The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-10


justice and impartial freedom. That IN the re-
organization, equity shall prevail, IhaI Inere
shall be no reputation of Just debts, ana no
recopnitIon OF the debts of Rebels; no slavery
Should men who made the Rebellion be per
mItted to possess the power they seek, ana
succeed with the Copperheads OF tne Nortn IN
their conspiracies, we may, indeed, Tear Tor the
precious boon Of liberty. we want no ReOel
party in disguise We must rot impertl our
glorious heritage by m'slud9el magnanlmity
towards even the remains OF an tnsolent aris-
tocracy TINS class are still contumacIous
Rebels, and, as such, are not worthy of conf.
dpnce They must suffer the ignominy due their
Grin es and receive their Just punishment that
Long wears these traitors have plotted rhe
destruction of our Governmental the Consti.
tution-ot liberty. Let us hope and pray that
i'm this great work of the reconstruction OF States
this UnioH may be based upon the national
recognition OF all mems inalienable rights, and
that nothing may be ENDANGERED bv precipitancy.
As Mr. ColfaX has SAID, Let the work make
haste slowly and we can then hope that the
foundation of our Government when recon-
sructed on the basis of indlsputable loyalty ard
freedom, will be as "eternal as the stars"
Freedom is the watChword of thus age of pro.
gress. The decree has gone forth that liberty
shall rule supreme in this Republic and through.
out the world. The worus OF our martyred
Lincoln were prOphetic:-"rhis nation, under
God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and
government of the people, by the people, and for
the people, shall not perish from the earth"
In my opinion, before this work of restoration
can be fully consummatel, this Government
must recognize and secure the equal political, as
well as religious, civil, and moral rights of men.
My Friends-On the question of universal sui
irage | feel as did Gadsden, OF South Carolina,
in reference to the Stamp Act OF 1865, when he
exclaimed I'VE stand uoon the broad common
ground OF those natural rights which we feel and
know as men," The two elements now at work
in our land are striving, the one to perpetuate
freedom, the other to DESTROY the power which
Justice seeks to give man. Whence arises this
bitter antagonsm to the free uncond tional, and
equal rights OF the oppressed Are these rights
not denounced most hercely by the infamous
instigators of the Rebellion-the aristocratic
conspirato's Of this country, who have declared,
by words and by wal, that power was more potent
than right, and oppression than equity? The
four millions of human beings made free during
the past four years are not recognized as freed
men by their former masters. Their rights are
not respected by them. The terrible events of
the past four years have not opened their eyes to
sight in ills matter They will not look upon
truths which are IN accordance with the la VS. OF
God and republican principles Who were the
loyal and steadtaSt friends OF the best OF Govern
ments III her hour OF peril? Who came forward
by hundreds OF thousands at the call of Abraham
Lincoln, and fought with a courage unsurpassed
by the braVest soldiers, helping the nation IN
the darkest hour OF danger to turn the tide OF
battle, and win the precious victory that made
safe the Republic? o friends let us be Just,
and labor to extend to this portion of our fellow
citizens those rights the God of Nature has be-
quCathed in common-the right Of selEgo vern.
ment-Ot representation OF the ballot-fOr until
these rights are given we cannot become fully
nation of treCmcn. Refuse the Just demands Of
brave aud loyal people, and nternecne war,
discOrd, sectional and national strife will reap.
pear, III some form, with their blighting effects
upon the country.
1t is SAID by Lhe enemies of negro suffrage
tnat this people are uneduCated in the science of
government, and therefore unit for the right of
suffrage. Have they NOT already proved to the
of oil n ttnt he.
necessary to be understood by the loyal citizens
OF the United States in orGeT to MAINTAIN the
rights OF iTeemen ID we not find them as
anxious tOr the acquisition OF knowledge as the
white race Contemplate some of the develop
ments OF freedom to this race. Go into the
schools OF the freedmen in this State, csta-
| blished by this munihcent Government, where
| upwards OF twenty thousand Colored people are
| being educated. See with what avidlJy they
| apply themselves to the various branches Of
! knowledge. Examine them in the progress of
! their various studies. Tnen, casting aside al
| prejudice OF cnlQr, tell RS il lheg have not
J capacity TO understand and appreciate the
| principles which Law at the ioupdation of a
| truly republican government.
The loyal heart OF The nation is fully aroused
| TO the importance of eduCatmgGh the race morally,
intellectually, ciyilly, and politically. The great
defender OF human liberty, Abraham Lincoln,
| says, in a letter to Governor Hahn, 81 congratu-
late you in having fixed your name in history as
the first Free StaCe Governor OF Louisiana. Now,
among other things, will possibly define the elec.
tive franchise, barely suggest to you, whether
some of the ColOred people may not be let in, as,
Tor instance, the intelligent, and especially those
| who have fought calamity in our ranks. They
would probably help in some trying time to keep
the Jewel OF liberty in the family of freedom -
President johnson said, on this question o.
| negro suffrage Were | in Tennessee would
introduce negro suffrage, gradually, irst TO those
who had served in the army, those who coulC
read and write, and perhaps qualification tC
Others"
The voices OF patriots all over the land are
pTOclalming that freedom and the right OF sut
lrage are insepaTable 1t has become historical
TACT that stands out boldly upon American
records, that the black men OF this country have
vindlcated this Government, and ''cemented its
foundation stones with their blood" Shall w
then refuse them support TO maintain the laws
Can we say, III justice, they shall not become
citizens2 The voice of liberty, in thunder tones
which shake despotsms and make oppressor
tremble, says: - " Freedom means universe
rights, universal Justice" That voice has beer
always speaking, not only in our own country
but through the patriots, statesmen, poets, anC
phllanthroplsts OF other nations. England ha
proclaimed universal liberty and human rights
! through her Wilbertorce, her Locke, her Pitt
her Shake sDeaTe. and her Milton. Ireland
through her 0Conncll, her Father Mathew. anC
her Curran, speaks loudly for the precious bool
OF liberty. GerDany-reedom-lovi Germany
| sends forth her sweetest notes of freedom
| through her Schiller, Luther, and Humboldt
France breahed the pure, immortal flame o
| liberty from the fires which burst from tn
noble heart OF Lafayette, whose pulse throbbe
| with that OF our own WASHINGTON, as the
struggled together for human rights ltal
boasts her aribaldi-thousands OF voices chan
the strains OF liberty at the mention of tina
name, associated forever with freedom.
In our own beloved land the combined voice
OF millions may be heard speaking for universe