Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-01-16

portunity to slip. God does not multiply
opportunities when the people neglect
chances. Jefferson wrote the draft Of free
Constitution for the State of Virginia, but
the Legislature which should have passed
it neglected to meet, and Virginia, the
mother OF Presidents is still the mother Of
slaves. We must purge the land Of the
vile abomination Of Slavery by Constitu-
tional amendment, and it must be done
now, He then told the following very ap-
posite story Of Wendell Phillips This dis
tinguished orator was riding in q railroad
car, when he was addressed by q man Of
such rotundity that he seemed to carry
everything before him. This man asked
Mr.. Phillips what was the object Of his
life. "To benefit the negro" was the
bland reply, ''WeIl, then, why don't
you 20 down South to do itP' ''That is
worth thinking of. Now, by the token of
the white cravat around your neck what is
the object of your life" "To save souls
from hell" "MGy ask whether you pro-
pose to go there to doit?" Immense APP
plause.l
We must strike alliance with the negro
race, srming them with the musket and
with the ballot. He condemned the in
Justice of granting the musket but not the
ballot, and said the strongest man in the
States, stronger than Lincoln or Grant, was
the negro; he put his arm around the
North and around the South and crushed
them together. His strength lay in his
weakness, because it brought down God on
his side. For years we had refused to work
with the negro, and God had refused to
work without him, hence God had not
worked with US. We all profess to believe
in the freedom, Independence and equality
spoken of in the Declaration Of Indepen-
dence, but we donot believe in it; we say
| to the man in the dust "rise thou and be q
man" but when we see his black face we
recoiI in disgust. He demanded not social
equality, but political equality which ev-
cry man has before God and before law.
He wanted to see this Nation look into the
face of negro and forget that he was
black; the refOrmatory process of breaking g
down the prejudice against color
must go on in the North as well as in
the South, They both wanted wash
ing, like the two sisters who advertised
| in the London lines,
If the black man wsre inferior to the
white, what then2 In the family, which
child is it we take most care Off is it not
the weakIing, the cripple? Oil beware
lest, when God reaches down His hand to
give US a blessing, He reach so low that he
shall miss US who hold up our heads 30
high in pride. He will not forget them,
He will bring them up out Of the land of
bondage; every one of those poor fellow5
will be received into tho brotherhood of
this nation. And how shall we greet
them? We should strew roses under their
feet, for they boar the blessed promise
"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the
least of these my brethren, ye have done it
unto mo-" Eighty years ago we hung up
-as did Lafayette in his Gallic home
the bill of rights, and underneath it placed
.he image of the white man; and we can
not rest till in the other niche we hang the
bill of rights, with the image of the black
man beneath. Then shall be realised the
song that was sung of tho advent Of the
RedeemeT-"Peace on earth, good will to-
wards men,"
Mr.. Tilton resumed his seat amid great
applause: Our poor report gives little idea
of the magnetic force of the orator as he
enInciated the lofty Christian sentiments
and truths with which the discourse
abounded.