The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-07

the freedmen to dig out good deal, ant
4 they don't want to pay them much for it,
want to get rid of that set of people. sa,
to YOU freedmen here tonight be careful
how YOU make your contracts You hav'
your wives and children to take care OF. d.
not make them too hasty; study well, MAKE
your contracts, make good one, but stick
to it, but stick to it good or bad. Show
that you have got noble blood IN you, ane
that the same God made you that made me
They say the negro is lazy, and will dc
no good. 1 don't believe word of it. You
have got to work, you have got to make 6
living honestly and if you do not live hon
estlv the reason of if is because you are de
prived by the white men, of compensation
for your services. (applause)
Another little idea. l see there is a dis
position on the part of some of your enemies
to deride YOU for the position you have ia
ken. heard man say last evening, de-
risively that he was going to vote for mig,
ger to 60 to the legislature Now l want
You when YOU are competent, when you can
do Justice to yourselves. When you see a
suitable office, prepare yourself for it. I
| will be willing to see you get in. l will
tell you one thing Don't make fools of
yourselves, and be laughed at. Take hold
of such positions as you can occupy, and fill
it with credit to yourselves. (applause)
Col. G. II. Foster was then introduced to
the Convention by MIR. Galloway, and spoke
as follows:
The call which has been made for me to
speak before you tonight is entirely unex-
pected.
My presence at this Convention, gentlemen,
is only incidental I did not come to this
city for the purpose CT participating in the
proceedings of this evening. l came entire
ly upon other business.
have been exceedingly pleased at
the sentiments which have been uttered
here tonight. I accept the sentiments
uttered by my respected friend, james Fl.
Harris, when he said let by cones be by
cones. believe it to be truth that the
North is equally with the South, responsible
for the sin of Southern slavery. (Applause.(
Fe low-citizens am Union man by birth;
but arrogate to my section of the country
no credit and no merit, for its freedom from
the sin of slavery, for the last forty or fifty
years.
1 claim by the National compact, the
North was made party to the institutions
of slavery, and you will find me one of the
last men of this country to stand up and
abuse any man of Southern birth because he
was in favor of slavery, and you will never
hear from my lips any detamations or any
reproach of those men who entered the con-
federate army believing that their cause was
just and right (Applause)
1 say, fellow citizens, that accept and re-
1terate the sentiment of Mr.. Harris, which I
believe to be the prevailing sentiment of the
Republican party, not only of North-Caroli-
IA, but throughout the entire Northern
States, let by cones be by cones; let the dead
things of the past be hurried with the insti-
tuition of slavery which provoked them.
did not come here to abuse, cannot
sanction as a Northern man, any abuse of
the Southern people who were against us;
equally against me as against the colored
race which has been so happily and so
peaceably closed, by the Inauguration of
freedom Throughout the whole length and
breadth of the American continent, and by
the coronation of the people as the only
king known to Our commonwealth.
Fellow-citizens, my trust is in God, and
his providence of Which we form part.
During the last struggle, we saw two rep
men, on the one hand, Abraham
Lincoln, on the other hand Jefferson Davis,
as the representative men of two
hostile and clashing civilizations. The two
systems which it had been predicted by the
prophetic lips of VIM. II. Seward, must
come into conflict. and that the one must
yield and be submerged by the other.
We saw these men at the outset desiring
the overthrow of slavery. Abraham Lincoln
die not attempt its extirpation until after
armies that fought on so many hattie fields
all over the land were the blind ami Cncon-
scious instruments in the hands of the AL
mighty to bring about that great historical
result, the emancipation of the slaves and
the obliteration Of slavery in America. l
say then, let no Northern mau take credit
upon himself for the abolition of slavery
and let him not disparage or insult or detame
tl' Southern man because he tried to
it.
1 believe, fellow citizens, that it IS the duty
of every true and earnest representative Of
the Republican party-and wish no man
to call me Copperhead or to call me rebel
because am willing to do the
same justice to these Southern men, who OPP
posed us openly and conscientiously in the
mighty struggle. 1 wish the same justice
done to them which is done to the freedman,
Just so soon, tellow-citiZens. as they show
themselves ready to recognize the constitu |
ton and meet the coiored men as their equals |
before the law, and concede to him that jus
tice which the Caucasian race-dominant
upon this planet-dominant even in the |
South by majority of two to one-can GER
tainly afford to concede to them. Fellow
citizens, l say, then, that am Republican.
am willing to do justice to to all men. |
have no malice in my heart towards any man
because he was rebel and Shareholder. |
say, then, that the doors Of the Republican |
party should be thrown wide open to all |
hose men-let Thorn come in under our ban
ler, if we are convinced that they
come in not as agitators-not to disturb
not to mar its excellence but to accept the
and unite in the great work of
he reconstruction of North Carolina.
I say fellow citizens, our trust should be
n that Providence part of which we and
,ur doings are,-we are the instruments in
he hands of the Almighty. 1 believe that
he Republican party had mission assigned
o it by the Almighty, and believe that that
mission is not yet completed. l believe that
me great mission of the Republican party at
his time is to carry all the Southern States,
low unhappily outside of the Union. with
heir relations towards the Federal Union,
disturbed and out of joint, back into the
old of the Union. believe that our party
las duty to perform in the work of recon-
truction, and would say to every Southern
nan would say to every officer and soldier