The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-11-05
ANNIVERSARY OF THE EMANCIPA.
TION PROCLAMATION AT
DAYTON, OHIO.
Sketch of Address by Peter H. Clark.

Sketch of Address by Peter H. Clark.
The anniversary of the preliminary
emancipation proclamation which was
made by President Lincoln one humid
red days before the full proclamation
of freedom, seems to be regarded by
intelligent colored people with much
the same interest as the fourth of July
is held by them, and by other Ameri-
can citizens. This anniversary was eel
ebrated at Dayton, Ohio, by these peO-
pie, from that and the adjacent cities
and towns.
The principal speaker was Peter III.
Clark, of Cincinnati, who is superin-
tendent of colored schools, and prin-
cipal of their high school. After
appropriate preliminary exercises,
which included music by their brass
band, and some appropriate songs by
| their glee club, Mr.. Clark proceeded to
comment upon the proclamation of
the 22d. September, 1862, and to COM
pare it with that of 1868, and with Mr..
Lincoln's last inaugural. lie then pro-
ceeded to a discussion of the fifteenth
amendment to the Constitution. He
commenced by rather facetiously refer
| ing to his qualification in finding him.
self ''in accord with the good old Dem
ocratic party, and of having his senti-
ments applauded by their organs, some
of them having gone so far as to assert
| that with such sentiments as he avowed,
he was as good democratas need be"
He said, "as grow older grow more
and more tired of conflicts. l seek to
adopt the advice of an old Quaker
| friend of mine, who declared that,
when men meet they should seek to
know how many points upon which
they agree. Men frequently quarrel
with each other upon single point of
difference. instead of embracing upon
their ninety-nine points of agreement.
81 am the more gratified that this agree
ment of mine with the Democratic par
| ty arises from the fact that they have
adopted my ideas, not | theirs. The
Mahomet of Democracy finding that
the mountains of anti-slaVery truth
would not come to them, has wisely
gone to the mountain.
81 still see the old abolition horison
around me. On my right hand / per-
ceive the ancient landmarks inscribed
with the legend equal and exact justice
to all men, On the other hand l read,
we hold these truths to be self-evi-
dent, that all men are created equal !;
that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain inalienable rights; that
among these are life, liberty and the
pcrsuit of happiness; and that to Sc
cure these rights, governments are in
stituted among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the govern
| ed Before me l read, Taxation with
out representation is tyrrany. These
are excellent principles, and if their
avowel makes me a Democrat, then [
shall not refuse the title. = =
accept the situation, and from my
seat in. the deacons' corner of the DEM
ocratic church, announce the new pol
icy of our party. We propose to aban-
don for all time the policy which con-
tinually arEayed lis against liberty and
on the side of the oppressor. We pro-
pose to abandon our habit of cultiva-
ting the prejudices of the ignorent mass
es of our countrymen, fostering their
hatred to other helpless classes, appeal
ing to their prejudices and hatreds I'M
til not satisfied with voting for slavery
and caste legislation, they break out in
horrid riots, destroying the lives of de-
fenseless men and women, and enact er-
ror, robbery and treason"
eve propose to repent, and bring
forth fruit meet for repentance for our
manifold sins III the past. For our in
trigues for the increase of slavery and
the extension of slave territory, for
our fugitive slave laws, for our repeal
of statutes barring oar lands to the en-
trance Of StdceTy, for our encourage
ment of traitors in the momentous
weeks preceding the outbreak of the
rebellion, for our unpatriotic declara-
tons and actions, when the dear old
mother called all her sons to her de-
Tense as she struggled in the grasp OF
treason, and we replied not man, and
not dollar to help YOU
"IIenceforth the Democratic party, as
in the earlier days of the republic, shall
be known as the champion of human
rights. At least if this j.
not done, it shall be no failure on my
part to proclaim such principles when
ever and wherever have an guidance.
The justice of the fifteenth amend
ment, and the necessity for its adoption
in order to secure something like jus
ticc to all, was ably presented, and a
considerable length. Under the heat
: of equal rights to GUhe said:
eff the republic demands loyalty anC
+ service from all its citizens, it mus
: guarantee equal rights to all its citizens
, Really she has no othes function. d.
L men suppose that this great nationa
a edefice is erected simply to give then
e a chance to pillow, and trade and chas'
e each other in the race for wealth
Why, the despotism of the Gar afford
!, ample facilities for that. No; the ma
1 ton has higher mission. srris her
that the capacity of the human race 70
: mental, moral and physical develop
1 ment shall be pushed to its highes
: point. This can only be done wher
T men are free, and are secure in tina
Il freedom-hence / conclude that the of
e ice of this government is to secure hu
o man rights. For this all the multiple,
/ machinery of constitutions, presidents
= congresses and courts are established.
c "Our constitutions
IS expounders have been profound i
their disquisitions on the right of tn
It general government to engage in work
a of internal improvement, and Othe
h questions of a like nature; but the
l. neglected the weightier matters of th
is law, and liberty has been struck dow
N in their sight, and without protest.
THAT profound politics
5. philosopher, DeToqeville, commentin
W on our institutions, declared There
e no more invariable rule in the histor
:. of society than this The farther eIects
T raj flghIS are EXTENDED, the more Is lie
?, the need of extending them; for aft
IS each concession the strength of the d.
4 mocracy increases, and its demands il
'r crease with its strength. The ambitic
of those who are below the appointe
j. vote is augmented in exact proportio
rs to the great number of those who al
b. above it. The exception at last b
lo comes the rule, concession follows col
5 cession. and no stop can be made sho
ne of universal suffrage. He might ha1
added, that the enfranchised class a