Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-08-01
FIRST OF AUGUST.

White men have a multitude OF holidays
which they celebrate with religious fidelity.
The flying anniversaries of events which con-
tributed in any way to their welfare or their
fame. are the sanctified periods of the lives.
Nearly dozen times year, for good causes
their aregarious instincts are gratifed by some
splendid memory, when they flock together,
in solemnity or rejoicing, for the sake of
evincing their gratitude, and ofinspiring cour-
AGE for new acts of heroism, the necessity Of
which the world has not yet outgrown.
Colored men have but one holiday which is
in a peculiar sense their own. In all others
they participate, if at all, as if they were
merely tolerated, and not welcomed. But the
first of August is all theirs. 1t is the
anniversary of the emancipation of eight
hundred thousand of their race-a num-
Der nearly three times as great as the pop
nlation of Massachusetts, when the rebels
who fancied themselves oppressed, spoiled
the salt waters of Boston harbor with British
tea much larger than the entire population of
Massachusetts, was in 1886, when their act of
emancipation was sealed Consider in what
estimation we should hold an event which
emancipated an equal number of the "consum-
mate white race" as Mr.. Cushing calls 1t, not
merely from political disabilities, but from per-
sonal slavery, we can have some conception
how precious this anniversary should be to the
black race and its branches, whether they know
it or not
1t is proposed by the colored citizens OF New
England to improve the occasion, by holding
general convention in Boston, to day, to dis
cuss their present condition and future pros
poets, and, if possible, to devise measures OF
relief. They have fallen into the common er-
ror OF regarding convention as the road
to felicity, while it may involve them, as 1t has
Others, in difficulties and in trials Of faith and
patience which they have never before known
Let them not place TOO much reliance on any
convention on any resolutions it may adopt, or
on any speculative theories of the equality of
all men under God, however worthy and true.
They will meet together and counsel in vain,
if they rely on the hope Of escaping from the
burden of prejudice and sorrow by which they
are bowed down, without long and faithful
struggles for selfdevelopment and selfeleva-
ton.
Prejudice does not exist SO much against
color as against condition, which every free
man has a certain power to control. Men re-
spect talent, and they admire virtue, in spite
of circumstances. In this respect, colored
men have here an open field and fair fight.
They will obtain larger privileges as soon as
they make the best use of the privilege they
have. They need more selfreliance and more
sel,cultivaton. In the struggles which are to
be made before the triumph of liberty on this
continent is complete, there will be need
enough for the highest and truest culture which
they are able to attain to. The convention
will accomplish something, however, in keep
alive the consciousness of the fact, that mil
lions of human beings in this country are in a
state of insufferable and degrading oppression,
which has no parallel now on the face of the
wide world. And it will be the cause of re-
newed feeling and stronger determination of
purpose to leave no means uninterrupted of rid.
ding the nation of the sin which carries its
own curse with it.