The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-04

man votes 1Or, DuG l. NOlGS III hlh w ia
takes the handcuffss off of me-" The en-
tire colored population OF these Southern
States will vote for the man what takes tn
handouts from their race. The unerring IN
stinct of the colored man makes him tin
friend of his friend--the Republic; tina
with its own integrity he shall be secured
forever The black man is the friend OF th'
Republic Disloyalty does not run in the
blood of his race Henceforth. his life ano
honor will be fer the defense OF country
and a government which protects him.
They tell him that if he votes for ConVen,
ton and Constitution is formed, the mill
tary will be Withdrawn and he Will be !eit
to the mercy of the Rebels. L plcoSe Ihe
Nation for the colored man that 1t VIII pro-
tect him forever, though million oayonGtS
shall glitter in the sun OF the Souln anu Inc
earth be shaken with the tramp OF the le-
oions which bear them. The Republic must
be preserved, and for its preservation, OPP
pression 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 tor its own
and your protection. 1t welcomes the
strength which it receives from you for its
greatness and its power. Why should 1t 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 clanked upon your limbs, then
your energy, your Industry, your peaceful
habits your eager desire and capacity Tor
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 balloons, and
would only 60 to school to initiate, while 1t
was a new thing. For two years you have
been in the schools-your children learn as
rapidly assthe 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
+
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 anil your people. The education of all
classes in the South must be its reconstruc-
ton. The teachers are the reconstructionists,
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
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 were
created free and equal; born to inaiienable |
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 a hundred islands of the sea. We only |
excluded the negro. That government was
not Republic. This government was not |
a Republic until few weeks ago. when from
the City of Washington and the heights of
Georgetown it was flashed to the civilized |
world that the outlawed race, side by side
with the white race, had exercised the
supreme right of American citizenship
And here allow me to say, that as at Fort
Wagner, at Beaufort and Olustee, "the col |
ored troops fought nobly."
Some people say that since you black men
are here, they will not refuse you these rights |
of citizens, but think it would be much bet |
ter if God or man had ordered the men with |
dark skins in some corner of the world by |
themselves. In old times it would have |
been said of these sentimental people that |
they were more vile than wise For me, |
rejoice that portion of the African race is
here; not more for their advantage than our
own. American citizenship could never have
received the quality of true Republicanism |
until it was touched by this tombstone;
until it accepted into the embrace of its
charities the rights of universal man. The
black man was the fire by which this citizen
ship could be purified and perfected.
Here in the land of the South is the black |
mans natural home. Overspread with
kindly sky; treading upon a fertile soil;
surrounded by an almost illimitable country, |
he may work out here the highest destiny of |
a citizen without prejudice to man or to his
country. Here is room for all races. Here
in these unbroken forests of North Carolina
is space and opportunity for every white and
every black man, and room for millions more.
Here upon this productive soil is material
for every man for wealth. Here where ma
ture is so kind, man should also be kind.
There is no cause in earth or heaven why the
black man and the white man here should
not be friends and allies. The interests of
the two races, in labor, in protection, in
mutual service, are the same. If there were
no prejudice before freedom, why should |
there be prejudice with freedom? If there
were no objection with unlearned and I'M
skilled labor, why should there be objection
TO skilled labor9 If there were no antiph-