The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1865-10-26

as | remarked before, resentment
and revenge should subsidc. Then
what is to follow You do under.
stand. no doubt, and il You do not
you cannot understand too soon
that the simple liberty does not
mean the privilege of going into
the battle field, or into the service
of tho country rs soldier. 1t
means other things rs well and
now when YOU have laid down
your arms, there arc other
objects of equal importance before
you. Now that the government
has triumphantly passed through
this mighty rebellion, after the
most gigantic battles the world cv.
cr saw, the probation is before ycu;
and it is best that you should I'M
ldcrstand it. and therefore | speak
simply and plainly.
Will YOU not, when you have re-
turned from the army of tho Uni
ted States, take the position of cit
izeus-when YOU have returned to
the ayocations of peace-will you
give evidence to the world that you
arc capable and competent to gov.
ern yoursclvcsl That's what you
will have to do.
Liberty is not mere idca-a
mere vaeucry; it is an idea or it is
"a reality. 1t does not consist in
idlcncss. Liberty docs not consist
in doing all things as one pleascs,
and there can be 10 liberty with.
ont law.
In government of freedom and
OF liberty there must bc law, aud
it must be obeyod, and submission
to the law without regard to color.
[ [ChcCrs.
Liberty, and may | not call you
my countrymcn, liberty consists in
the glorious knowledge of work, Of
pursuing the ordinary avocations
of peace, with industry and with
economy, and that being done, all
those who have been industrious
and economical arc permitted to
appropriate and enjoy the products
Of their own labor. Great Ap.
plause.
This is one Of the great blessings
of freedom. And here we might
ask the question, and answer it by
stating that liberty means freedom
to work and enjoy the fruits ofyour
own labor.
You will soon be mustered out
Of the ranks 1t is for you to es.
tablish the great fact that you arc
fit and qualified to be free. Hence
freedom is not mere idea, but is
something that exists in fact. Free.
dom and liberty do not mean that
people ought to live in liccntious-
ness; but liberty means simply to
be Industrious, to be virtuous, to
be upright in all our dealings and
relations with men.
And to those now before me,
members of the 1st regiment Of
colored volunteers from the Dis.
trict Of Columbia, and the Cap
ital of the United States, | have to
say that great deal depends upon
Yourselves. Gou must give c\i-
dencc that You are competent for
the rights that the government has
guaranteed to you. Henceiorth
each and all Of You must be meas
ured according to your merit, and
| If one is more meritorious than the
other, they cannot be equals, and
he is the most excellent that is the
most mcritorious, without regard
to color; that the idea Of having a
law passed in the morning., that
will make white man biacR
man before night, and black man
before day, is absurd; that is not
the standard. 1t is your o oxn con-
duct. 1t is your own merit. 1t is
the development of your own tai
ents aid of your own intelligence
and moral qualities. Let this then
be your course. Adopt a system
of morality. Abstain from all IL
centiousness, and let me say one
thing here, for | am going to talk
plain. ] have lived in a Southern
State all my life, and know what
has so often been the case.
There is one thing you should
1estccm sacred, and more supreme
THAN almost all others, AMI that is
the solemn contract with all the
penalties in the association Of mar
ried life. Men and women should
abstain trom,these qualities and hab
its that too frequently follow a war
Inculcate among your children anc
among your associates, notwith
standing you are just back from
the army of the United States tina
virtue, that merit, that intelligence
are the standards to be Observed
these which you are determined t.
maintain during your future lives
This is the way to make black mel
white and white men black. Zap
plause.
lie that is the most meritorious
and virtuous, and intellectual, ant
well informed, must stand highes
without regard to color. 1t is thC
very basis upon which heaven rest'
itself.
/ shall say to You on this occa
sion, in returning to your homes
and firesides after feeling conscious
and proud of having faithfully dis
lcharged your duty returning Will