The colored American., 1866-01-13

"a
TO tread the face of Gods earth to TIC
music Of freedom. To-day, We celebfate
" the dawn Of liberty, and dance foF ioy Il
the pledge Of its security. UnboFn mil,
lions Ein rise 70 swell the notes of eman.
sscipatien, andtu itsmeloay By the chants
Of the redeemed. The oppressed ofevery
nation WillsJoin the chorus, and Heavens
great organ will lend 1t harnlony. The
gray sheadedeires who died IN its faith,
y, viii spread through enensity the elogfes
of its triumphs, and lavish its stfains with
Y fadeless laurelss The heroes efthe Union,
whose blood was split for liberty, shall
hare fragrant names, and precious memo.
ries, and their noble examples will stand
asa sanonumentefhonor, toinspire the iust
till theWOrld shall end. asl Tea as9ss
This is day ofaaspecial gratitude to
Heavenvsfor many blessings which follow
in the axitaof slavery. ss .s sss
Nv lst. This isa day Of gratitude for the
privilege of meeting as other people.
! Heretofore, We could not meet without
being under the supervision of some white
mans We were watched, feared and sus-
plcioned.s Three colored men could make
. threat, and five hundred white men
would rush to arms. The whites should
d thank God withus, for now they can rest
quietly, they have no fears of being
murdered, nor have they to sit up all
night to watch us; no patrol duty to
perform; no fears Of US running away.
They ought to thank God that they are
relieved of that burden, and we of our
fears neither party having to watch the
other, but all can attend to their ow n
business. aaaa H ,aiel
I'd. This is day of; gratitude for the
general destruction of slavery; for slavery
was 2 re'actionary curse. 1t rebounded
back upon the Waite man, while it degradl
ed the status ef the black. This traffic
ing in human. blood, buying and selling,
separating man and wife, parents and
children, hardened the hearts and numbed
the conscience Of the whites and made
them cruel and wicked It, petrifed
their synpathies and deadened their fine.
sense of justice, and made their moral
ideas blank scroll The resultwas, they
were not near so benevolent in charitable
acts. as they. should have been ;Iconse-
quently, thousands ofwhite children grew
up 10 their midst ! without any education
for the sKant of free schools. On the
other hand Intended tosmake ussthieyish
because we fegarded itright toflch what
we should have had as the reward Of our
labor. It.also tended to make JUS un-
truthful, telling lies to escape punishment,
or to deceive our owners for some pers
sonal comfort which our best men would /
regard as necessary prerequisite
90. This is a day of gratitude for the i
freedom OF schools. Heretofore, ~ law
and rule closed against us books of every
lYhe Bible, Gods eternal
WILL and requirements was a sealed book.
His pledge, his sacred truths, and6all the
guarantees of his grace were barred and
. lied against us by the Jaw of the land.
a5 cation, the hand maid of religion,
Gods great articulstive~ organ of CONS
nunication, hung palsied in the scales of
prejudice, or was looked up By The greed
# worldly gain. But now the channels
IT learning are free to all; we only have
o launch our vessel and sail in its current
0 the port Of distinction. Our big men.
heretofore, were BARRIERS, Tailors, Boot
makers and Carriage drivers. IF we saw
Tohn driving out 'Massa and Missus.'
} how we coveted bis big position. But f
ow our big men can be Lawyers, Doc t
ors, Editors, Astronomers, Chemists G
&C.. sF
4th. This is day Of gratitude for the s
'eedom Of mind. Heretofore our inn q
leasurable intellectsswere also enslayed-l /
nat is the most darnning feature of sla. c
cry. But now with mind, mighty in '
S resources, though, at present undevel. b
ped we can prowl through Heaven, earth o
I'd hell, and claim their extensions as o
omain Of its play. Problems will be
ade plain, and mysteries will lay bare
leir long entombed wonders. IS
5th. This is day Of gratitude for the '
eedom Of matrimony. Formerly there O
as nc security for domestic happiness. b
'ur ladies were sinsulted and degraded Fl
ith or without their consent. Our
ives were sold, and husbands bought, lit
lildren were begotten and enslayed It'll
7 their fathers, We therefore. were poly~ Il
amists BY virtue of our condition. Butt b,
'W we can marry and live together till Il
e die, and raise our children, and teach b,
lem to fear God, .Ol black age of sdissi. pl
alton, thy days are nearly numbered.ss l,hi
9th. This is a day Of gratitude for the tt
eedom Of the Gospel Formerly the 10
outhern ministers were chained or curb. fo
in proclaim,ng the mandates of Heaven. Of
one felt disposed to preach the full m
Gaming Of the text SO do teaall men as til
u would have Ashem do to- YOU he vi
embled, feared, and aaged. The learned H
% Of the world were shut out from fo
q South. ~ You could not preach the Fl,
ra Onano1 avsf,sr arx, - ~ - -.