line that Trump would lead to better, more cooperative relations between the two nations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said that Russia wants ties with the United States “to return to a constructive course,” adding “it would be hard to make them worse.”

He voiced support for Trump’s own disparagement of the “reset” with Russia that Clinton had promoted in 2009 after becoming secretary of state with a symbolic red button that she gave Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, her Russian counterpart.

“As for a reset, we can only agree with the president-elect because this word has embarrassed itself, since the consequences of that reset are not the ones we would like to see,” Peskov said.

World War II allies and Cold War enemies Russia and the United States have sometimes clashed and sometimes cooperated since the December 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Peskov’s comments came as The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s eldest son, had held private discussions in Paris last month with about 30 diplomats, business leaders and politicians who support Putin, including several who have close ties with the Kremlin.

Among them was Syrian-born Randa Kassis, who leads a Russia-backed Syrian opposition group that is not demanding the immediate ouster of Moscow ally President Bashar Assad. She told the Journal she’d pressed the younger Trump to work with Russia to help defeat the Islamic State.

“We have to be realistic,” Kassis was quoted as saying. “Who’s on the ground in Syria? Not the U.S., not France. Without Russia, we can’t have any resolution in Syria.”

Some of Putin’s domestic critics have expressed dismay at Trump’s election, suggesting it would embolden the Kremlin leader.

“Winter has come,” tweeted chess champion Garry Kasparov, who published an anti-Putin book earlier this month called “Winter is Coming.” In a separate tweet, he called Putin “Trump’s idol.”

James Rosen: 202-383-6157, @jamesmartinrose

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/new....s/politics-governmen

BREAKING: BBC Breaks Silence, Releases Whatsapp Number To Get Evidence Of State-sponsored Killings Of Biafra Agitators

London-based media organisation, British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, has reportedly given out a Whatsapp number where evidence of killed or tortured members of pro-Biafra groups like Indigenous People of Biafra and Movement for the Acualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra could be sent.


This deveopment is coming a day after the chilling report from Amnesty International which revealed the culpability of the Nigerian military in the death of over 150 peaceful members of the pro-Biafra group.

According to a news website, the Whatsapp number which the video or photo evidence of killed or tortured pro-Biafrans should be sent to is +447730751925.

The Trump Effect? Germany Urges Europe for New 'Peace Treaty' With Russia

On Friday, fourteen European countries called to re-launch a conventional arms control treaty with Russia. Russian military experts have commented on the initiative, focusing on how the US president-elect might contribute to the proposal. The foreign ministers of 14 European nations have called to renew conventional arms controls to reduce military risks after seeing the existing treaties "crumble" in recent years. The initiative was put forward by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and was signed by Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. ​In a statement released by the German Foreign Office on Friday the signatories called upon all states "that share responsibility for Europe's security to join their endeavor and to support a structured dialogue on conventional arms control in Europe." "We are convinced that a re-launch of conventional arms control is one important path towards a genuine and effective cooperative security allowing for peace and stability on our continent," the statement read. "Confronted with the increasingly unstable security situation in Europe, we see an urgent need to re-establish strategic stability, restraint, predictability and verifiable transparency and to reduce military risks," said the ministers. The battle tank Leopard 2 A7 is presented by German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) on June 14, 2010 at Eurosatory 2010 in Villepinte near Paris © AFP 2016/ ERIC PIERMONT European Nations Call to Renew Conventional Arms Controls as Existing Treaties Crumble According to the document, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe is not being fully implemented and the OSCE’s Vienna Document needs to be overhauled. Some provisions of the Open Skies Treaty are also not being enforced. The original Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) was negotiated and concluded during the last years of the Cold War and established comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment in Europe (from the Atlantic to the Urals) and mandated the destruction of excess weaponry. The treaty proposed equal limits for the two "groups of states-parties", the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact. In 2007, Russia suspended its participation in the treaty, and on March 10, 2015, citing NATO's de facto breach of the Treaty, Russia formally announced it was completely halting its participation. Commenting on the suggested initiative, President of the Academy of Geopolitical Studies, Colonel-General Leonid Ivashov noted that the US has long been opposed to the treaty. However with Donald Trump taking the country's highest post, the prospects for such an agreement considerably increase. "Let's wait when Donald Trump gets into office and defines the country's position towards NATO and Europe," he told Russia's online newspaper Vzglyad. US marines take part in a multinational NATO military exercise Agile Spirit 2015 at the Vaziani military base outside Tbilisi (File) © AFP 2016/ VANO SHLAMOV Russia Doing Everything Possible to Protect Borders Amid NATO Expansion - Kremlin However he noted that the previous treaty did not cover cruise missiles and naval forces of the parties, and did not apply to the territories of Poland and the Baltic states. In such a form the treaty has little value to Russia and the new document requires sustained negotiations with the participation of military and diplomatic experts. Meanwhile Alexei Arbatov, head of the Center for International Security at the Institute of World Economics and International Relations says that the proposed initiative has no connection with Trump's election. "This is just a reaction to last years' events. European countries are concerned about the series of military drills on the border with Russia and the rise in flights of NATO and Russian military jest in close proximity to each other," he told the website. Moscow is also concerned about the deployment of NATO contingents on Russia's borders even on a rotational basis. "The parties simply want to secure each other by signing a new treaty and there are no visible hurdles to it. If Europe and Russia want to de-escalate the conflict and move on, there is every reason to revive this treaty," he said. In this June 18, 2015,file photo flags wave in front of soldiers who take positions with their army vehicles during the NATO Noble Jump exercise on a training range near Swietoszow Zagan, Poland © AP Photo/ Alik Keplicz NATO Worrisome Decision-Making Prompts Russia to Take Countermeasures - Putin "If a new treaty fixes the number of military equipment deployed in Europe, it will prevent its further build-up. If it agrees upon reduction of the scale and frequency of military drills and stipulates that they should not be held on the border with Russia, it will only benefit Moscow," he added. The expert also noted that the previous treaty did not include Poland and the Baltic States, hence it would be useful to include them into the new document, stipulating what national armies could be deployed to their territories and what should be the maximum size of such a contingent.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/world/....201611261047864471-e

IPOB - ITALIAN GOVERNMENT, DEMANDING BIAFRA RESTORATION AND RELEASE OF NNAMDI KANU
23:330 Biafra, Top News, World News 0

By Mazi Onyebuchi Eze (Nnamdi Kanu Disciple)
Novermber 25, 2016

The report trending in the media at the moment is the call of Italian government for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (Prisoner of Conscience) the supreme leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPO and onward restoration of Biafra. This timely call by Italian government is well received and acknowledged by Family Writers, IPOB worldwide and indeed all Biafrans at home and in diaspora especially now when western world is keeping mute as Nigeria is committing all sort of crimes against Biafrans.

The Almighty God in heaven will continue to prosper the government, the parliament and all the good people of Italy for voicing out solidarity with Biafrans at this critical time in history when it is as if the world has rejected us because of the lobbying of government of Nigeria left, right and centre against Biafra.

Italy is going to become next among the countries that will enjoy a healthy bilateral relationship with Biafra when our sovereignty is restored soonest. There are many dividends Italian government stands to benefit from a relationship with Biafra in economy, in politics, in religion, in commerce and many other advantages. It is upon this clear cut demand of Italian government for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu whom they describe as human right activist and onward restoration of Biafra, that Biafrans hereby call on other western world nations to queue behind Italy to call for the restoration of Biafra.

Let no nation in western world forget that it is still the Biafra in West Africa which its declaration in 1967 sparked out a genocidal war waged against us by Nigeria government and her then global military allies that is still under contention. Till today, we, the younger generation of Biafrans continued suffering the humiliations, killings, massacre, political and economic marginalisation, nepotism, religious extremism and all forms of dehumanising treatment which led our fathers to declare the sovereignty of Biafra in the first in 1967.

Presently, to prove my point, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (Prisoner of Conscience) and thousands of Biafrans are illegally detained in various prisons in Nigeria even against court verdicts ordering their unconditional release, due to our unshakable resolve to restore Biafra where our descendants can have hope of maximizing their potentials and contributing their quota in developing the world.

Western world nations like United States, Russia, Germany, Britain, Canada, Portugal, France, Israel, Spain and many others are now under moral obligation to queue behind Italy in compelling Nigeria government to respect the right of Indigenous People of Biafra to Self-determination as declared by United Nations in 2007.

I want these nations mentioned above to tell me if they are using barrels of gun and bullets to force unity on their citizens against their wish to go their separate ways. It is time for these world powers to reject the financial inducement of Nigeria government in lobbying them against Biafra.

United Nations under Antonio Guterres as the Secretary-General should also sit up and compel Nigeria to respect UN charter which they are also signatory to by allowing Biafra secede peaceful as time may reach when we may no longer endure oppressions in Nigeria. Let me use this opportunity to put record straight, Biafrans are not calling for disintegration or division of Nigeria but carving out of Biafra territory from the federation of Nigeria is our demand.

If Biafra is carved out, Kano, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Lagos, Ibadan, Jos, Yola, Makurdi and Abuja can go ahead and stand firm as Nigeria with them loosing nothing as a strong and vibrant nation. As Italy has become one of the countries to call for Biafra restoration, the other world powers will have no other moral justification not to stand behind Italy in demanding for the restoration of Biafra. Biafra is going to be a strong ally of western world nations in Africa.

We are peace loving indigenous people who are ready to protect the political and economic interest of western world especially in the Niger Delta area of Biafra. No western world nation will stand any risk of losing their oil company in Niger Delta area of Biafra because of Biafra restoration. Biafra is going to respect all the bilateral treaties existing between you people and Nigeria which we are going inherit when Biafra is restored. There is absolutely nothing to fear about Biafra restoration.

Long Live Italy!
Long Live Western World!!
Long Live Republic of Biafra!!!

BREAKING NEWS!!!! Buhari Orders Major Increase in Price of Data Plans from Dec. 1

November 26, 2016
Emeh James Anyalekwa

BREAKING NEWS!!!! Buhari Orders Major Increase in Price of Data Plans from Dec. 1

President Muhammadu Buhari, through The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered all telecommunications service providers to increase the cost of internet data with effect from the December 1.

A call to MTN Customer Care line, 181, confirms this, as an auto responder informs customers clearly on what is to come.

president-muhammadu-buhari-11

The responder says: “Dear customer, please be informed that from the 1st of December 2016, all MTN data plans will be changed in compliance to NCC directive to all operators, thank you.”

In such a time like this, this news is not good enough for now because the nation is already experiencing recession, implementing this directive will only make life harder for Nigerians.

This is sad, NCC believes that this is one of the ways they can generate revenues for the Government. They know that we can’t do without buying data… so they decided to mandate all Telcos to increase their data price… hmm!

Nigerian Government through its agencies should not make life harder for Nigerians! Don’t be surprise that beginning from December 1st 2016, N1000 will only get you 500MB of data. The data you normally get 3GB for N1000 before will be history.

In short, all MtN users should call 181 self-help service number to listen to this announcement which will take effect from 1st of December.

This is sad, but we shall overcome!

BIAFRA: 'Igbo Are Majority In This Country, They Cannot Leave'

Image result for ROCHAS OKOROCHA 600 x 400

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Chief Emmanuel Iwuayanwu Friday called on Nigerians to unite together in order to protect the integrity of Nigeria as one country.

They made this call at the Concord Hotel, Owerri during the opening ceremony of the National Executive Council meeting of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in the State.

According to Okorocha who declared the event open said, ” We have no place to call our own if not Nigeria.

We must defend the integrity of this country. “ “The worst thing that will happen to any society is to have a visionless leader ”

It was the view of Okorocha, that ” Nigerians must change their attitude toward their leaders and leaders must learn how to talk to their followers. ”

He also expressed sadness that, ” Nigerians are always in the attitude to pull down their leaders, adding that ” what ever you do not appreciate will depreciate. ”

Speaking also, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Emmanuel Iwuayanwu, used the opportunity to call president Muhammadu Buhari to assemble leaders of the country to discuss the the way out of Nigeria problems.

He said, ” Nigerians are passing through hard times. These problems have lingered for years. They are not caused by Buhari administration. It is for this reason that Nigerians voted for change. ” ”

We have come to a point Mr President should invite leaders in this country for a meeting to discuss how to solve our problems. ”

On the issue of Biafra, he said, ” Igbo are majority in this country and they cannot leave. We are Biafrans, Biafrans are Nigerians. It is the same way we have Arewa and Oduduwa.

GENOCIDE ALERT!!! Army, Navy Shoot 14 In Delta Communities; Mainly Women And Children, 3 Residents Missing


EIGHT villagers at Sand Field 1 and 2, popularly known as Warri Corner, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, were hit by stray bullets when men of the Nigeria Navy, NNS Base, Warri, Delta State, shot sporadically into the air while allegedly testing their weapons on Thursday.

The Foundation for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade, FHRACC, in a statement, yesterday, described the random shootings as irresponsible In a related development, the Niger Delta Peace Movement, NDPM, has raised the alarm that mother and two children were missing , while six persons were seriously injured in an aerial bombardment of a fishing settlement in Burutu by troops of Operation Delta Safe, earlier same day.

National president of FHRAAC, Alaowei Cleric, said in Warri: “About eight persons hit by stray bullets have been hospitalised in different health centres across Delta State.

We cannot believe that the men of the Nigerian Navy were only testing their weapons.” Pointing out that the shooting was deliberate, the group said: “The unprovoked attack on Naifors Island, popularly known as Sand Field 1 and 2 by the men of the Nigerian Navy from the NNS Base, Warri is the height of human inhumanity to mankind.

The excuse that they were only testing their weapons sounds unprofessional.” “This is highly ridiculous as the Navy seems to be telling the world that it does not know the difference between testing weapon and attacking enemies.

How on earth can testing the military weaponry result to sacking an entire community, which has inflicted grievous injuries on the innocent and peace-loving settlers in the Island?

“This is a manifestation of the Federal Government’s agenda to wipe out the Niger Delta communities from planet earth ostensibly to allow it have free access to the oil.

We hope that the world is seeing these systematic invasions of Niger Delta communities whose offence is that they have oil in their lands,” it said.

The group asserted: “We can safely say that a silent genocide is going on in the Niger Delta. For the military to absolve itself of any culpability, let it set up an independent panel of inquiry to ascertain the truth.

Let those unprofessional and trigger-happy military men be brought to book.” On the bombardments of Okosugbene settlement in Burutu area by the men of Operation Delta Safe, the group said: “The military ought to have adhered to the rule of engagement.

Its operation has hospitalised more than three persons, who are innocent fisher men and women.”

“From our findings, Okosugbene is known to be a fishing camp which has been in existence from time immemorial.

If there is any militant camp close to the village, the military ought to have separated the militants camp from the village.

The casualties of the military bombardments of the village are women and their children.

“We have reliably gathered that Master Wisdom Ekeremo, 5 years and Miss Paulina Maika were hit by the bullets of the invading military, while Mrs Apunu Akaraowei is missing.

The entire fishing village has been brought to rubble by the aerial bombardments. We have not heard of any militant casualty, which ought to have been the target of the military, the group asserted.

- Vanguard

The Africa Archive
12 September ·

TO MY OLD MASTER:

In August of 1865, a Colonel P.H. Anderson of Big Spring, Tennessee, wrote to his former slave, Jourdon Anderson, and requested that he come back to work on his farm. Jourdon — who, since being emancipated, had moved to Ohio, found paid work, and was now supporting his family — responded spectacularly by way of the letter seen below (a letter which, according to newspapers at the time, he dictated).

Rather than quote the numerous highlights in this letter, I'll simply leave you to enjoy it. Do make sure you read to the end.

UPDATE: Head over to Kottke for a brief but lovely little update about the later years of Jourdon and family.

(Source: The Freedmen's Book; Image: A group of escaped slaves in Virginia in 1862, courtesy of the Library of Congress.)

Dayton, Ohio,

August 7, 1865

To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,—the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,—and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.

In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.

From your old servant,

Jourdon Anderson.