New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-06-21


the murmurs of the waves on the seashore; |
and before the leaders of the rebellion |
themselves had scarcely known of |
its existence, those who were to |
be freed by it were aware that 1t was utter |
ed. But the Republican party knew too |
armed with all the force of law, was not |
sufficient to guarantee the liberty of this |
people, and in due time that same party |
brought forward and carried successfully |
through, and caused to be adopted by the |
whole American people, an amendment to |
the Constitution, which guaranteed liberty |
by an irreVersibie decree, from which we
never can go back, and at the same time |
gave to Congress the power to carry out the |
necessities of freedom by further legisla- |
tiOn when the appearances OF those neces- |
stiles should arise; and going on still further
Cong ress declared that In the District of
Columbia not only should the black man
have freedom, but he should have the bollot,
for the wisdom of Congress recognized that
to make man free and to endOw him
with civil rights without giving him
voice, and a direct voice in the
government that frames the laws he is
bound to obey would be putting only a
barren sceptre in his right hand, soon to be
wrenched by some unlenient hand; and,
citizens, the Republican party have gone
still further. They have in the rec .nstcuC-
<
every black man in the South rs reward
for his former sufferings, as recompense
for his undoubted'loyalty, as guarantee of
the good faith of the nation, and as the
means by which he may himself perpetually
secure his liberty. Enthusiastic applause.)
For the liberty of the black man is not to
depend upon the will of the white man
good or bad. 1t is his right. The educa-
tion which he will receive, his recognition
of a superintending God, and his acknoWl
edgment of the common rights and brother
hood of all mankind, these, with the ballot
are the guarantees of the rights and liber-
ties of the black man, and to these
sources of security alone must he
lock for both the liberties of himself and his
offspring. Armed with the ballot and edu-
cation, recognizing the government of di.
| vine Providence, recognizing the equal
rights OF the whole human family, of what
| ever race or origin, the liberties of the black
man will never again be destroyed. They
now rest him, with him they will pei
petually abide. Under these securities
| think that for these acts of the Republican
party, which have guaranteed equal rights
| and liberty in Louisiana, every white man
| in the State, whether he fought against the
| Government or not-whether he was faith
| full to the Union or nOt-whether he was
loyal or otherwise, should now reflect and
see that the Republican party has conferred
upon utll anu lis pO9LCllt1 NhO tlNtllGol DOOA4
that government or power can bestow on a
people, when they awaken to light and life
from the horrid dream Of slavery,
when they taught him that to be free himself
he must acknowledge the freedom of
others. When they have instructed
him that the master Of the slave
can of himself be a freeman, From the
shackles of the slave went a cord that was
around the neck of the white man, and
both races were gradually sinking under
that shackle. From this the white man has
been relieved, and | think that in the pres
ence of the benefits that have been con
ferred upon the Republican party and the
wisdom of the illustriOus statesmen and
heroes who compose it, every black man
and every man Of African descent in Lou
istana should every night pray to his God
for blessings on his native country that il
produced such band of men; should lifl
up his heart in gratitude to the divine au
thor of all things that the martyr whom we
all mourn was raised up in the West, anC
with still small voice, that was yet as loud
! as the voice OF nature and of conscience
said to all America: "If slavery be mo-
wrong, then nothing can be wrOng;" and
who has enabled us now to say if freedom
be not a blessing, then nothing in thi:
world is a blessing, tremendous ap
: plause.) think that every black man il
Louisiana when he looks upon his wife ant
| CulluIGH 5uOulu say n lew YEARS tEO GOulL
not count these as mine. They were belC
, at the behest of some other man. Tht
tyranny cf custom and institntion had riser
superior to the dictates of nature, and tram
pied the rights of men in the dust, but nov
look upon my children, and my rights as
father are acknowledged, and all this ow,
to the Republican party.n Cheers and ap
: plause.) And / wish that my feeble voici
could not only now reach all your ears, bu
, could attract the attention Of every man, il
! every hamlet and every cabin in Louisiana
and would like to say in q voice that coulC
not be misunderstood these things are irrev
, ocably fixed. We have dug through tn
f alluvial soil of prejudice and error, and WI
have reached the foundation Of the grant
rocks, and there we have planted tn
: foundations of the Republican party. w
! have laid its foundations where the edific
? can be no longer shaken, and by series o
measures now in progress, and soon to b
I completed, we will ultimately found tn
, national sovereignty on theequal rights o
{ man not alone in these States ono
insurrectionary, now about to becom
,, united, prosperous, and free; not alone il
! these States, which in the hour of madnes
! drew the sword of rebellion against iustic
! and mild government; not alone here, soutI
: of the Potomac, in these fertile regions an,
happy climes, shall the black man be a cit
: zen, but in every State of this Union. (Grea
applause.) The Republican party of thi
, country will not be recreant to its duty; i
!, will not fail to see what you see, and see
and all can see, that if the black man cal
vote in South Carolina he should also vot
! in Ohio (cheers), and that the Republica
: party will allow no difference to be mad
. between her children, and that In eyeryState
I whether it be on the gulf OF on the lakes
, in NewREngland or upon the Pacific-on
rule Of suffrage and one rule Of liberty shal
. prevail. (Cheers.) The ballot shall b
7 placed in the hands of the man simply be
, averted eye, shall not look behind to sc
! what is the color of the voter
. Such, fellow citizens, has been the coursl
. of measures and such will be the ultimat
! result of the policy of the Repnblican party
J say again, in my judgment it is a grea
1 and noble party; it is one that am proul
i to belong to. am sure that there is n
{ man in the broad eXpanse Of this land G
America who, when the shades of life ar
/ closing about him, and be is about t
descend to the tomb, will fail to say to hi
q children and his descendants in a voice @
! exultation: "When the great Question cam
! and the integrity Of the republic was i
/ danger and the rights of man were to b
j asserted was faithful to my ycountry and t
f humanity" (Applause,l Who will not sa
/. when he comes to give his last blessing: 81
. is the proudest heritage leave 10 YOU" VIII
!. in the hour of peril proclaimed the rights G
r man; who in the moment Of danger wa
true to the suffrage of his country; and
i wish that l could produce on the min
/ Of every man the internal convictio
which / feel that there ID no possibi
; ity in the order of things that thes
great measures which have been supporte
by the Republican party can party can eve
+ be reversed. When these States shall hav
! been admitted into the Union there will b