The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-04-25
President johnson TO the Negr0es.

yersary of emancipation in the Dis
trict of Columbia. The pageant is
described by the Washington papers
as of the grandest character, and the
Pest of order prevailed among the
colored people.
At precisely twelve o'clock NJ. the
head of the column entered the
grounds of the Executive Mansion,
and after the firing of a salute and
the playing of music by the band,
the President made his appearance.
Three faint cheers were given as he
appeared, when he proceeded to ad-
dress the negroes as follows:
SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT.
| am happy to meet you here, my
friends, on this your day of celebra-
ton. / come forward here for the
purpose of indicating my appreciation
of. and manifesting my interest in,
this celebration. | thank you for the
compliment you pay me in coming,
and | mean what / say. tell this
vast concourse that. the time will
come, and that before long, when the
colored population of the United
States Will find out wh9 are their
true friends. The time will come
when they will find out who has
selected them as a hobby and pre-
tence by which to successfully obtain
and maintain power, and those who
have been their friends and wished
them to participate in the blessings of
freedom aaf
The time will come when it viii be
made kr own who it is that has con-
tributed as much as any. other, and I
need not be considered egotistical In
saying that has eontafbuted more, in
procuring the great. national guarantee
of the abolition of slavery in all these
States by the ratification of the
amendment to the Constitution iof
the United States, giving the national
guarantee that slavery is no longer to
exist or q be re-established in any of
the States or Territories within the
jurisdiction of the United States.
l know how geasysit is to cater to
prejudice. l know how easy it is to
excite feelings of prejudice and IN
Kindness | care not for that L
have been engaged in this work in
which my all has been perilled; and I
was not in it as a hobby, nor was I
riding the colored man for the sake
of getting power, but it was for the
purpose of establishing the great
principle of freedom. And. thank.
God, feel, and know it to be So; that
my efforts have worked out equally as
much-if not m0re-in the accom-
plishment of that great national guar
antee, which cannot now be repealed.
as any other living man In +he- LATED
States. fCheers.
It is very easy for the el 08f fn5dWTsr-
removed from danger. NAV theorize
abstractedly on freedom-men who
never exposed life, limb, or property.
and who never contributed sixpence
for the accomplishment Of the great
ends about which they talk, Tapplause
while another has .periled his all, and
has put up everything that is sacred
to man, and while those he raised and
who have lived with him, now live on
and enjoy his property With his CON
sent, receiving his aid and his assist
ance, yet may be suspected and con
demned, while others are received as
the great projectors and defenders
of the rights of the colored man.
repeat, my colored friends, here
to-day, that the time will come. and is
not far distant, when it will be proven
who has been your principal and best
friend. My friendship, as far as it has
gone, has not been bestowed for the
sake OF place or power. [ had these
already. 1t has been for principle.
and, thank Godl the great principle
has been established, that whenever
an individual, in the language of a
distinguished orator and sfatesman
treads American soil, his soul swells
beyond the pressure of his chains. |
He has been redeemed, regenerated. |
and disenthralled by the universal |
genius Of emancipation. ECheers.]
Then let me mingle with you In the |
celebration of the day which com
menced your freedom 4 do it in sin
cerity and truth, and trust in God that
the blessing which has been conferred
may be enjoyed, appreciated, and Civ
en- the proper direction by you.
There is something for you to do.
You have high and solemn duties to
perform. And remember that free
dom is not a mere idea-only mere
idea; it must be reduced to practi- /
cable reality. Men, in being free.
have to deny themselves many things
that seem sometimes to be embraced
in the idea of universal freedom.
1t is for you to give evidence to the
world, and to the people of the United
States, whether you are going to APP
propriate this great boon as it should /
be appropriated. and give evidence
that you are capable Of being free
men.baaaA H3aoI aerasaL aaivsn