Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-03-24
Tbe q fuhts or CoIorea Persons.


The q tights OF CoIored Persons.
Some of the BUCCANEERS, driven entirely from
the ground of controversy in arguing against the
equal right, before the law, of all beings created
IN the image of God, irrespective of the color of
their skin, in order to sustain the bred Scott de-
oision, have Iat last retreated, and changed
front, by denying that persons belonging to one
of the Eve great divisions Of the human race,
those in whose veins flows any African blood, are
human beings! Thus have they resolved it, on
their part, into a question Of natural history,
which is virtual surrender of the whole point in
controversy; for what individual, claiming the
least snattering of acquaintance with the origin
or history of the human race, will so discredit his
own humanity or his own intelligence, as serious
ly to entertain the idea that the different races of
mankind, wherever the place of their birth, or
whatever the hue of their complexion, are not
members of the same great human family.
Granting the humanity of beings Of the race of
Iamartine Toussaint LOuverture, and Freder-
lex Douglass, there is, truly, no more reason for
enslaving them, than persons Of the Cireasian, or
any other race. They must be equally eligible,
with their white breth'en to all the rights of ci-
zenship And we have official acknowledgment
of the fact, that there can be colored citizens of
the United States" GeorgeT. Downing, well
known colored man of New York, has published
some facts on this point, showing that colored
men have been recognized as citizens, even by our
pro-slayery national government, up to recent
date Here is one important instance:-
@ Legation of the United States of Ante,ica IN
BRgtaad- Passport No, 33-Ehe undersigned
ENJOY Extraordinary and Plenipotentary of the
United States Of America to the Court of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and ireland,
begs all whom it may concern. to allow safely and
freely to pass and in case of need to give aid and
protection to Mr.. lillian Wells Brown, CIT
zen of the United States going on the Continent.
(Signed) For the Minister, ] G. B. DAVIS,
Secretary Of Legation"
Mr.. Downing says;-
My father-in-aw, George de Grasse, once
subject Of Great Britain, was, in 1904, naturaliz-
ed; the concluding part of his papers reads as fol
lows - George de Grasse was thereupon, pursu-
ant to the laws of the United States in such cases
made and provided admitted by said court to be,
and he is accordingly to be- considered citizen
of the United States John Remond, father of
Charles L, Remond, obtained naturalization pa
pers in 1871, which declares him to be citizen
of the United States. Robert Purvis and wife
received passport under the seal of ths Secreta-
ry of State in 1884, certifying and calling them
citizens Of the United States. The Rev. Peter
Williams received, March, 1886, passage from
John Forsyth, Secretary of State, declaring him
to be citizen Of the United States. Many more
instances might be given in which the United
states citizenship of colored persons has been ac
knowledged.' a M
Against the opinion Of the FIVE slayeholding
Justices Of the Supreme Court, we have thus not
only the fact that in eleven OF the thirteen orig
iual States, colored persons were citizens on
par with whites, by their respective State Consti-
buttons, but the fact that colored persons have
been repeatedly recognized, by the official func-
tionaries Of the government, as citizens of the
United States, We give two still more impor-
-tant instances Of this recognition, by President
Jefferson and Gen. jackson.
After the engagement June %, 1907. between
the frigates Chesapeake and Leopard, off the
capes Of Virginia, in which the former struck her
eolors four men were taken from the Chesapeake
BY the British captain of the Leopard, whom he
claimed as deserters. Two of these men-John
Straban and William Ware-were negroes. and
both born in Maryland. In the proclamation is
sued shortly afterwards by President jefferson,
excluding British vessels of war from American
waters, he said;
DIOVOcd-
ton or justi6able cause, but was committed with
the aYowed purpose of taking by force from ship
OF war of the United States part of her crew
and that no circumstance might be wanting to
marx ITS character, it had been previously ascer-
tanned that the seamen demanded were ,,atiye
citizens Of the United States"
On the 2lst of September 1914, Gen. Jackson.
as commander Of the Southern forces, in the war
with Great Britain, issued from his headquarters
at Mobile, Ala, an address ito the free colored
inhabitants Of Louisiana" calling upon them, as
" Americans and fellow-countrymen, to apar.
ticipatO in the glorious struggle for national
rights, in which oar country is engaged" "You
will ne said to them, ''receive the applause and
gratitude Of yom1eou,ltrymer. Again, he said,
:" 10 assure you of the sincerity of my iuten-
lions, and my anxiety to engage your tnvalua5le
services to our coaatry, I have communicated my
wishes to the Governor Of Louisiana" &c.
Again on the 18th Of December following, as
evidence of his opinion of their valor as compat-
riots in glorious cause, Gen. jackson said, in an
address to his colored or negro soldiers:
g" when, on the banks of the Mobile, / called
you to take up arms, inviting you to partake the
perlls and glory Of your tokite telLoao-citizens
expected much from you; for ioas not fgaorart
that you possessed qualities most formidable to
an invading enemy. KNEW with what fortitude
yoa coed endure hunger and thirst and all the
i,at'gues OF campaign k,ses0 loeH ho,o you
Eooea your nGtsoe count'p, and that YOU as well
as ourselves, had 70 defend what man holds most
9ear-ns parents, wife, children, and property.
I on nave done more than expected. In add
uon 70 the previous qualities l before knew you
70 possess, found among you a noble enthnsi.
asm, which leads to the performance of great
Thus it is seen that Thomas Jefferson and An.
drew jackson, the two great lights of American
Democracy, coincidedn opinion, mot only that ne
groes are human beings but that they are " cid
Gems" and capable Of rendering valuable aid to
" their eountrymen " in times of danger and trial
when called into service to fight shoulder to shout
dsriwith those of pure Circassan blood to win a
common victory over the enemy. But of what
consequence to the present generation of bastard
Democrats, are the opinions and acts of JeEer-
son, Jackson, &c.
.l-E VERY APPRoPRIATE.-'Wa arlington. "tne able
ana wide.awake Boston correspondent of the
springfield Republican, in letter to that Jour
nal, says: AhA $3.50
u" understand that, in Difference 10 Gov.
aaLanef recommendation to the cleyev n, ,,raaah
On Fast Day on the subject Of ~ Pieach
me hev. Lneooore Parker will on that dav tsls