The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-03-10

His Speech in Favor of Suffrage
-. ~ for Negroes. ,.Is.~

AAA0 ~HS00A Ia UvVA VI 00AAO6O
= g., for Negroes. ~
WENDELL PH1I1IPs contributed his share
toward the celebration of Washingtonis
birthday by an address at the Brooklyn
Academy of Music. The subject an
nounced was "Our Country Our Whole
Country" The Academy was filed IN
every part. THEODORE T1LToN introduced
Mr.. Philips ~ Y
Mr.. Phillips commenced by saying that he
would not willingly forget the day on which
they were assembled, the birthday of the great
American chief, and certainly no one could for
get Inc week In which they were assembled
week which gives to the loyal States of the
North the news that the very heart of the con-
1ederacy mas been touched, and that our flag
floats again ever the brain and heart of rebel
Ion-Charleston. Applause. Very few an.
'ecdotes, he said, had come down to ma of
Washingt on., II He was always the statelv chief
among his equals, rarely soldier synpatiiiz-
ing with his troops. But one of the half a
dozen stories which he remembered of Wash.
lngton had OF this time peculiar significance.
We are told that one. bitter night in ian.
nary, when Washington was wishing for
some particular return from some scout he
waited hour after hour in the tent of Col.
onel chickering's body servant negro
and as the night waned away and no news
came. tired and sleepy, he turned to the man
and asked, tcan sleep somewhere here 2" and
the black pointed him to q buffalo skin-his
own bed. Washington wrapped himselfin the
ample folds and lay down to rest. After an
hours nap he walked, and saw in the dull cold
morning the black sitting on q camp stool
shivering, uncovered. Said he STAKE, come
here, there Is room 1for two under this skin, !"
and the black LAY down by the American
chief and they slept the night out side by side.
To-day for the first time America finds her flag
broad enough to cover the black and the white
equally together. For long time, the speaker
said, the North refused to see; the true issue of
this contest In 1868 the North lifted up the
gage of battle which South Carolina had thrown
at its feet, and said, "The continent is mine
and it shall be mine, with justice to every hu.
man being" To day for the first time, the con-
tinent opens her bosom to the rays of Gods
moral sun; for the first time the nation evinces
its purpose TO live by justice for the first
time the pulpit can open the Bible without .
blush, and politics can face its statute book
without shame. That lies behind us. Why is
Charleston in our hands to day? The South
has had good generals and good soldiers, and
many victories. Gould you imagine bitterer
drop that Gods chemistry could mix for son
of the Palmetto State than that q Massachu.
sets flag and colored regiment should take
possession of Charleston? IGreat applause. |
p In the whole history of poetic retribntionl
when did the wit Of the poet imagine more
complete retribution !? It was the recklessness
of South Carolina that made the rebellion
failure. Jefferson Davis never intended to re-
bel; he never meant to quit Washington. Re
was to usurp the government there; Brock
inridge was to refuse to count the ballots for
Lincoln, and by that gigantic fraud rebellion
this had been done, rebellion would have tri-
umphed. But South Carolina-the gun point
ed at Sumter-kicked the traces, and dragged
DAYS. to the trenches, and made him q rebel
No man, after our success can doubt that de-
mocracy is competent TO face any danger. The
greatest danger to as now is in ourselves. Are
we capable Of governing ourselves There
England has'two engineers and cannot move.
One is Palmerston the other Bright lap
plause One the monarchy, the other the
people. So she crawls like spaniel before
the French Cromwell, Napoleon. The devil
is strong, the saint Is strong; but half devil
and half saint is humbug. In 1850 we were.
all devil, and were united. We were vast
harmonious whole, built and governed by sla-
very. "t a ''.. q, =, '.'. y. ~.
In 1861 we confessed to the world that we
were not q nation-we had not that unity of
purpose necessary to command the respect Of
the world. England, seeing it, violated the
first principle of national fair play; she struck
a man when he was down. And when the ma
ton wakes up and plants her flag all over the
land, she will be strong enough to forget and
pity the repentant kingdom that gave her
We must have nation newly built "'s on
freedom. Unjust he wholly rebuilt. God says
to Us, build me nation" From the storm;
and blackness Of battle he says, ''here IL the
climate, here is the land, here are the men,
build me a nation" The black man must be q
part Of II. The genius of America shall drop q
school;house and ballot-bOx into every cradle
speaker, Is my text. I brought the negro with
me; I never expect for some years to come
here without him. don't have to speak for
him, thank God; speak of him, for he has
spoken for himself This is the consummation
and only contamination of our work. The
battle fought, the greater battle is before us.
g 1t is big job said Abraham Lincoln,
and he never spoke truer word. Uaughter.)
We cannot have Union without an identity
together don't make marriage. .4r.L ..u.
The reason Massachusetts, and South Caro-
lima fought was not because Mr.. Lloyd CARR.
son was born, but because the two systems OF
labor came face to face and sprang to battle.
There must be at the South labor, educated,
contented, and honored. Put in the hand OF
the negro ballot, and a. patent Democrat in
Louisiana win ask him to fake q ride. Laugh.
ter. You've killed slavery. The amendment
has killed it. It must and win pass and we
may argue from 1t as an accomplished fact
The safety of this country is in being color
blind. Trample under foot the remnant Of
prejudice against race !; Hft the negro into The
ton on the cornerstone of justice, and then
'"Sail on thou, too, oh, ship Of state" &c.
Mr.. Phillips closed by reciting the whole of
the usual quotation commencing as above.