Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-11


otfenses and were guilty of treason, and
whom ! knew we're guilty. Perhaps IL ]
had granted pardon in the one case aud
hung some others that did pardon. /
might have done right. have pardoned
more people than any mau in the civilized
werld. With one single stroke ofthe pen
the prison doors Of 65, 600 men were thrown
open. Amnesty after amnesty has been
extended until ali have been embraced.
and II ii seemed little Glow il progressed
as fast as public opinion would sustain il.
But thank God in all this one thing /
claim, l am not guilty Of the sin Of in
gratitude.
MOSES
There is new state of things here 10
Tennessee, and know how il was brourht
about There has been a great deal said
ia the papera, and by persons orally.
tauntlng and jeering Andrew johnson az
the Moses" of the black man. | want
every colored man here to-day 10 give me
his attention and we will see il we cannot
ascertain and end out who Is his true Mos
es. Now, in Bible reading and church his
Tory we havea great many imposters-meI
who have practiced receptions in various
periods of the world. Now upon this sut =
ject Of Moses / have few words to say,
and for the reason that want 10 do Justice
TO my own reputation and 10 get history
right. My reputation might not be much
to some, bat it is a great deal to me, and
while live intend 10 appropriate good
deal OF my time in refuting the ISLANDERS
that have been cast upon me. | want
these colored men to hear me and /
will tell them the truth. Who
freed the colored people in Tennessee
Inquirer Let history record the fact. Did
Mr. Lincoln 10 his proclamation of eman-
cipation Get yon free Inquire ? Did be ?
What do you think when / tell YOU that
Tennessee was not embraced ia Mr.. Lin.
coins proclamation. Who did IL? II waa
done on the 26lh day of October, 1864
Aud where was it dore? 1t was done upon
tie steps Of the Capitol.
Do you remember the boisleTous and
the excited multitude that assembled there
that night? Do you remember the shrieks
and the cries of those that were shot down
ia the crowd9 Do you remember when the
messengers Of death, borne upon the spirit
of fire, we're making their way through
the audience? Do you remember when a
man got up there in the midst of The din
aud the danger of having life taEea from
in moment that proclaimed apOn the
principles and genius of universal eman-
cipati0n, which was inherent in man tn t
slavery no longer existed in Tennessee?
Who was il? Ii was Moses of Tennessee.
Loud cheers from the colored men, and
voice, Hurrah for you. want Justice
! have no favor to ask al your hands.
ask you for no place.
will read you what Moses said On that
occasion:
81 too, without reference to the Presi-
dent or any other person, have a procla-
nation to make, and, standing here upon
The steps of the Capitol, with the past
history of the State to witness, the present
condition TO guide, and its future to en-
courage me, |, Andrew johnson, do here
10y proclaim freedom, full, broad, and IN
conditional TO every man in Tennessee.
Looking at this vast crowd Of colored
people, and rejecting through what 3
storm Of persecution and oblcquy they are
compelled TO pass, | am almost induced to
wish that, as in the days of old, Moses
might arise who shoHld lead them safely 10
their promised land of freedom and bappi-
ness.
You are our Moses shouted several
voices, and the exclamation was caught
up and cheered until the Capitol run 9
again.
d" Gcd," continued the speaker, "no
doubt has prepared an instrument for the
great work he designs to perform in behalf
OF this outraged people, and in due time
yo1r leader will come forth; your Moses
will be reserved to you.
So We want no Moses but you " again
shouted the crowd.
well, then, replied the speaker, "hum
BE and unworthy az l am, if no other
better should be found, ! will indeed be
your Moses, snd lead you through the Red
Sea of war and bondage TO fairer future
Of liberty and peace. / speak now az one
who feels the world his country, and all
who love equal rights his friends. speak
TOO, ss a citizen of Tennessee. am here
on my own soil; and here / mean TO stay
and fight this great battle of truth and Jus
tice to triumphant end. Rebellion and
slavery shall, by Code help, no Longer
pollute our State. Loyal men, whether
white or black, shall alone control hel
destinies and when this strife in which
We are all engaged is past, ! trust, ! know
We shall have better state Of things, and
shall all rejoice that honest labor reaps
the fruit of its own industry, and thai
every man has s fair chance in the race OF
life.
" Ii is impossible 10 describe the en-.
thusiasm which followed these words
Joy beamed ia every countenance. Tears
and laughter followed each other 10 qnick
succession. The great throng moved and
swayed back and forth in the intensity OF
emotion, and shOut after shout rent the air
a man might have exchanged an ordinary
Immortality 10 have made such q speech
TO such an audience and been much the
gamer. IL was a speech significant Of one
Of the Hottest positions TO which mankind,
struggling upward toward universal free
dom, has yet attained"
When you come to consider who it was
that proclaimed you free, you will remem-
Der with it that il was done in such a scene
as has been described, and when Mr. Lin
coin refused 10 extend his proclamation TO
Tennessee, and left her out, Andrew Johu-
son, in the midst of danger ard death pro
claimed il from the Capitol steps. Your
Moses did it. Laughter and applause
from the colorCd men. l have been absent
four or five years, and if you have been
delivered and made free by that Moses you
have since been made slaves.
| come now to free you again from your
bondage. Some OF these Simon-pure men
WHO have, since the proclamation Of your
freedom, been 20 extremely interested in
you; that never smelled gunpowder; that
never imperiled their lives, nor sacrificed
any property, now can talk about Moses.
Where q one of them them that hss come
forward aad proposed TO be you. Moses
Where is he? Can you tell? When
danger, death aud blood, aud sacrifice of
life existed here, your modern Moses was
away, perfectly secure from the smell Of
gunpoWdeT. Their bowels yeaTn with
compassion for you. Why don't they be
your Moses i exhort the colored men
20 read Exodus xxi, and other chapters.
How long was Moses in freeing the Israel
ties from bondage l completed the de-
liverance in one night, and was your
Moses. Laughter, and That's co."
Moses delivered the children of Israel 10
forty years. ! delivered you in one night,
laughter, in the mideI of death and
danger,
Aud your Moses has deserted you?
Where Is The coIorsd, the white or the red
msn who can look Andrew johnson in the
lace aud say he ever betrayed or deceived
you.
These newcomers might have sent you
+ melhing. They are little anxious for
the places Laughter. ! believe Aaron
MSS sent into the wilderness with Moses,
and Won haven't had even an Aaron 10
come among you. Do you remember that
when Moses was on the mount receiving