The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-03-04

RDAY. MARCH 4 1865.
shall not be surprised if old friends in AZ
RIGA should yet come tos.see you on these
islands, and surely you will be anxious 70
send, as soon as possible, your own breth-
[ Hearty emens.]
But. there is another great work to 90
done. This Southern country is to be taken
care OF, after the war, by soldiers, and these
soldiers, in part at least, will be colored
men, who must help to protect not only the
interests OF the government, out your
rights and liberties. Your young and able
bodied men must therefore enter the war
school, the army at once. ! would advise,
however, that those who have families,
should first secure comfortable homes for
them, and when this is done, that they en-
ter the service OF the country Immediately.
Your brethren have already proved that
the black man can make q good soldier. By
their courage and daring in charging upon
the enemy, and in storming forts, they
have overcome the sharp prejudice Of most
Of our officers and soldiers. But you are
to vindicate and honor yourselves in all
the relations cf life, in the field, the places
OF trade, and wherever you 60. Be patient
railing. Be true to yourselves, ,sto every
man and to God, and prejudice will wear
away in due time. You are free to stay
with your former masters and mistresses
or to leave them, as your own good may
Tequire-as the General said. Ifyou leave
them. advise you to honor yourselves by
your manner and spirit. Remember you
a $,ph <A< SA~v In
they have given to them-by Providence
tho cup OF sorrow. Say or do nothing
that will make you ashamed to come back
and ask them for employment, provided
you should get in want. Do nothing to
make it neediessly hard for them TO ask
you 10 return and labor for them or nurse
them if sick. You can well afford to be
even generous 70 them. And here would
give you advice IN selecting your lands.
ing the islands, il you are the first there,
to select the best, / hope the young, the
smart ones, will remember the aged, and
the widows. Honor yourselves Dy remem.
beling the poor, and helping one another.
The General said, he would aid you with
reed, farming tools, &C., SO far as he should
be able, and although the supply must be
very iimi!ed, still see nothing before you
ba; a glorious, prosperous future. trust
y
shall come to see your we'll cultivated
farms, your children in schools, and every
thing smiling around you, you will give
them cordial welcome there an aged col.
ored man, in glowing terms and burning
words endorsed what was said, others nod
cling assent.
In selecting your lands, be sure to get
such ss were owned by men who have
taken up arms against the government or
aided the rebellion, and have abandoned
their plantations agreeably to Gen. Sher-
mans order. There are, no doubt, come
lands whose owners the government may
pronounce to be loyal, and if you should
get their lands you would lose your labor.
Get all the facts and make no mistake in
your choice.
You see here today the General and
their shoulders. Now, white men think q
great deal of these honors, but If were in
your place, ] would rather have forty acres
Of land under my feet, that could walk
on % my own, than to be covered all over
from head to foot with stars. Let white
men fight for these honors, but you be sure
and GET your lands-and you must be in q
hurry about il, too. for only this morning
I heardjof da.boat coming down the rivel
full Of people, who have asked for q pass to
70 right down, without even landing in thu
city. like 70 see this wide awake spirit.
You must not wait for the General to send
q large steamboat to take you down il
grand style. No, no; 60 at once, and II
there is no other way, get rail and swim
down on that. Many hearty shouts.]
see already the ire burning in your eyes
to leave the church now and CO." Well,
shall not he surprised to hear Of some o
you getting wagons and boats, and hoes
and seeds, and when inquiry is made fo1
you, if it should be said, "Oh! they an
down already on their farms"
To encourage such AZ must 60 empty
handed, or not at all, I musttell you abou
the old hen, how she manages for her fam
lily. So soon ~ the little chicks are hatched
them scratch. So soon 40 they have learned
how to scratch, OF runs the old hen, cluck
ing a. she goes, "Now little chicks yor
must scratch or de- Did you ever se.
any young chicks that did not scratch ou
|a hving7 You have scratched for your
masters and yourselves too, In slavery, ant
cannot you do az much as the little chicks
now YOU are free9 Let all who think the.
can, and are ready to try, raise their hands
IA forest of arms all through the hous'
suddenly rose, many rising to their fee
and raising both arms.
Now that 30 much has been done for you
no one can afford to make failure OF hil
freedom. If in the past, you have boel
guilty Of lying or stealing, or swearing, o
drunkenness, or any other sin, You mus
do 10 no more; for he who does thes'
things Injuries not only himself but you
entire cause. You owe it to your friendl
who. so long, have labored for your free
dom; to the great army of patriotic soldier
who, in nobly fighting for the Union, hav'
filled so many thousand honored graves
you owe it to those now in the field, ant
those suffering In hospitals, and eepeciall,
to those noble thousands, languishiDg, dy
ing of hunger and cruel barbarity, IN th'
Southern rebel prisons. You owe 1t 70 th,
almost innumerable train Of patriotic ans
heroic mothers, wives, daughters and sis
ters in the North, who mourn the aoss o
their beloved ones, who have fallen sac
|rifice for their country. But above all, d.
you owe it TO your blessed Savior, who IL
addition to dying for you on the cross, ha,
90 ordered, by His providence, that yet
are made free and free forever. You owl
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