Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-04-03

whose only crime Is c0t0r. Inc an
cestors of this race were stolen on
the coast of Guinea or Loango and
made slaves to white men, who
Wanted their liberty in the face of
European and Asiatic tyrannies.-
Agitation and the power of our gov
eminent, happily redeemed from the
hands of its enemies, struck off the
shackles from these bondmen and
we have them as four millions of
men, to be dealt with as men--not as
brutes, not as chattles-not as slaves.
i The Democrat may decry our eontin-
Eued adverting to this subject, but we
despise his pcysiaagcs because four
millions of people in the heart of a
nation are not to be despised. A
i population equal to that of down
trodden Ireland or the .revolted colo
mics of America, is entitled to calm
patient hearing at the bar Of Ameri-
can opinion. 1t must not be forgot
ten that this state Of things is not the
lnegro's own choosing. Had his an
cestors, had an election in the matter
their descendants would be In Africa
instead of here, an eye-sore to the
Democratic party. They are here
and we must deal with them rs men.
Equivocation and procrastination will
not do. The whole southern press Is
teeming with approximations of war
of races, well may they deplorethis,
but look at 1t for moment. The
war Of races has been going on for
two centuries. The fugitive slave
clause Of the constitution wasa decla-
alton ofwar in America, a war that
had begun In the wilds of Africa
The black slaves became such by be-
ing prisoners Of war and were sold
into bondage to their late masters,
who were the cruel agents of still
more cruel captors. The lash, the
auction block, and the bloodhound
were the weapons Of the whites In
| this war of the races. It continued
when one hundred and fifty thous-
and negro soldiers bore arms against
their masters. It was the war in
which the slave was released from
the fraudulent ownership of his mas
ter. There was no Spartacus,- there
was no Touissant L'Overture to lead
them to battle. There were white
men enough with courage and hon
esty to command and lead the black
battalion. The din of war ceased.
The colored soldier put aside his
arms For the same reason that the
white soldier put aside his. The war
was over--the rebellion crushed-and
the slave free. The work of the bay.
onent was ended but the battle of the |
ballot began. The rebels were van
pushed in the field. The negro re-
turned to his old cabin, hung up his
rifle and went out to meet his old |
master who has just given up his
sword to Gen. Grant or Gen. Sher-
man. The one by his bravery and
loyalty to the government, went
forth slave and came back free. |
man, and the other went to battle a
freeman and came back fugitive. q
feion, and DISTINGUISHED traitor. In
his unwashed and unpurgel condi-
ton the President ordered him to
form state ON the ruins of an olignr-
chy, and the negro was directed to
stay at home, to hoe corn and raise
cotton. The master who had fought |
to destroy liberty, was sppoiated the
politician, and the negro elected his
servant. 1t was acontinuation ofthe
war of races. We have question to
put to the generous white man. dts
answer will close this war aud eud
our difficulties. Nature has sent
beautiful stream bounding through
our territory. Does any one suppose
that the black man, or any other
man will stand by and see this stream
damned up aud muddied by the white
man, whilst himself and family are
furnishing with thirst? God put US
all together-each to protect himself
lin society by the aid of law of his
own, choosing-out of it by his own
force. The African is part of the
people and he needs the same weap-
on for his defense that the white man
needs. If the ballot will shield the
poor laboring white man from the
Of power, the negro needs
it as well. 1t is cowardice. it is
worse than cowardice for thirty mil
lions Of whites Boosting Of their civ
ilization and intelligence to do injus-
tice through fear Of enfranchising
four millions of negroes. You dare
not point the finger of scorn at Eng
land because she refuses to enfran-
chise her Irish and her English poor.
They are promulgated in the same
language in America and in Europe.
1T is class domination in both, --one
shielded under the plea of ignorance,
tlie ether under that of color and its
asserted inferiority. We
are usurpers. We have bad the
whips, the blood hounds, the slave
ships and gunpowder OF civilization,
and with these refined, polite weap-
ons, have jealously guarded the bal
lot box against the men we were not
ashamed to own-men descended
with us from common ancestor.
The apologists Of human slavery and
there are still thousands OF them I'M
hung. dare not deny this common
origin. Their whole scriptural foun-
dation would slip away. Take out OF
their mouths the Guessed be Caapann
tortured into blasphemy by imperous
wretches who dared to sell their own
flesh and blood, and you murder the
of a thief. The negro has
no arms in his hands, demanding
justice. He simply points you to
those stripes that disfgure and dis
grace his back---those burning sores
that have festered in cruelty and