The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-07-21
Bishop McIlyaine on Negro Cit.
izensllip.

1t the meeting of the American Tract So
ciety, in May, 1864, over which Bishop
McILvMNE, presided, and on which occasion
he delivered an address congratulrting the
Society and the country on the destruction
of slavery, he utters the following just and
logical inference
And now. brethren, since we have been led
thus far, let us have courage to be consistent with
what rejoice in. Let us face the whole proper
result of the Providence we have been con-
templating. Let enfranchisement of coored
brethren be complete enfranchsement. Let it
not stop in the removal of the shackles till all
taken away. If the colored man is fit to be sol
der in the pay and uniform Of our citizen armies,
standing at least equality of danger andtrial
with the white, in defense of our government and
its blessings. he is fit TO be citizen of our gov
eminent in full liberty and privilege. We must
boldly face and accept that result With me it
requires effort-tiod is leading to it. All
consistency requires it. Our past history is full of
Inconsistency in this direction We have never
come up TO the logical requirements of our Dec
laration of Independence
Bishop MBILvAIxE is one amongst the
ablest men and nobest christians in our coun-
try, an honest God d-fearing patriot. As an
American he believes in the principles of the
Declaration, upon which our free institutions
are founded, and regrets our departure in
practice from those principles. To that de-
parture in one point he traces the terrible
calamity of the great rebellion, which resulted
in the freedom of the slaves. And now he
calls upon his countrymen to confirm their
practice to the principles Of the declaration
in the matter of equal political rights of al
IL L II
meut.
As an advocate of free republican govern
ment in opposition to monarchy and aristoc-
racy, Bishop McILvArHE demands consisten-
cy in the application of the principles Of free
government in practice that all men may have
the equal rights which all are declared to be
entitled to, and to secure which is declared to
be the true end of just government. And
as a christian, Bishop McILvAINE, renders
obedience to that great law, promulgated by
his master, which many lprofessed christians
quietly or contemptuou4y repudiate. ssDo
unto others as ye would that they should do
to you Thus Bishop McILyAIsE, in this
regard, fulflls his duty as q christian and q
citizen, by bringing his sentiments and his
conduct in accord with the divine law for the
regulation Of human conduct, and the great
fundamental principles of civil liberty.
Let christians who are governed in their
conduct towards the negroes on this question,
by political partisanship, ungodly prejudice
or hatred, remember that they are violating,
not only the principles Of the Declaration of
our Fathers, but also the law of God, and be-
ware of the application of that principle, "In
\ as much as ye did it not unto the least Of
these, my brethren, we did it not TO me:
Remember many of the least of these,
Chri5Es' colored brethren, are daily on their
kneesip earnest prayer to Him that he will
incline The hearts of the people to render this
act ofjustice to them as means of their ele-
v4fion, and for the promotion of their moral
well-being Can any of you who oppose this
chief and most earnest desire of their hearts
pay with equal earnestness, sincerity and faith
that he will disappoint them and deny them
HI great boon.