Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-05-21
r III E B U G L E
SPEECH or JOHN J.GiINES, or CINCINNlTl,
AT THE LATE CONVENTION IN THAT CITY.

AT THE LATE CONVENTION IN THAT CITY,
MIR. President Ladies and Gentlemen -
The time was, when the declaration, ="
am Roman citizen" guaranteed ample pro-
lection to the poorest and meanest Roman
peasant. Now the declaration, 81 am on
American citizen" affords but poor and
scaniy protection IN this country to my man
who wars dark skin. Hence propose
Plea for colorcd Americans. claim, Sir,
that they can be made mentally and political
iy equal with the whites; that they are now
their equals physically and morally.
The argument that is much relied upon to
prove colored Americans inferior to white,
Is the condition of the Negro as found in the
rudest portions Of Africa. lie is represented
M hnvng black skin, thick lips, flat nose.
short hnr, receedng forehead thnt he re-
sesbes the Orang Outnug and Monkey, and
thus forms only link between the human
aud animal crention.
If oil this were true so far az .4ficdns nrc
concerned, il would prove just nothing so
far MS americans are concerned. We nre
not Africans, Sir, but we nre colored Ameri-
cans. We claim no other soil than tliis-no
OtIIes home tllan this--no other altar where
we cun kneel to venerate the memory of our
Sutfiers md ho who denies il, be he black or
white, IL n monomanac !nnd should be im-
dutely indited and sent TO the Lunniic Asy
lum. As yet, colored Americans hive Ind
neither time nor circumstances to deyeIope
the mental man. For colored men, when
first they were introduced into the American
colonies, were introduced rs slaves, aud the
government rendered the title in them rs
valid as is the title in lands and houses And
the whole spirit of American law from that
fatal hour to this, Inns moved in this vein.--
Ia some States we have our onth-in others
We have not,-in some we have the elective
frnnclIse-in others we have not,-in some
we can setlle-in others we dare not.
We dare not settle in Illinois-,hat infant
State, whose Legislators ought TO be under
the immediate eye Of Nicholas, Francis Jo-
seph, or Louis Napoleon. They have cut
many foolish trick-but this one--ths last
one is the most cruel and heartless Of all.
Every man of color who soiourns in the
Stnte more than ten days with view to set
tie, is to be seized by their official hounds
and sold upon the block as q slave, and this
for no other crime than the color of his
skin, which he had no more to do in forming
than he Inns with the air which he breaths
Let us hear no more cant about the arrogance
of Romanistn while such bloody law as
this Iegrades the records of professedly free
and protestant Stnte.
IN some States we can worship God aC-
-cording to the dictates of our own conscience
in others we cAnnot-but in no State in
freedom everywhere aud under all circum-
stances is a lie-a cruel, unmitignted lie.-
DO you deny t3 Let the doubling black
Thomas, il he be here to night, tell me il he
can be admitted, us general rule, into law
schools, at the dinner table, or into Acade-
snies and Seminaries of learning. lie is
bound TO answer, No. For we are ostracIz-
ed in every department of society, and then
cooily and contemporary asked by the de-
mons who have thus robbed us Of every
moral limb: "What wooly headed Iomers,
Virgils, Dantes, Moliers, or Shnkspears, ev-
er inscribed their name upon the pillar of
fame, by the numbers oftheir immortal song"
How long, pray Sir, since could nsk-What
silky-headed Millions, Drydens, Spencers,
Fontaines or Popes, in these United States
sever inscribed their names upon the pillar
of fame by the numbers of their immortal
song? For il must be confessed, however
bitter the pill to Americans, that their lrvings,
Coopers, Whittiers, Longfellows and Bryonts
arc but children of an hour.
The only place where a just comparison
between tho two American races can be
drawn, is our private and public schools. In
Grammar, Geography, Arithmetic, Reading,
Spelling, United States history and Compo-
s;tion, eolored children are as forward as
whine. They are quick in perception and