The Portland daily press., 1865-06-17
Saturday Morning, June II. 1855.
Snasch of 0hiaf Instica Chase.


Chief Justice Chase at Charleston, May l2tl
to an audience OF dve or six thousand black
and FIVE hundred (not 5000 as reported by tel
egraph) whites k gao3Y8JaH41 +
MY FRIENDS ri shall comply with the In.
vitatiop OF General Saxton only to address
you very few words. 1t is true that have
always been the friend of freedom, have
always desired TO see every man, of whatever
complexion, protected in the enjoyment OF all
his natural rights and to see every man cloth
ed with every legitimate means for the pro
lection Of those rights. No man, probably, ID
TINS country, deplored this war more than my
self; perhaps no man would have made great
er sacrifices to avert it. ] did not wish to see
even the great good OF emancipation effected
at such terrible cost. believed that ii
would come some time; believed that, BY 3
wise and just administration of the federal
government II might be FASTENED; but new
er desired to see those seas Of blood, and those
vast gulfs in which the treasures OF the coun-
try have been sunk, even, for that highest
good, which, as we all hoped, could have been
obtained by ether and gentlef means. But, in
the providence OF Goa, war came; and as d
means OF carrying that war through to sue
cessful issue, Ifelt 1t was the duty OF the gem
eral government to respect its natural allies !;
and knew that the whole,colored population
OF the South was loyal (Great cheering.)
said and felt that ii we would succeed in this
struggle we must strike the fetters from the
bOndmen. %
Such was my counsel in the cabinet; and
when that honored man-whose death this na-
tion mourns, in common with all the lovers OF
freedom throughout the world--when that
honored man made up his mind to say that all
men In this land shall be free, none gave it a
more hearty sanction or O more emphatic
Amen than myself. Then, when that other
question arose-"Shall we put arms into the
hands Of the black man ?'--I never doubted
the proper answer. II we make them free
men, and the defense of their freedom is the
defense of this nation, whose duty4is it to bear
arms, if not theirs Whose duty is 1t to take
part in the struggle now for freedom as well
as for Union, il not their dutys And now
can We expect TO succeed II we do not avail
ourselves of that natural strength which in
this struggle is created for us by the circum-
stances under which it is waged? When the
government, therefore, made up its mind to
call the black man to, the field, Il felt that it
had not done it one moment too soon, but a
great many days too late. But now the col
ored man has borne his full proper share in
the great struggle. Il anybotsy has made sac-
=. i---1aue them. If any BODY has
suffered extreme i'll he has suffered IT, and
the victory being won, and freedom and Tn.
ION being secured, who has better right than
ne TO participate in the fruits of both? II ID
simply because think it just and right that
4 advocate u. believe that the safety OF pa.
slons as wen as OF Individuals consistain-dn
4 51tfs75 II t1s d Of that pas
sage OF Scripture which says that he that
walketh uprightly walketh surely. That man
or that nation linking his or its action with
truth and justice, relying upon the providence
of Almighty God, is sure to issue safely and
triumphantly. IL may be that great struggles
have TO be gone through, great trials TO be
made, great martyrdoms to be endured. This
war has seen mnllitudes of martyrs-last and
noblest of them all, that great martyr, our be-
loved President, struck down by the hand OF
the assassin. So martyrdomsn may yet be
needed; but out Of all your trials the issue is
sure. 4s9omA q fis s9asia Ha sat
have said the victory Is won. The armies
of the rebellion are disbanded, peace returns,
and peace brings with it its duties. a great
race, numbering four millions, is suddenly
brought into freedom. All the world Is look
ing to see whether the prophecies of the enc
mics of that race will be fulfilled or falsified
1t rests upon the men Of that race 10 tell
They say that you will be disorderly, shiftess
lazy; that you will starye rather than work
that wages cannot tempt you to work; thai
you will become thievish vagabonds. So your
enemies say so, too, great many people that
are not your enemies seriously fear. 1t is Tor
you to show whether it shall be so or not
You need not in the meantime be particularly
anxious what people say about you. Show
that you will be honest, temperate, industri
ous and faithful ingyour etnployments; thai
you are ready to do honest work for honest
wages: be economical, lay up portion OF ev
cry days or every months earnings Ia some
savings bank for yourselves and families for
rainy day. Do everything in your power tt
increase the products of the country; doins
this with all your might you will save your
selves aud reflect credit upon those who have
been your friends. ll44 es aal ii-ss.i
Godforbid that before die / shall b
obliged to hang my head and say, expected
a great deal of this people; believed then
to be honest, industrious and orderly, and
and | have been mistaken; that they allowed
miserable prejudices to grow up among them
that they permitted themselves to be controll
ei by vindictiYeness OF feeling; that the,
were unwilling to labor for their living. Fol
alter ALL labor must be the cardinal law G
your lives. s.sgs.,. ~ .s IS q s.s. sss5
was, myself, Western boy, and in the lo
cabins Of the West we Jared just as roughly a
most Of you have Jared. We had very littl
capital, nothing to 60 upon but our own GOO
will, patient hearts and free school education
which, thank God, this country gave to all he
white children, and is now going to give 4
all the blacks who will take 1t. Well, upoI
such capital we went to work, and we cam
10 something. You can do The same thing
you viii go to work in the same way. But
you spend your time iretting because this o
that white man has a better time than yol
have or mere advantage, and take short cul
to what you may think success, you will Il
the end, be very sadly disappointed. TAX
things patiently and labor faithfully; the re
suit will be glorious. Let the soldier figh
well, let the preacher preach well, let the car
penter shove his plane with all his might, an
the planter put in and gather In as muc
corn or cotton as he can-working for ia
wages, too. Act thus, and have no fears ft
Now as to the elective franchise. Majt
Delany has said that he heard me say in Il
hall Of the House Of Representatives at Wasl
ington that knew no reason why the han
that laid down the bayonet might not take U
the ballot, u he had listened to me twent
years ago, In the city Of Cincinnati, he m gl
have heard me say substantially the san
thing But the colored man did NOT get ele
tive franchise because / said 1t than. Oni
possibly be may not now. Certainly. bowey
events have progressed wonderuliylin In th
direction. If everybody In this city sa
things exactly as them, If they felt as
feel, that 1t would be desirable,g on account
the general interests, that every man shou
have the same rights before The law in /
elective franchise as in everything else
would come to you very soon. But there
not that agreement. Having nothing to
with politics, am not prepared to say WI
will be the action of the Government /
no longer In its counsels, and therefore,
not know what 1t is prepared to do / v
only say this: I believe there Is not a me
ber of the Government who would not
pleased to see universal suffrage. W