Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-01-17

| MI. Langston said be longed to 60 Into the
field, as q common soldier, or in a mhe eE-
altsd rank, and strike for his country. He
reviewed some Of the incOntrOvertabls points
in the opinion Of Mr.. Bates. BE said, being
admitted to be citizens We demand prOtso-
ton Of this Govern ment, and beg to be al
lowed to fight for it. COlOred men are all
loyal, you can't find one that is really a
rebel. There are those who are aiding in
the rebellion, bat 1t is under COmpulsion.-
He recalled the numerous occasions where
the most important information has been
brought to the Union army by ooiOrsd men.
He alluded particularly to the fact that
Burnside owed his capture Of Roanoke to
the information which coIored man brought
him. The speaker gave numerous. .fIustra-
tions Of the fidelity and trustiness, as well ss
the loyalty of the negro in this country.
Said he, you cannot succeed in oOnquering
the slave oligarehy without you accept the
services of the negro, and when you do
conquer it, the negro will stand free by your
side. He said he expected the time would
come when he would be seen marching to
Camp Cleveland, and be met by one who was
once pro-slavery and hear him say, am
glad you are going to fight with US I was
alwaysin favor of it." The speaker said he
would then agree to let by-gOnes be by-gones,
and unite with his white brother in crushing
the enemies of freedom. Mr.. Langston was
warmly applauded throughout his address,
which contained many eloquent passages as
well as forcibIa a-Gnuant -
Prof. Martin sang song.
Mr.. Frederick Douglass ives next introduced.
he proposed that before he commenced his
address the entire assembly unite in singing
e The Year Of Jubilee has Come, which they
did, all standing up. He said since fifteen
years ago he had not expected to be allowed
to live to see the day we now witness. When
the question Of abolition was first started, he
thought, in view of the great wrong of slave
~, it was only necessary to let the nation
see how vile it was to bring against it the
pover which should crush it. He was mis-
taken. Since then he had walked with the
American people credit for more humanity
and christianity than they possessed. Slave
~ had struck its roots too deep to be re-
moved by moral means.
It is said that the Proclamation Is but a
paper document and will be Ineffective
Christ's sermon on the Mount was a paper
sermon, but its influence will be felt forever.
The Magma Charter was a paper declaration,
yet its influence will never die. The Decla-
ration Of Independence was but paper, yet
see what it achieved. The Proclamation is
of paper, but it is destined to achieve great
and glorious results.
Mr.. Douglass went over considerable of the
ground which he covered in his lecture at
Chapin's Hall. very full report of which we
gave our readers.
He spoke of the disposition on the part of
the Government and Of the nation at the out
set of the war to ignore the real cause of the
war, which is slavery, and described the
slow and reluctant steps by which Govern
ment and nation have come to the eonolu-
sion that our difficulties can never end un-
til slavery is torn up by the roots. He spoke
in terms Of admiration Of General Butler,
who, before the war, was pro-slayery man
and the champion of Shareholders, and is now
delivering abolition lectures. He saw the
monster Slavery in New Orleans in all his
hideous and revolving proportions, and his
conversion, which began with the discharge
Of the first gun on Sumter, became com
plete.
He alluded to the proposition made in
Congress for organizing force Of lj0, 900 ne
groes in the South, and said he had the
means Of knowing that a movement was on
foot among The cOlored men of the North to
a volunteer force to be offered to
the Government. For himself, he did not
feel quite so much military ardor as inspired
his friend Langston, for his ardor had been
cooled considerable by the rebuffs colored
men have received heretofore when they have
begged to be allowed to fight against the
rebels. He hoped the negro would be allowed
to fight in the ranks with white men. He
was allowed to do so in the war of the Revo-
luton and Of 1872. What better is General
Mcclellan than General Jackson, that me-
grOes should not fight under him2 If ne
groes were allowed to fight under Washing
ton, why may they not be under Burnside
and Rosecrans3
at haven't felt" said the speaker, " half
so black since the frat of January as did
before. 1 am looking to see my hair get a
little straighter, and although have high
heek-bones, distended nOstrils, thick lips,
and other little idiosyncraeies, am expect
ing to get rid of them one of these days.--
(Laughter.) So don't call me negro any
more. please" 4
He related an amusing occurrence that
took place in Boston on new years night,
when the news of the Proclamation was re-
eeived in meeting which was awaiting it.
Everybody was exceedingly happy, and the
greatest enthusiasm followed. A season of
singing, praying and rejoicing followed.
Down in a dark corner of the church was a
black man who was continually jumping up
and shouting. He finally announced that he
wanted TO speak. he was allowed to. Said he
90 was born in North Carolina, born a
slave; thank God. l was born 10 the same
State my brother Douglass was born in 4;
thank God mot fact, said Douglass, but
every one was feeling too happy for me
to contradict him lived there until was
more than twenty-one years old, thank God.
When reached mans estate wanted
wife, thank God. oourted about sixteen
women, thank God, and the wife I pick
ed out from those sixteen women, is here to-
night, thank Cod She vas made to stand
up, and got three hearty cheers.
The exercises closed with music and the
meeting adjourned to the suppsr-rOOm, where
a fine repast was spread. The Hall above
was then cleared and gay party of dancers
' chased the glowing hours with flying feet"
The Jubilee was success in every way and
win not soon be forgotten.