The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-01


upon the nations heart Since then the ideas
that originated In the Boston garret have
become mighty building bearing upon its
bosom hundreds of millions of men, women,
and children, translating them from the oil.
garchy OF slavery to the commonwealth. of
freedom. Still the work needs courage to-day.
IneIe Is snall matter of prejudice that
want to take up-that against color IN partieu-
lar-and am coming right home to Philadel-
phia, and not intending to spend nv ammuni-
ton on tho Rebels, who are so many thousand
miles away. But am to talk 10 those who
clasp hands with Rebels in the city of Philadel-
phia, and am not going TO bathe nv Inns in
honey. when speak. Two weeks last Saturday
NIGHT was in Louisville Kentucky, Icame on
from Nashville, had little business down the
street, and got into the city cars; and found
that there is no difference there in Kentucky
as to the peoples riding in the cars; Kentucky
had just burst from her chains, yet she was
ahead of Philadelphia in that.
| went into the house and picked up a Phila-
delphia paper-a CHRISTIAN Recorder What did
j ready There read that woman had been
Kicked out Of the cars in the streets Of this CITY.
What had she done? Simply claimed her right
to travel, and had been brutally kicked ia these
streets. Where was she kickedY Let me tell
chanting his solemn litany2 That man Is an
Episcopalian minister, and that brutal man
kicked her in his presence.
Do you see that man with a simple ritual
He is Presbyterian. l don't think there is a
Church in the world TO whom civil liberty owes
more than to the Presbyterian Church. They
came out and preserved civil liberty in the Wilds
OF Scotland, and this man kicked this woman in
his presence.
Do you see that man who has lust been cele-
brating the centenary OF his Church, of which
JohI Wesley is thetSt. Paul That man is u
Methodist, and he kicked her in his presence
Do you see that lady and gentleman, in plain
gaTb2 They, too, have grand memory, reach
ing away back to William Penn, who came here
to Pennsylvania, and taught the world how
peace and Justice could clasp bands; and Mary
Dy er, who gave up her lite on Boston Common
and who died for principle. (Cheers.) He is
a Friend, and that woman was kicked in his
presence.
Do you see that man, upon another plain,
who knows it is better to have the peace OF
Christ than to quarrel about Christianity He is
Unitarian; kicked in his presence also. Do
you see that man, who believes in God and the
brotherhood OF the human race, and that He
will ultimately clasp us all in living embrace
That man kicked her in the presence Of tnewhole
popular Church of Philadelphia, and l ask them
have they done their duty on this subject?
pick up the papers, and hear great deal
SAID about the running of the cars on Sunday.
The day is sacred in Philadelphia, but man is
vile. Where did he kick this woman? In the
very streets over which COlored men marched
to the front, faithful TO the country when others
were faithless (applause) who we're rallying
around the flag when ReUels were trampling it
under feet; true to the country when she
wanted a friend. Witness, now, that the sisters
and mothers Of these men can be kicked from
the cars in our popular thoroughlares. Zap
plause)
Friends, when thrt man kicked that woman,
he kicked me. He kicked my child, and he
kicked the wife and child OF every Colored mar
in Philadelphia. He kicked the wife, sister,
and cLild OF every colored man who went out
to battle and TO lay down his lie for his Coun-
try; and am here tonight to protest against it,
(Applause.)
Last summer was here; it may have been
the fourth of July; 1t does not matter, though.
| was Going up the street with my child ne
tween five and wears OF NV friend MIR.
Sill was with me. He, living on Fifth street.
thought the drivers would know him, and wait
TOR us. did not ask these drivers 10 take me
in; shall faint upon your paved streets before |
ask such n favor. Do YOU think they would
stop Tor us? Oh, no. They swept by us as if
we were paupcrs.
The next Gay my child came to me and said
81 know why we can't rice IN the cars; because
! we are ColoTed!n No women feel this deprlva-
! tion so keenly as we do, and when my orphan
chilu came home and told me that she had read
| the cruel, bitter lesson, felt bad. And yet
| to-nignt, poor, ignorant, and trOdden under
| foot as our people are | would not change souls
| with The richest and proudest ockholder in
| Philadelphia. l would not charge souls with a
man who reproaches his God By desoislng His
| poor (Applause.) Again, my friends, l do
! not feel that the Colored people need despair
we only take Ou- turn in the suffering world.
do not demand social equality; do not de-
nand that You shall take US into your parlors,
and make us companions OF your wives aud
daughters, If they have no liking for us. All
ask is that you take your preiudlces out of the
| way and give the Colored man aChanCe to grow;
give hun chance at the oallot-boX Why this
idea OF social equality? l don't know OF any
| colored man that demands it. After all, this
thing depends upon social athnities, customs,
wealth, and habit, and in some cases on shoddy
and petroleum But there is dread OF blood
degeneration.
somehow l do not think l should like to
stand before the world, with pale lips, dreadng
the bugbear OF social equality; afraid of giving
the coored man a chance, TOR fear that he
might somehow outstrip me in the race OF life
(Applause.) If l was in his place would say,
II Will give him all the chance can; Will not
press him Gown in the scale of lite." | should
teel that was superior because of superior
teaching. Look at slavery: has it not robbed
us OF our wives, children, and husbands; robbed
us OF our very, complexion, and put some OF the
meanest kind OF white blood IN our veins
(Cheers.) And we have lived through 1t all
and come out of the war the very best cnarac
ters down South. If we don't complain abou
il, what right has anybody else to do so
(Cheers.)
friends if there is any danger, you make
your President and Congressman; you make
your own laws; il any man feels that the case Il
urgent, let him go before the Legislature ant
say to them;-"Honorable Sirs-We have deer
conceIn on our minds; 1t haunts us by day anC
comes over our dreams by night. We ure sC
afraid that some colOred mans uncle's aun
will marry some white mans cousins aunt, anC
we want you to put a law upon the statute book
that 10 white man shall marry black woman
unless he wants to.n (Great laughter.( thins
that they must necessarily be guided by then
wishes, Some men have no other wants thar
those which are low and groVellmg; they are
like the men 10 whom the grass shopper is a bur
den; they are AFRAID of that which Is high.
Justice is high, and liberty is high, and equal
rights are high; and these men are AFRAID o
that which is high, and putting their ears to the
ground they hear the advancing tread Ot the