Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-03-05
Speech of Ebenezer u. Bassett. of
philadelphia,

ored People, held IN Institute Hal, Feb. 2s, 1sGs.
There arc those who are inclined to deny the
capacity of the colorcd man for intellectual cul-
ture. 1t will be well for such persons to read the
following speech mada by colored man-a
speech which one of the speakers declared any
man might be proud to have made. As calm,
finished aud eloquent production it is seldom
surpassed.
It was conclusive proof of the mission of our
Lord to the mind OF him "who wore u leathern
girdle about his loins, and whose " meat was
locu-ts and wild honey" that under him the poor
had the gospel preached unto mem; and the great
apostle offered as his plea of defence, when he
was cast into prison, that he was /" citizen of no
mean CITY," In like spirit, offer my profound
congratulations to this occasion of the First An
niversary of the Society for the Moral Improve.
ment and Education of the Colored People of
Delaware, first, because l am a member OF the
despsed and unfortunate race, IN whose behalf
the society was organized, and next because
am citizen of n Christian country, wherein In
lclligence, worth and virtue are The real basis OF
governments and the bond of social organization.
would not alude reproachfully to the un-
pleasant past. But 1t has always seemed to me,
that the greatest crime of slavery was not Its
chains upon the limbs of men but that in a
christian country, great and powerful, people
born on the soil, were denied the highest 1nherl-
tance of manhood-moral and intellectual cul-
turu. The number of limbs manaclcd, the mum
ber of chains worn, the number of men counted
as chattels personal-thesc were physical facts,
which could be estimated and figured up.
But the hearts throbbing with noble thoughts
and instincts the ideas and aspirations smethered
and stihed, the moral atmosphere which darkcn-
ed the windows of the human soul which scared
the spirit and burned out the moral eyesall this,
alas ! no pen can point, no tongue can tell.
But one result now left TO us is that we find
here, under our flag, large class Of people,
scattered all over our broad area OF States, un-
trained In the school of letters and refinement,
untutored in the arena of sef-reliance. This
people numbers millions.
Iii our heterogeneous population Of over thirty
millions, they form about one-scventh of the
whole. There is no probability that they will ever
disappear-at least not for unnumbercd genera
tons. As however the increase of population
forms a geometrcal series In which much de-
pends upon the first born of the series, their ratio
TO the whole will become less; but no figures OF
the statistician ever figure millions OF people
out of numerical Importance. confess, how
ever that there is reason to believe that the negro
may BIZ lost sight of in the sections north OF the
| Ohio, where even now he is In the aggregate
only trlhe more than one per cent OF the popu..
| ation. In Pennsylvania he Is less than Que and
| one-half per cent. in New York one and one
| fifth per cent. in New England less than four
| flths per cent. ; and in the great west he bears
about the same ratio; while here In Delaware he
is about twenty per cent. 1t is interesting, per-
lation is almost precisely the same in the West
ern States as in the New England, aud that in all
the States, excluding the recent Slave States, ii
is exactly the same in the aggregate as IN the
| State of New York. In all these sections,a large
tide of European immigration steadily sets in, in
the midst of which the negro does not thrive,
and repeat that here he may be lost sight Of In
a generation or two.
may not touch upon political topics. But the
| Gulf States and those lying South of the Ohio
| and the Potomac, comprising the very garden Of
our country. now held in large landed tracts un,
der single titles will undoubtedly be recast ant
divided into small larms-not indeed by political
| clamor or wild schemes Of az grafianism, but by
the law of demand and supply, OF fitness and
necessity. The complications on the continent
of Europe will send hitherto as emigrants 1T
bold hardy men, for we all know that men are th'
first emigrants OF q people. These Will COM
hther--rot as the Cet has come to the North
without means and without skilled labor, bu
with much capital, fixed ideas, and no prejndlc
against color. 1t is easy to see that under thi
state of facts, the negroes of the South will no
be likely TO decrease either in actual numbers o
importance.
Now there arc three ways in which the negr'
may disappear from the country. He may b.
exterminated, but this strong Christian senti
ment on the one hand and sclf-intcrest ant
patriotism ON the other will forever prohibit. h
may die out, but IT any man will pass through
our Southcrn cities and cabins, and there Sc,
''young Africa" swarming about In ruddy hcaltl
"thick as the leaves in Vallambrosl, he VII
probably agree that there is little prospect of hi
dying out but (3) he may he colonizcd. Ant
here, perhaps, / may be pardoned for stating
fact or two. No fact in history warrants the as
sumption that five millions Of people identified
and interviewer with the interests OF a grea
country, for two centuries, will all cmgrate 10
distant country. Still less does 1t indicate thn
such an act could be accomplished against thei
will. There is no question upon which the colore
men of the country have been so persistent
unanimous as upon this subject OF colnniZatlol
1t has uniformly met their unqualified opposition
Henry Clay, and late Senator Doolitlc, and Til
good President Lincoln, had each in his turn
| scheme for colonizing the negro. Some goo
colonizatonsts still think he ought 10 go to A
RIGA; Mr. Lincoln thought he might remove
Chripi; others again think he ought to scgregat
in Florida or Texas. Now the plain fact Is th;
, the negro is not going anywhere at all. He wa
here even before New England, or Pennsylyani
, or Delaware was settled or even mapped ont ie
settlement lie has grown with the country, !
has suffered for its grow th, ald has fought Tor i
, fig. Ne had no choice about coming here; ]
, means that you shall have none about his goin
away.
There is sentiment abroad of which, ,howeve
l would speak with becoming respect, that u
} American negro is some day to Chrisiianize Ali
Gu. This may be so. But even If it is, am SUI
il is no reason why any ono should entertain
, hope that all the colorcd men, women and CHI
dren in this country are to occome so imbue
WITH lnt missionary spii uuu 81 'ush
, to Africa But the fact is that African Christian
! zation is at our doors and upon our hands. IL
l the very work we are met to consider.
c have spoken of the negro as u present al
5 prospcctively prominent .hmtnt OF our pnpn
, iion, with tue view of raising the inquiry whet
er it is worth while to expend effort and meal
! and make sacrifices for his education here. b
= this is mostly view of numbers. wish now
look for a momcnt ut another aspect or Two
? the position.
[ The negro is not the only or the earliest colo
( cd race of the country. We have now On o
, hands three such races, each IN such numbers al
in such relations as 10 involve grave consider
: tions OF political economy and practical state
manshp and to affect directly or Indirectly mu
|, of our national and local legislation.
C THESE are the Indian. tho Mongollan and Z
Negro. The Indian is said to be, though knc
\ not by what competent authority, insigniiica
v in numbers. Be this as it may, his Is wonderi
example of a race which in The midst OF civili2
. lion and christianity, steadily rcssts all attemp
u 10 improve its condition. Hating civilization al
spurning christianity, he equally hates your rae
! and spurns your flag. A destroyer and not u pr
# Queer, he is an exceedingly umamiihle neighb
If and Improbable citizen. Your proifers of kin
U ness and friendly relations he answers with
y y toinahawk and the scalping knife. lna aword,
= is Joined to his idol, and you agree to let hi
'' alone.
n The Monaghan who ha. swarmed in upon o
l. Pacific States in such numbers as To influence i
v isaton in those States, comes 10 us as an iudi
trious class indeed hut he wrngs the wealth frt
ii our soil and citizens, not To cxpend 1t In
:, State and aid Its growth, but to transport 1t
y the Celestial Empire. lie, like the Indian. |
no liking for our citizenship, aud no wish to Jt
o in our civilization. This is seen in the fact u
,t after more than decade of immigration 10 Cf
d furnia only per cent Of this uumbcr Is of
A. female sex He cngs TO his barbarous apgua
!, and his heathrnish customs, stn5bnrnlv refnsi
- to cast them oil, aud per consequence mantle;
10 an utter lack of patriotism and capacity to
l. come imbued with our civilization and our n
20 gion.
ir Turn now To the negro. Ignorant and heal
enish in his primitive country, degraded and !
brutcd here, it is truly wonderful how heart
NJ he is to all intents and purposes an Amerlc'
ar He carries no malice and kates nobody He lo'
n the country, and honors its flag. He loves the
- on which he was born he loves its peoples
Vi loves its children; aud above all, he greed
IN drinks in your civilization and its religion,
ly which he readily asscnts and adapts himself in
i'll its forms aud force. 1t may be nothing to
or credit: but the fact remains that no man {
IA poiut to the negro and truthfuy call him
-, ~ christian, unciyized or unpatriotic. Whetl
~ he be superior, inferior or equal to somebt
IN eso is of little practical Importance as long as
nc is anxious to avail himself of all privileges
m benefits of American laws and the genius
as American institutions.