The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-05-02
GOVERNOR NORTONS SPEECH
TO THE COLORED PEOPLE
OF GEORGETOWN, ID. G.


TO THE COLORED PEOPLE
OF GEORGETOWN, ID. G.
A very large meeting of colored
citizens, held at Georgetown, D. G,
on the 18th of April, was addressed
by U. s. Senator 0. P. Morton, Of
Indiana, as follows:
Mr.. President and Fellow .citi.
zens-You have met to-day in the
exercise of liberty and in the en-,
joyment of political rights. The
occasion upon which you have as.
sembled is one Of great importance
to you, and will be to your descend.
ants and to the whole country
Five years ago yesterday President
Lincoln gave his approval to law
which forever abolished slavery in
the District of Columbia, and made
of many of those who are assem-.
bled before me free men and wo.
men. Two years and two days age
Mr.. Lincoln perished by the hand
of an assassin. His death was the
work of the rebellion, and thus
passed away one of the best men
the world has ever known, one oi
the greatest benefactors OF the hu
man race--a man who will be
known through all history as the
friend Of mankind. Great ap'
plause
A war which was begun to es
tablish and perpetuate slavery, by
the mysterious dispensation O
Providence ended in the dcstruc,
ton of slavery and in the enfran
chisement of the enslaved. Goo
overrules all things for his OWL
purposes and perhaps thore never
was in history a chain of events
more clearly indicating the pres
ence and the manifestation ofProv
idence than the chain of events
which led to the war, it's prosecu
ton, its termination, and the de
struction of slavery.
That war which was so full O
horrors, which carried mourning
to so many households, which hal
piled up such mountain Of nation
al debt, was, nevertheless, an un
mixed blessing to the colorod peo
pie. Applause. Itgave to then
an opportunity Of establishing thei
manhood on many bloody fields
and by their high courage, thei
devotion, and their moderation il
victory even to win the respec
and admiration of their enemies
IApplause.] 1t gave to them al
opportunity Of displaying intellect
ual and moral qualities which haC
always been denied to them by
their masters.
Your position, however, is ont
which is now full ofcmbarrassment
Many of you have suddenly pass
ed from slavery to the enjoymen
of civil and political rights. Yol
have much to learn, and !, in com
mon with the great mass of thi
nation, have been gratified to dis
cover that you are trying to learl
in good earnest that your newly
acquired liberty has not been abus
ed-has not been used for the pur
pose Of license, but for the pur
pose Of instruction and 1 am glat
to say that you are proving to th'
world that you intend to qualify
yourselves to make useful, patri
otic and in telligent citizens of thu
great Republic. Applause.
You are called upon now foI
your votes; opposing parties will
claim your suffrages, and it will
become an important question u
you and the whole country hoy
your votes shall be cast. | wa
somewhat amused yesterday morn
ing, in opening the columns Of tn
National Intelligencer, to discove
an address published by the Dem
ocratic Conservative Convention
10 voters of Washington, and | de
sire to call your attention brief.
to the language of this address
After addressing themselves to tn
white people, they speak as fol
lows:
ITO the colored portion Of ou
population we say in good faitl
that we are their real friends. W
have lived together in the sam
community, and understand eac'
other better than those who are ur
used to this association of inter
ests. That which is for our goo
is for yours. That which benefit
us benefits you"
Now in determining this queI
ton how are you going to ca'
your vote In the future, as
yourselves who have been you
. E,.arda - tha naak7 TAnnlause