The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-03-25
EEEN OF colon, To ARmsi
q a Gail by Eredsricis Douglass.

NEN OF CGLOR, TO ARMS!
bsaA Gail by Ereassricis douglass. saa
When first the Rebel cannon shattered the
wallsiof Sumter, aud drove away is starving
garrison. .I pTedictea tilatsthc war then and
there inaugurategs would mot bel fought out
entirely by White, men. Every months exzE
i'perienee, during these two dEeary years, has
iiconfiriTisdi that opinion. 4 war undertaken
and brazelily carried on for the perpetual en-
/ slavemeut5ef scolored men, calls logically and
LOUDLY uponTeolored men to help to ssupI ress4
it. Only moderate share of sagacity was
tpeeded to see that the arm of the slave was
/ the best defense against the arm of the slave
holder. Hcnee. with every reverse to the
! National aIlls,' with every exllltiBg shout of
/ victory raised by the slayeholding Rebels, Il
I have implored the .imperilled nation to un-
chain against her foes, her powerful black
] hand. Slowly and reluctantly that appeal is
/ beginning to abe needed. Sep not now to
! complain that it was not needed sooner It
may, or it may not have been. best, that it
: should not This is not the time to discuss
1 that atquestiolf. Leave5it to the future. When
| the war is over the country is saved, peace is
I established, and the black. n1an's rights are
secured, as they WILDE history with an in-
{ partial hand, VIII dispose OF that and sundry
a FOtHefs fueStlODS. dCtlOu DOL Cflti-
/ cisn, is the plain dGty. of This hour. w o-ds
are now useful or y as they stimulate 20
Fbows, The Office of speech Howsis only to
Epoint when, where, and how to strike to the
hest 1ad vantage. 7 here is no time for delay.
The tide is at its food that leads on to for
time. From east 10 west, from north to south,
the sky is. writer allover withgS now erbey-
fer.'' Liberty won by white men would lack
tihalf its lustre. Who would be free them
Aselves must stfikesth blow Better even to
/ die tree than live slaves. This is the senti-
ment of7every brave colored man among us.
There are weak and cowardly men in all Ba-
4 tons We have them among u.s. They
4. will tell You that this is the white mars
war;aFfthat you wilIlbe better off than be-
fore the war ~ THAI the getting of you ifte
he army is to e sacrifice You on the first op-
Eportunity.'' Believe them not - towards
i themselves, they do not wish to have cow.
ardice shatned by your brave example. Leave
them to their tlmidity, or to whatever other
4 motive may hold them baclz.sa,fsj las5
/ have not thought lightly Of the words I
4 am now addressing to you. The counsel i
give, comes of close observation of the great
struggle nowins pr6gress-and of deep con
I vietion. that thisis yeurlhour and mine.
i Ia good earnest then, and after the best
ideliberation, I,-now, for the first time during
the war, feel at liberty to call and counsel YOU
to arms. BY every consideration which binds
you to yenr ensIaved fellow-eountrym and
the peace and welfare Of your county by
every aspiration which you cherish for the
/ -freRdom and equality of yourselves and your
children; by all the ties Of blood and identity
" icli make us one with thesbFa3e black men
Z now fghting.our battles in,Latlisianh,in South
Carolina, | urge you to fly to arms and snite
.I'with death the power that would bury the
Government and your liberty in the same
. hopeless grave i wish could Tell you that
. the State of New York calls syou to this high
honor " For the men4ent her constitutional
z ysauthorities are silent on the subject. They
will speak p7ahd by, and doubtless on he
rightsdei. but weoare not con- PEELED to wait
II Tor her. We can get at the throat of treason
Fand Slavery i thF9pgh the State Of Massaehu-
setts. % 5'''-
i She was. first IN the war of Independence;
first TO break thelchains of her slaves; first to
make the black man equal before the law;
first to admit colored childrento her common
.aiischoois, and She was FIRST 70 answer with her
blood the alarm cry of the nation-whem lis
capital was lnenacpd by rebels You know
her patriotic Governor, and you know Charles
Sumper-I need add no more.
sdsa Massachusetts, now welcomes you to arms
as her soldiers. She has but small colored
population from which to recruit. She has
full leaveTof the Geveral Government to send
one regiment to the war, and she has under
= taken to do it. Go quickly and help fill up
E this first colored regiment from the North.
II am authorized to assure you that you will
receive the same wages the same rations, the
same equipments, the same protection, the
same treatment, and the same bounty secured
to white soldiers. You viii be led by able
and skillful; oficers-nlen who will take es-
\ pecial pride in yoltr efficiency and saceess.-
They viii be quick to accord to you all the
honor you shallinerit by yorr valor-and see
: that your rights aud feelings are respected bv
igother soldiers. I have, assured myself. on
p these points-and car, speak with authority.
More than twenty years unsweruiEg devotion
to our conmou' eaGse, may give me some
4 humble claim to be trusted at this nlonien-
,totis crisis. g4sf t-fg IS -
+ 81 will not argue. To do seimplies hesita-
Il ton and doubf, and you do not hesitate
You do not doubt The day dawns = the
morning star is bright upon the horizon -
8. The iron gate. of our prison1stands half opea.
b One gallant rush from the North will fling it
wide open, while four millions of our brofh-
ers and sisters shall march out into Liberty !
The chance is now given you to end in day
the bondage ofscenturies, and TO rise in one
e bound from social degradation to the plain of
8 a common equality with all other varieties of
men. Remember Denmark Vesev of Charles
ton. Remember Nathaniel Turner of South
hampton; remember Shields, Green, and
. copeland, who followed noble j ohm Brown,
and fell as glorious martyrs for the cause of
the slave. Remember that in a contest with
oppression, the Almighty has no attribute
which can take sides with oppressors. The
case is before you. Thisis oargolden oppor-
tunity,-le us accept it-apd forever wipe
/, out the dark reproaches ,unsparingly hurled
against lis by our enemies. Win for ourselves
the gratitude ofsour country-and the best
blessings of our prosperity through all time.
The nucleus of this first regiment is now in
q camp at Readville, short distance from Bes-
Eton. l Will undertake to forward to Boston
+ all persons adjudgeds fit to be mustered into
this regiment, who shall apply to me at any
time within the next two weeks. ss6z s5s57etls
70 =" 80 FREDERICK DouGIAss.
ID Rochester, March 2, 1863. - $3.50
President Lincoln, when informed that
Gen. Stoughton had been captured by the
krebels at fairfax is reported TO have said that
hhe did net mind the loss of the Brigadier as
much as he did the loss of the horses For
said he, I can make a much better Brigadier
in fve minutes, but the horses cost $l25,0o
js apiece Ssoughton was a West Pointer, and
yet suffered himself to be surprised in this
strange manners His appointment has rot
yet been confirmed bysthe Senate, and should
q IL,