The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-10-19

follows
my friends. my object in presenting
myself before YOU on this occasion, is
simply to thank yof a N embers of one
of the coloreJ regim ents which has been
in the service of the country to sustain
and carry its banner and its laws tri-
umphantly in every part Of this broad
land. repeat that | appear before you
on the present occasion merely To tender
you my thanks for the compliment you
have paid me on your return home, to
again be associated with your friends
and your relatives, and those you hold
most sacred and dear. / repeat, | have
but little to say, it being unusual in this
Government and most other Govern
ments to have colored troops engaged in
their service. You have gone forth,
events have shown, and served with pa
tience and endurance in the cause of
your country. This is your country as
well as anybody elses country Cheers. |
This is the country in which you expect
to live, and in which you should expect
to do something by your example in civ
ii life as you have done in the field. This
country is founded upon the principles
of equality, at the same time the stand
ard by which persons are to be estimated
Is according to their merit and their
worth, and you have observed, no doubt,
that for him who does his duty faithfully
and honestly there is always a just pub
/ lie judgement that will appreciate and
measure out to him his proper reward.
l know that there is much well calcu
lated, in this Government, and since the
late rebellion commenced, to excite the
white against the black and the black
against the white man. These are things
al oil
same time prepare yourselves for what is
before you.
Upon the return of peace and the sur
render of the enemies of the country, it
should be the duty of every patriot, and
every one who calls himself Christian
to remember that with the closing of the
war his reSentments should cease; that
angry feelings should subside, and that
every man should become calm and tran
quill, and be prepared for what is before
him This is another part of your mis-
sion. You have been engaged in the
effort to sustain your country in the past,
but the future is more important to you
than the period in which you have just
been engaged One great question has
been settled in this Government, and
that question is the question of slavery.
The institution of slavery made war
States has lifted its strong arms in vindi-
cation of the Government !; and in lifting
that arm, and appealing to the God of
Battles, it has been decided that the in
stitution Of slavery must go down
(Cheers This has been done, and the
Goddess Of Liberty, in bearing witness
over many of our battlefields since the
struggle commenced, has made her lofti-
est flight, and proclaimed that liberty
has been established upon a more per-
manent and enduring basis than hereto
fore. Applause But this is not all
and as you have paid me the compliment
to call upon me, l shall take the privi-
lege of saying one or two words as 1 am
before you. l repeat, though it is not
at all new, that when the sword is return
ed to its scabbard, when your arms are
reversed, and the olive branch of peace
is extended, as l remarked before, that
resentment and revenge should subside.
Then, what is to follow You do under
stand, no doubt, and if you don't. you
cannot understand too soon, that simple
liberty does not mean the privilege offs
ing into the battlefield or into the service
of the country soldier. 1t means
other things as well and now when you
have laid down your arms, there are other
objects of equal Importance before voIr
u0W tHdt tuc HAS tIluIll phsAlt~
ly passed through this mighty rebellion
After the most gigantic battles the world
ever saw. the problem is before you, and
it is best that YOU should understand it;
and, therefore, l speak simply and plain
lv. Will you now, when you have return
ed from the army of the United States
and take the position of citizens, when
you have returned to the avocations of
peace, will you give evidence To the
world that you are capable and eompe-
tent to govern yourselves: That is
what you will have TO do. Liberty is
not n mere idea, mere vagary. 1t Is an
idea or it is n reality. When you come
to examine this question of liberty, you
will not mistake mere idea for reality.
1t does not consist in idleness. Liberty
does not consist in being worthless
Liberty does not consist in doing all
things as we please. and there can be
no liberty without law. In Govern
ment of freemen. of liberty, there must
be law and there must be obedience and
submissisn TO the law without regard TO
color CCheers Liherty-and may l
not call YOU my countrymen-lperty
consists in the glorious privilege OF
work, of pursuing the ordinary avoca
tious OF peace with ind lstry and with
economy, aul that being done. all those
who have been Industrious snd economl-
cal are permitted TO appropriate and en-
joy the proiuc of their labor (Cheers }
This is one of the greatest blessings
Of freedmen. AMI hence we might ask
the question and ans weT it by stating,
that liberty means free jom to work and
enjoy the products ct yolr own labor.
You viii soon he mustered out OF the
ranks 1t is for v0l 10 establish the
great fact that you are ut aud qualified
to he free; hence freedom IS not a mere.
idea. hut is something that exists IN fact
Freedom is not simply the privilege To
live in idleness Liberty does not IN aars
simply the privilege TO resos- TO the low
saloons and other places OF '.i>reputabl.,
character Freedom and liberty do ne,
mean that the people ought to live in II
centiousness, but liberty means simply