Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-05-24
ADDRESS TO THE WHITES.

Permit me now to address a few remarks
more especially to those who have not
known as you, the woes of slavery or the
consequences of disiranchisement under
popular government. Meanwhile, fellow
citizens, let me say to you that you are
charged with duty grander than is often
confded to generation OF men. You are
to unite with those whom through life you
have been taught to despse as an inferior
race, in organizing party in Louisiana
in harmony with the great Republican
party OF the North. That party is based
on, viyified aud cemented by two senti
meuts-love for the Union, and devotion
to human freedom. Its whole creed may
be summed up in tie phrase, perfect aud
indestructible unity of the States, with
the perpetual maintenance Of the largest
liberty oil the individual, consistent with the
general welfare. Ii you fail to give full
scope and powerto either ofthe sesenti-
ment you will in SO far fall short of the due
performance OF your mission. Justice is
blind, and knows no color and justice is
the law Of the Republican party. In en-.
iranchising our iellow-citizens Of African
descent, We must accept them as entitled to
all the rights, privileges, and amenities Of
citizenship. We must not give mere
intellectual assent to the propositions on
which to base our action; but accept them
as animating aud controlling sentiments.
Rights guaranteed by daily practice are
not secured. Established habit is the only
safeguard of personal liberty in our land.
The Constitution of the United States has
guaranteed to every citizen the rights,
privileges, and immunites Of citizenship
to the citizens in each State in the several
States. But when, before this war, was |.
or men who held opinions in common
with me. safe in attempting to exercise
that constitutional right in any slave
State? AS | have shown you, dominant
sentiments may override constitutional
and legal provisions. Rest not, therefore,
your experiment upon the embodiment in
constitution or law, of abstract principles
but see TO it that they are embodied
practically in the organization OF primary
caucus AID convention, and ultimate or
eanzstion of city, parish, and State. If
you rise TO the prompt accomplishment
VI tuiS Prtdt Woih, tho uaJ VI etillc VIII
have passed, aud the American sword may
be beaten into plowsbare. A homogen-
eous people, bound together by the i'm
mense diversity Of their varied interests,
by the most uuaestrained personal inter
course and the freest interchange Of
thought through free press, will find no
issues that legislation or diplomacy may
not settle. Aud nation that, in its in-
fancy, put into the field, and kept there
for four years, during which the boodiest
aud best contested battles of history were
fought, armies each numbering more than
million Of men. need fear no foreign
war. (Applausc) The prestige of this
war il ut the back Of our European diplo-
macy, and if we listen to the voice Of rea-
sou ia our demands, American questions
will be matters Of easy aud speedy solution
by the courts Of Europe. Let US, then,
not grieve over ,he past, but batting no jot
Of heart or hope move onward ia our great
work, and the struggling millions of Eu.
rope will fnd encouragement in our labors,
and innumerable postcrity will rise TO re
we're our country's flag, and call those who
fell martyrs in its maintenance, and those
who through the civil strife completed
their work, blessed among men.