Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-04-29


were also deprived of the right of suf-
frage.
In the same year North Carolina gave
open and unequivocal evidence of her
opposition to the doctrine that all men
are endo we'd by their Creator with the
inalienable right TO liberty. The Qua-
kers of that State had emancipated their
slaves in obedience TO the decree of their
yearly meeting of I776. In 1878 the
Legislature OF that State enacted stat
ute authorizing the reinstatement Of
the people thus emancipated Under
this law greater crimes were perpetrated
than under any other which at that time
disgraced any christian government =
But even the Legislature Of North Caro-
lima, with all its barbarity, had the grace
+ to except from the operations of that
statute, those colored men '' who had
served in tile army of the United States -
Nor did they subject the free blacks to
any other laws than those which gov
erned free whites. COiored men if free,
held and exercised the same right of suf.
frage which white men enjoyed, and
were projected i'll all their rights by the
same laws.
In 1870, Virginia. with the apparent
intention of carrying out the doctrines OF
the Declaration of independence, repeal
ed her law restricting emancipaliOns,
having previously prohibited the further
introduction of slaves into that State
Maryland followed the example of Vir-
ginia, Pennsylvania and the six States
north and east of it proceeded in good
faith and finally eonsgnated the entire
abolition of slavery, redeeming their SOL
emn pledge TO the doctrines proclaimed
in l774, and repeated in 1776. Simu-
lated by the same patriotic motives which
swel!ed the hearts of Greene and other
patriots, the colored men OF Rhode Island
furnished regiment of gallant soldiers,
who served with as much honor as any
of our continental troops: Connecticut
also furnished battalion of coored men
which served the country with equal
credit.
But while the spirit of freedom, avowed
at The com mencement Of the war, ap-
peared dominant in the ten Northern
States, Georgia and the two Carolinas
had fallen into the hands of the Tories.
II ey were, however, re conquered by
Northern valor. Yet the mass of the
people in those three States sympathised
with the Tories in regard to the subject
of Slavery still not even one Of those
States manifested any intention TO de-
prive the free cOlored people Of any right
or privilege which was epjoYed by free
whites who were not possessed of suffi-
cient property 10 enliile them to vote.
The free black men of those States
entered the army and served with such
honor that Oh the 10Th of August, 1871,
Cen Greene, writing from South Caru-
lima said, There is great spirit Of en- :
terPrise among tie black people, and
those that come out as volunteers are not
a little formidable to lie enemy There
are also some particular corps under
SUmpter, Marion and Clalk, that are
bold and daring the rest of the militia
are better calculated to destroy provis-
/ ions than TO oppose an enemy"
A: the close of the war, the right Of
The free blacks to citizenship was admit
ted in every State of the Union, and in
all but South Carolina they were admit
ted to the right of suffrage. The only
absorbing question in The Southern States
was whether in their sep rate organizl-
lions they would emancipate their slaves,
as pledged by the Declaration of Iude-
pendence. Feeling deeply the dishonor
which would be brought upon the nation
by failure of the States to redeem their
solemn pledge. Congress issued an ad
dress 10 the people on the 93i of April,
1898. Ii was drawn up by committee
composed of James Madison, Oliver Els
worth and Alexander Hamilton, and
adopted by unanimous vote of Con-
gress. Their language to the people, to
posterity, TO statesmen and jurists, TO you
and me, was TO "Let IL be remembered,
thai it has ever been the pride and boast
of America that the RIGHTS OF HUMAN
NATURE. = II justice, good
faith, honor, gratitude, and all the other
good qualities which ennoble the charac-
Ter of nation, be the fruits Of our State)
establishments, the cause of LIBERTY will
acquire new dignity and lus;re which
it has never yet enjoyed, and an exam
pie will be set which cannot but have 1he
most favorable effect on The rights Of
mankind" These men had participated
in the revolution They kneU that they
had contended for the "rights of hamGn
nature" They knew they had not in
tended to exclude the African race from
the benefits of that revolution.
The war being over, the influence of
our sages was exerted 10 induce the peo-
pie of the States to carry out the work of
emancipation. For this purpose Wash
ington, and Jefferson, and Franklin, and
Patrick Henry, and Hamilton. and Jay.
and most of the distinguished men of
that day employed their pens.