The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-07-10
RALEIGH, n G, WEDNESDAY,, july TO- 1867.

forget that black mans touching and signi-
ficant reply. General, I doesn't know what
man votes for, but votes for him what
takes the handcufss off of me-" The en-
tire colored population of these Southern
States will vote for the man what takes the
handouts from their race. The unerring in
stinct of the colored man makes him the
friend of his friend-the Republic; that
with its own integrity he shall be secured
forever. The black man is the friend of the
Republic. Disloyalty does not run in the
blood of his race. Henceforth, his life and
honor will be for the defense of country
and government which protects him.
They tell him that if he votes for Conven-
tion and Constitution is formed, the mill
tary will be Withdrawn and he will be left
to the mercy of the Rebels. I pledge the
Nation for the colored man that it will pro-
tect him forever, though million bayonets
shall glitter in the sun of the South and the
earth be shaken with the tramp of the le-
gions which bear them. The Republic must
be preserved, and for its preservation, op-
preston must be destroyed. Do not credit
these malicious tales OF your enemies. They
are more idle and false than the winds that
blew for two centuries over these Savannahs
of the South and left you still slaves, though
they whispered forever of freedom. The
Republic needs your suffrages for its own
and your protection It welcomes the
strength which it receives from you for its
greatness and its power. Why should it be
ashamed to receive strength and protection
from such citizens Your race has proved
itself the marvel of the civilized world. Had
fifty years instead of two hundred elapsed
since chains clanke1 upon your limbs, then
your energy, your industry, your peaceful
habits, your eager desire and capacity for
learning, your innumerable qualities for good
citizenship-as they are to-day exhibited,
would be the most wonderful thing of the
century. They said that you were not men,
but beasts. They lett you behind and went
to fight against their country-you did not
murder, but tenderly cared for their families.
They came home and with the help of john
son they tried to prevent you from being
citizens of the country. They said there
would be war of races-but you did not
fight. You only demanded protection from
. injustice and wages for your honest labor
The government gave you schools and you
were eager to learn. They said that you
could not learn, that you were baboons and
would only go to school to initiate, while it
was new thing. For two years you have
been in the schools-your children learn as
rapidly as the whites, and their appetite for
learning increases with what it feeds upon.
Twenty eight thousand colored men, women
and children now receive instruction in the
Freedmen's schools of North Carolina. The
infant of four years, and the old with their
heads whitening with the frosts of three
score winters, are among them,-you are in
the schools at night after the lahors of the
day. You are inspired with enthusiasm for
learning from the cradle to the grave.
They said that you were indOlent and
| would not work. You are now the great
| industrial class of the South. They said
you could not save money. In two years
you have laid up almost two million of dol
| lars in the Savings banks of the country
| Go on as you have begun, and the future
offers to your class of American citizens
more promising hopes. Educate your chill
dren and your people The education of all
I ton. The teachers are the ereconstructionists,
and not the soldiers. Soldiery cannot make
nor unmake, nor restore nations.
Upon the solid foundations of intellectual
requirement; upon the intelligence of the
citizen laborer; upon the knowledge OF the
people must be builded the future Republic.
In that Republic there will be no slavery
and no treason.
! Let the black man be not behind in the
race for honorable citizenship. Honesty, in
dustry and learning will secure for him all
things.
Remember that with your race taken into
the embrace of American citizenship the
Republic was born Republican government
is for the first time on trial. Three quarters
of century ago we established upon this
continent government which we called
Republican. We declared that all men wert
created free and equal; born to inalienabls
rights We admitted into that government
the Englishman, the Frenchman, the Ger
man, the Russian, the Italian, the Scotch
man, the Irishman, the Turk, and the races
from hundred islands of the sea. We only
excluded the negro. That government was
not Republic This government was moi
Republic until few weeks ago, when from
the City of Washington and the heights o
Georgetown it was flashed to the civilized
world that the outlawed race, side by sid
with the white race, had exercised thu
supreme right of American citizenship
And here allow me to say, that as at For
Wagner, at Beaufort and Olustee, "the col
ored troops fought nobly."
Some people say that since you black mel
are here, they will not refuse you these right
of citizens, but think it would be much bet
ter if God or man had ordered the men will
dark skins in some corner of the world b.
themselves. In old times it would hav
been said of these sentimental people tina
they were more vile than wise. For me,
rejoice that portion of the African race i
here; not more for their advantage than on
own. American citizenship could never hav
received the quality of true Republicanisr
until it was touched by this touclstone
until it accepted into the embrace OF il
{ charities the rights of universal man. Th
black man was the fire. by which this either
ship could be purified and perfected.
Here in the land of the South is the blacl
mans natural home. Overspread with
kindly sky; treading upon a fertile soil
surrounded by an almost illimitable countr!
he may work out here the highest destiny {
citizen without prejudice to man or to hi
country. Here is room fer all races. Her
in these unbroken forests of North Carolin
is space and opportunity for every white an
every black man, and room for millions NOR
Here upon this productive soil is materis
for every man for wealth. Here where ns
ture is so kind, man should also be kint
There is no cause in earth or heaven why th
black man and the white man here shoul
not be friends and allies. The interests {
the two races, in labor, in protection,
mutual service, are the same. IF there wei
no prejudice before freedom, why shoul
. there be prejudice with freedom If thel
! were no objection with unlearned and III
; skilled labor, why should there be objectio