The tri-weekly standard., 1867-04-23
SPEECH OF HON. o. p. MORTON


Dc7ireresl to the colored people Of Washington
Gig, Apra II, 1862.
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW CITIZENS:
j You have met to-day in the exercise of lib
4 crty and in the enjoyment of political rights.
j The occasion upon which you have assem-
4 bled is one OF great Importance to you, and
will be to Your descendants, and to the whole
4 country. Five years ago yesterday President
4 Lincoln gave his approval to a law which
forever abolished slavery in the District Of
! Columbia and made of many of those who
4 are assembled before me free men and wo-
4 men. Two years and two days ago Mr.. Lin
coin persisted by the hands OF an assassin.
q His death was the work of the rebellion and
thus passed away one Of the hest men the
i world has ever known, one of the greatest
4 beneiactors OF the human race-a man who
1 will be known through all history as the
friend of ofmankind. [Great applause.l
\ war which was begun to establish and
perpctuatc slavery by the mysterious dis
pensation of Providence ended in the de
struction of slavery and in the enfranchisc
ment of the enslaved God Overrulcs all
things for his own purposes; and perhaps
there never was in history chain of events
more clearly Indicating the presence and the
manifestation of Providence than the chain
of events which led to the war, its prosecu
ton, its termination, and the destruction of
slavery.
That war which was so full of horrors,
which carried mourning to so many house
holds. which has piled up such mountain
OF national debt. was, nevertheless, an un-
mixed blessing to the cOlored people. APP
plausel 1t gave to them an opportunity Of
establishing their manhood on many bloody
i fields, and by their high courage, their de-
4 votion, and their moderationin victory even
to win the respect and admiration of their
enemies. [Applause. It gave to them an
q opportunity Of displaying intellectual and
ed to them by their masters
81 Your position, however, is one which is
now full of embarrassment Many of you
have suddenly passed from slavery to the en-
Joyment of civil and political rights. You
l3 have much to learn; and |, in common with
the great mass Of this nation, have been
grahiied to discover that you are trying to
learn in good earnest that your newlv-ac-
Equlred liberty has not been abused-has
not been used for the purpose oflicense, bnt
Tor the purpose of Instructions; and | am
81 glad to say that you are proving to the
q world that you intend to qualify yourselves
to make useful, patriotic and intelligent citi-
zens OF this great Republic Applause
You are called upon now for your votes;
opposing parties will claim your suffrages,
ana lt VIII become an important question to
you ana 10 the whole country how your votes
shall ne cast. was somewhat amused YES
terday morning, IN opening the columns of
the N0t'07dL lntet!igehcer, to discover an adj
dress published by the Democratic Copserya-
tive Convention to the voters of WASHINGTON |
and desire to call your attention briefly to
the language of this address. After address |
ing themselves to the white people. they
speak as follows:
ITO the colored portion cf our population
we say in good faith that we are their real
friends. We have lived together in the same !
community, and understand each other better
than those who are unused to this association
OF interests. That which is for our good is
ior yours. That which benefits US benefits
NoW In determining this question how YOU
aI. aa Solh@ to cast your votes in the future,
a; asI ~ yourselves who have been your friends
m ,r, .ne past! lApplause.l Who was it that
Pa,,n,;i,; P iHu your liberty? A voice. "The
wop epit4tan IL t,;an party" and applause Who
r" ~ ~ rl'''s gave you the right of suffrage?
,r,, :. Al, On the other hand, who
1 WAS 1t 'nat enslayed you for generations, that
hn"Eamd uUJsma you you and sold you, that separated
husband husband and wife. parent and child? T" The
democratic party."l When YOU have an
s"ered these question you will know how to
vote. lCries of" Yes" Yes and enthnsi,
astic applause anu en'n'Si-
d,dg Aga1n' further on in the course of this ad-
oFGSs they use the following lanou,oe.
we nope that you will not allow yonrselvec
Hna", :" De deceived by their false philanthropy,
12WHealing 2Wn the Radicals) Il -
~ =" nave no interests which arc in opposition
J." 1aot yours We favor your moral and intel
.ua1 culture, and stand ready to aid you.
rtoG;rulng ats to our means and power, in the
D.s1 n'haent hni Of those means necessary for the
.iaad W ,'en was it. and how was it, that they
W. W. you IN moral and intellectual culture
ona, W n';n was 1t that they used their means or
pirEnG ei$noyea @ tner property for the purpose of
nama 3na1g j you education2 [Shouts of Never,
neSef'"l In the slave States they showed