The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-05-01
SPEECH OF MIR. THOMAS W. CONWAY, +
OF NEW YORK,
Dslicered in the Second Baptist Church, Ra-
leigh, on Tuesday night, 2Sd April, 1867.
[RrpoHrrD BY Mr.. MCGUIRE, srrsoonArHrn.l

tetyt, W 1ueStsUy Utyftt, @oU &dPTU, lood.
[REpoRrED BY Mr.. MCGUIRE, srzNoGRAPHER
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND FELLOW CITIZENS
1t gives me very great pleasure to meet with
YOU this evening in the midst of q struggle
of such great importance as that in which
we are now engaged. Down here in this
Southern country there are matters of inte-
rest connected with politics which are of the
gravest Importance, especially to you my
colored brethren. My friends. why are we
here tonight You always had the right
from God, the author of your being, to all
the privileges of citizenship, but wicked
men resisted the ordinances of God and said
you should not enjoy those privileges. God
in his good providence has seen fit to come
and interpose in an especial manner in your
behalf. and He has suffered our land to be
deluged with blood and racked with war in
order that justice might be done, and that
you might rise from your degradation and
stand up and breathe freely and all enjoy
those privileges that belong to you as men.
Congress also as it were but yesterday
granted by law to you the enjoyment of
your rights as American citizens. This act
on the part of our government is one that
has caused commotion in our land, and es-
pecially in this portion of it. 1t was not ex-
pected when Mr.. Lincoln issued his emanci-)
patton proclamation, that there should have
been conferred upon you the right of the ball
lot, by means of which liberty might be
maintained and protected and rendered n
blessing to you and to your children after
you. Congress saw that these States could
not safely be admitted back into the Union
of States without certain guarantees in regard
to the future, and the loyal people of this
country represented in Congress saw that
the best guarantee of peace, and of Union,
and of concord, and of prosperity in every
part of the land, was Justice to be exercised
and enjoyed by all alike.
1t is useless for us to deny a great fact,
which is this, that there are in this country
two great political parties Some men
would have you ignore the fact, and some
| would have you conclude in your own minds
that it is hest not to ally yourselves with any
party. We know that however we may for
the moment attempt to avoid the fact, it
nevertheless stands before u.s. We had in
the late war two great parties, one arrayed
agaist the other, and we have to-day the
same thing. One the Democratic, Conserva-
tive, Rebel Copperhead party, Qaughter,)
| and the other the National Republican par
| ty. The first an advocate of slavery in the
past, and party that would to-day deprive
| you of the right of American citizenship ifthey
had the power to do so. The other party,
the party of freedom, the party that thun-
dered its voice through the land. in the halls
| of Congress and out of them, and secured the
extension of ample justice and protection for
! you by means of the ballot. A party whose
representatives in Congress obeyed its voice
and did that which God had pointed out,
and as a result we have the reconstruction
measure which extends to you the right of
the elective franchise. (Applause) That
| slavery party has been from the commence
ment of the struggle until now opposed to
the extension of this right to you They vo-
| ted against it in Congress and harangued
| against it out of Congress- Their newspa-
pers all over the country were filled with re-
Dukes of Congress because of the attempt to
force this measure upon the South. But,
thank God, the people who loved righteous
ness, who loved liberty. who loved justice,
who loved to see American citizens enjoy all
their rights. came forth to occupy the broad,
strong platform on which we now stand and
on which we are goir & to fight this battle.
| (Cries of yes, yes, and cheers.) This party
of slavery has been up to this moment op-
posed to your education as well as to your
enfranchisement. 1 would have you care
fully watch and carefully understand the
career of that party. What have they done
in the two or three years they have been in
| power down here in the Southern States in
behalf of your education Why have they
not thus far extended to you the blessing of
education? Have they given you schools or
school houses up to this time 2 Their statute
books on this subject tell sad story, and
when they come up and tell you they are the
best friends you have in the world hold them
fast to the record Tell them you can't see
it so far.
Who are all those teachers we are sending
down amongst you by the thousand Are
they Copperheads or Republicans Have
any of the aristocratic ladies of the South
left their pianos and given up the enjoy
ments of home and of society to educate and
enlighten you2 No, no.) Have any of them
gone amongst you to engage in the glorious
work of education (No, no) know
many young ladies who have come down
here, abandoned their pianos and all the
luxuries and comforts of happy Northern
homes for the Cross who came down here to
work and toll for you, resignlng all that
makes life happy for your sake believe
there are some of them here amongst US to
night on whom God and his angels are look
ing because they are engaged in performing
His work. What party Is it that has infic-
ted upon you strict and terrible punishment
since the close of the ware aea
A distinguished gentleman addressed you
yesterday, and told you that he was consid-
cred an enemy of the colored race, because
he went to Washington and haG Gen. Sick
les order rescinded, and he would have you
understand that he was your friend (Cries
of no, no) was not aware this whipping
business was going on since the war.
thought slavery was gone. (Cries oft is, it
is, and cheers.) The Governor stated yester-
day that the law was made for the whites as
well as the blacks. How many white peO-
pie have been whipped, or don't every body
know that a law Of that kind if it does EN-.
brace whites and blacks means only blacks
| in its administration The Governor
or any other man, is greatly mistaken if
| they attempt to make you believe that, be-
cause think you understand it, and many,
very many of you understand it to your sor-
row. e. Yes, yes," and applause.) If they
are such great friends of yours, if they are
now willing that you should vote why have
they not shown that willingness in their
Legislature by giving you that right q
(Cheers.) Why did they wait for our ma
tional Congress to do it2 They had ample
time to do it, but now that the Republicans
have done it for you, they stand up and ask
you to vote against the party that has made
J you men, and free, and equal citizens of this