The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-07-06

the national conscience was so de-
bauched as to be no longer able to
perceive the horrors of slavery, a vast
majority of the people still loved the
Union of their fathers, and God in
his goodness, made this love our
schoolmaster to bring US back to the
love of liberty, not as a mere sentl-
ment, but as a living, energizing, uni
versal principle. By showing the ma
ton that either the Unicu or slavery
must die, be educated us up to the point
that sanctioned the issuing of the
proclamation that rung out freedom
to the land and to all the inhabitants
thereof; and the people said Amen;
and the Grand Army OF the Republic
said Amen ) slavery died amid its wor-
shippers, and a r~egenerated Republic
shouted Amen. anssI cd Is H3
However difficult it may be under
certain complications to apply in prac-
tice the great doctrine of equal rights
among men, is it not wonderful, not
withstanding all the lessons of expe-
rience, that man, whose breath, is in
his nostrAs, should even in our own
day arrogate to himself the possession
of rights which he denies to his fellow
a And how contemplate and
cowardly does this claim of superior
rights become when it is based upon
the assumption, true or false, that it
exists become the man who makes
the claim is superior to him as against
whom it is made. d3c2 - 8
If one man or one race of men is
weaker than, or inferior, to another.
is it not an imputation upon the wis
dom and justice of the GOD of Nature
to assert that the weaker man or
with inferior rights; that the Supreme
Ruler of the universe so legislates as
not to protect the weak against the
the strong, but the strong against the
weak that He is the God of the proud,
the arrogant and the powerful, but
not the God of the weak and the low
~; that he is a respecter of persons;
but not a respecter of righteousness?
Surely such doctrines find no sanction
in the Declaration of Independence,
or in the teachings of Him who en-
joined that "all things whatsoever
We would that men should do to
you. do ye even so to them,
for this is the law and the prophets f"
If one man or race of men claims
superior rights and greater protection
from society and government in the
battle of life, because Of his or its sup
posed superiority to another man or
another race, prudence would seem to
dictate that the claimant should take
out a policy against the accident of his
being mistaken in the assumption.
Fortunately, companies now exist
that are willing to insure against ac-
cidents of all kinds. 81
If the assumed superiority does ex-
list, so much the greater is the reason
that the inferior and the weaker
should enjoy the protection of equal
and equal laws. If it does not
exist. the claim is based on a false
hood, and must therefore fall.
The Declaration of independence
does not proclaim the absurd doctrine
all men of the same race are
equal, and that as among
themselves they are entitled to GER
tain i~nalienable rights, but that as to
other races they are not equal, and do
not possess or may be despoiled of
their rights. Again, if a superior
may deny to an inferior race the
of equal and impartial
why may not a superior man
deny to an inferior man of the same
the same thing? Idefy mortal
co show why the logic that proves
the one proposition will not prove the
other. The result of such logic would
be that the most superior mar in the
must govern all the rest, and
to be consistent we would all have to
bow to some shrewd fellow like Louis
and say,"We await your
superior pleasure; YOU will is the
you are the Government by
right of superiority"
This is not the time nor the place to
discuss mere partisan questions, but
On a day -consecrated to liberty, and in
the presence of so many of its noble
and gallant defenders, may we not
with entire propriety consider the
Of humanity and the practical
application of the principles of the
Declaration of Independence to the
duties of life? -
Believing such considerations to be
appropriate to the occasion. | have no
hesitency in saying that the suppress
ion of the rebellion and the onse
luences which have already flown and
which are still to flow therefrom must,
at no distant day, place the nation on
The broad platform of the Declaration
Of independence, and consequently as
sure to all classes of our citizens, of
every race, equal and impartial civil
nd politioa1 RIGHTS fbopoaforth and