New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-02-07
RRRDERICN DOUGLASS Az I1
COOPER INSTITUTES.

Avsrx lar0e audience assembled last evening Id
Che great ball of the Cooper Institute 10 hS'e" "
perhaps The most eloquent black man ID A"le'''"' y"
the GREAT questions of the day and OF MS race inc
p,s,;dant,s Proclamation of Emancipation ana tue
srming of the black man.
Ths Rev Henry Highland Garnet Of Shiloh Pres
byterian Church presided.
M DoUGIAss was introduced amid applause, and
spoke as follows:
congratulate Won, upon what may I've called the
greatest event Of nation's history, II net tlo
Sreatrst event Of the century. In the eye OF the
7onsututicn the supreme law Of the land, there Is
NOT now aud there has not been, since the LIST Gay
of January, single slave lawfully deprived OF Lib
erty ia any Of the States now recognized a. IN lie.
bellion against the National Government Ia al
those States Slavery is now III law, as IA f. sys-
TEN Of lawless violence, against which the slave
nav lawfully Gel nd himself CbeCIf. IN me
hurry and excitement Of The moment, it is d1cn 10
GRASP tho full AID comp lee Significance OF President
Iincolu' proclamation. Tie change in The attitude
Of the Government !s vast and s'srting For more
Gan sixty years The Federal Government has been
little better than superdous engine Il Slavery snd
oppression, through which Slavery has rnieo Us ~
with rod of iron. The boast tust Cotton hiuE "As
no empty boast. Assuming that our Government
snd pSbple will sustain the President and hs ITO
clamation we scarcely conceive OF n more COM
plete revolution III he poiOn ot nation Engiano,
no lcpoer ruled BY King, tho Pope turned fro'es-
tant, Austria Republic, would not present greater
revolution. hail 1t az the doom OF Slavery IN an
the Sites. hsil it as the end OF ell tha' n}se,aoe
stat. smaosh'p which has fer 60 years Jugl led ana
deceived The people, by protesting to reconcile "ta'
il irreeoncileable. No pollt can neeo VOW nope 10
rise to power. by crooking the pregnant hinges 81
the knee 20 Slavery. We part company WIN li't
amphit ious animal called NOrt1ern m@n win
Eou1hern principles. Color IL 40 longer crime OF
9 badge OF bondage. ~ last the ont-spresd wings
Of the American Eagle afford shelter and
protection TO men OF al cOlors, all countries
aud cmes and the long oppressed black man mey
bonoraoy fall or gloriousy flourish under the star
spansled banner. [Applause.I STAND mere 10
night not only as colored man ana An american;
but by the express decision OF ne attorney -Uebe al
of the Unite States as eolored citizen haVLg III
common with al other citizens 81 Ike IL the safely
prosl Gritty, honor aud glory Of common couhIi!'
iCheerinl.l We are all liberated by this procisma.
zion. Everybody is liberated. The white man Is
liberated the black man 10 liberated, the brave men
now hQbtlnC the battles of their country against
rebels ard traitors are row liberated and may strke
with all their might, even If they 90 hurt the Rebels
q their most sensitive point. Applause con-
gra.ulste YOU upon this amazing char ge-lb.s anal-
ING approximation toward tie sacred truth OF
human liberty. All the space between man mind
and Gods mind, says Parker, is crowded Win
truths that wait 10 be Olscoveed ana organized INTO
law for the better government OF society. Mr. Lam
coln has not exactly discovered new truth, but be
has dared, in this dark hour OF rational perll TO
apply an old truth, long ago acknowledged III theory
by the aton--a truth which carried the American
people safely through the War Cor independence
and one which viii carry US, a. believe, safely
through the present terrible aud ssngulnary con-
flct for national life, ii we shall bat Fifth
fully live up TO that great truth. lCheelS'I
Born and reared as slave, a. was. and wearing
on nv bank the marks Of The slave-driver lash,
lido, it ia natural that should value the Emauc.-
patton Proclamation for what IL is destined 10 do Tor
The slsves. / do value 1t for that. Ii u mighty
event for the bondman, but IT Is still mlehter
I. grAY fill fN pG Il
bo,h, the slave and the nation, 1t Is stu MI hter
when viewed in its relation 10 the cause Of Truth
and justice throughout the world, IL is in this last
character that | prefer TO consider 1t. There are
certain great national tets, winch 9y their
r. alton to universal principles, properly belong 10
The whole human family, aud Abraham Lincoln 8
Proclamation Of the Let o. January 1863, IL one OF
these acts. Henoeforth shall that day take rauk
with tue Fourth OF July. Applause. Henceicrth
becomes the date of new and glorious era IN tie
history OF American liberty. Henceforth 1t shall
stand associated in the minds of men,, with
oil the stately steps Of mankind, from the re-
gions of error aud oppression, Which have lifted
Them from the trial by poison and fire to
The trial by Jnry--1rOm the arbitrary will of
despot to the sacred writ Of hsbtas
eorpus--frcn abject eerfoom 10 Absolute citizenship
II will stand with Catholic Emanc patton, with the
British Reform Bill, with the Corn Laws, and with
that noble act Of Russian liberty, by which twenty
millions Of serts, against the clamofs OF naughty
tyrsnts, have been released from soryrude. Loud
Il
guished event which marks any advance made by
mankind from the thrsldom and darkness Of to
the glorious liberty Of truth. believe in The mil
leniuul-the final perfection Of the race, and hail
this Proclamation though wIung out un-
der the eoading lash Of stern military
necessity, as one reason Of the hope that
is III me. Men may see in il only military neces-
Uty. To me 1t has a higher significance. 1t is d
grand moral necessity.
"Ta::ee I. = s--ssd who hath bis quarrel lost,
And he but naked though wrepIe ed up 81 steel,
Whose conscience with injosiico Is corrupted"
The conscience of the North has been troubled dur
ing all this war. II nag been the inconsistency Of
Sighting for Slavery. 1t has been the atsurdlty Of
killing the Rebel, while asserting tie Rebels right
20 the slave. II hes teen the folly Of fighting the
Rebels with our soft white haDds, and keep.
Ing back our iron black hands. ICheers.l
Afer general statement relative 10 truth and
error, Mr. Douglass continues: Good old John
Brown loud app8usc was mailman at HarIer's
Ferry. Two years uass away, and the nation Is az
mad as he. lGreat cheerin2.l Every General ana
every soldier that Low goes IN good faito to Old
Virginia goes there Tor the very purpose that led
honest John Blown to Harper's Ferry. LRenewed
cheers. After discussing the mOmen,Ous power Of
Free Speech, he continued: One OF re eculiafitiss
OF our times cOmpels notice here. Parties have 10
tome extent changed aides on the subject Of free
syeee1. The men WHO would q few years ago mob
and bang AbOli iOnisls for exercising the sacred
right Of ifec thought and sreech have all st b.
he most urgent for tie largest liberty Of
speech. And must say. detest2tle as are the noe
tives that have brought hem to the defense Of ice
speech, think thy have The right IA tie CoAtfo.
vesry. co not know " ere wo.d limi. tie rish,
OF ample uiteraDce Oi o. lion. II any one IS
base enough 20 SIT uTou tho grave Of bis mother,
o. 10 shOui for JEFFERSON Davis let Lin,
ana DO not lock lin up for il, lCGeerug.l
amer lbat almost inspired announcement Of equal
Tge's contained IN the Declaration Of Independence,
IlH laIf 81