The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-05-20

Il
~ held here, called upon.President Grant,
this afternoon, by appointment, and pre-
sented him with an address in relation to
the appointment Of colored men to Office.
Ihe address is based upon the published
statement to the effect that the President
intends to appoint, in the Northern States,
to important positions, such colored men as
could discharge the duties with profit and
honor to the public service. The address
then says:
eve are assured that the appointment of
competent and trustworthy coIored men to
prominent positions in the Northern States
would give O death blow to objections
against our holding such positions in the
South, by convincing, the South that it is
not true that the North wishes to force a
policy upon them which it is not willing to
accept itself. If negroes are elevated to
Important places by the General Govern
ment in Rhode Island the problem of negro
office holding becomes easy OF solution in
Georgia.
"Then.. too, we think that IL IN the North
ern States, where the negroes are numeri-
cally weak, they are permitted to share some
of the honors of citizenship with their
white fellow-citizens, our brethren in the
South where they are Numerically strong,
would the more Willingly share their politi-
cal ln1munitfes with their white fellow-citi-
zens, and the whole race will be strengthen
ed IN .its' patfiotisr| by the knowledge that
the negroes are no longer regarded as q Sc
parate class in politics.
The coloredy men of the North have al
ready furnished such proofs Of manhood as
to lift the question Of fitness for Office out
OF the arena of mere experiment We fur
nlshed from among ourselves in the North
a prominent yoke-fellow for many white
abolitlonists during the dark period of anti
vrta e.,
being laid for the existence of the Republi-
can ,party--a party which has saved and
nearly purified the nation of its prejudices
against color and condition. We do not re-
greet the faot that we have done work, and
that our brethren of the South have secured
the first and the largest fruits of political
preterment; but we do feel the need of COM
manding their respect, by showing that we
can command the confidence of our white
fellow citizens, even where we are in q mi
nority.
Our homes being in the North We are
anxious to kindle in our children such asso-
clatlons as shall stimulate them to mastery
IN all the educational and political advan-
tages of that section, so that if they remain
IN the North, they may become eminent ex-
Ponents OF its. principlesj and if they go
South, they may be able to carry the full
advantages of these principles with them.
your Excellency's inaugural, becomes vir-
tuaily passed when it shall be known that
the patronage of your commanding Office is
dispensed without regard to color, in the
Northern, as it has been in the Southern
States. Those Northern States which are
prepared to resist the passage of this amend
ment will lose all motive of opposition when
they find that, to them, its most obiectiona-
BILE feature may be imprinted upon their
communities without it.
I'VE have taken the liberty of urging
this latter consideration, not because we are
doubtful about the final passage of the if
teenth amendment but because we are as
sured that your Excellency has the power,
and, as we believe, the disposition to bring
about by single blow, what must, in the
nature of things, come, viz: Our entire and
equal participation in the honors as we'll as
the duties of citizenship.
1--WE refer to the Northern aspect of the
question. not because we are less Interested
in the South, but because we are of the
opinion that the North, in view of its edu-
catlonal advantages and the elevating expe-
licnces that belong to free society, should
furnish criterion as to the ability of ne
groes to fill responsible positions We de-
sire that the political experiences of Northern
colored men and the political power enioyed
by Southern colored men, may blend SO
completely as to cause the entire people
to forget color or section in their recog-
milton of patriotism.
"Our rights as men were recognized by
MIR. Lincoln, and we are filed with all graft
tude in view of this fact; but we come to
you with feeling of fellowship added to that
OF a mere sense of gratitude because YOU
have appointed numbers of our race to i'm
portant positions, and thus given a rebuke
to vulgar prejudice against class In this
You have gone far beyond our late lamented
President; for, while under the necessities
OF war, he made the nation ours by calling
us to its defence, you, under the calm in
fluences Of peace, have given us to the ma
tion by lifting our race into tho endowment