The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-26


grave responsibilities, great temptations and
great dangers. The hour of triumph may be
followed by days of trial, such rs we have never
known before. Temptations, such have
borne down many strong men, will doubtless
come to us. Here, as in the South, poor men
will be put under heavy pressure. Now, as of
old, an incarnate devil may etand saying, "All
this will give you if thou will fall down aud
worship me, and it will be so hard for some
colored men to say, "Get thee behind me-" If
they are like some white men we have all
known. BY nature we are no better than they
are.
What we want for this hour of our rejoicing
and for coming days of trial is simple manli-
ness, and manly recognition Of the past, pre-
sent, and future.
Among the sons of several whose future He
foretold when dying there was one compared
to a despised beast of burden, who for the
pleasantnees of the land crouched down between
two burdens. Years pass, and we cOme again on
lsenchar or to his sons, but no longer as stupid
burden-bearers. Oh, no! 1t is time of trial
in Israel; the national life is threatened and
the tribes come up to battle, and of the
children of lssachar two hundred OF them were
worth all the rest, because they understood the
times. We want just such men to-day-men
who under their burdens have learned lessons of
wisdom. Two hundred such men might lead
our thousands, and snatch Philadelphia from
the disgrace which has been heaped upon her
by party demagogues
The pastor then concluded by addressing
few personal remarks to the association which
was present. He hoped that each member of
the association which bore the honoTed name
of Thaddeus Stevens would be such man as
he had just referred to. He invoked them to
be active and find some brother, degraded
though he be, and make him feel like brother.
Thus many could be saved from the enemy.
Their motto should 'lead him upward to prin-
cipe rather than to party, to a life of virtue"
and thus, finally, he would reach God and
heaven.
At st. Thomas p. T.. Church.
hI1il tod af nd A1aln
streets, like the one on Lombard street, was
filled to overhowing long before the time an
nounced for the commencement of the services.
The Colored Peoples Union League occupied
front seats and were attentive listeners to the
eloquent remarks of the Rev. w. j. Alston,
whose text was Psalm eXXvi, 3, "The Lord hath
done great things for us, whereof we are glad"
The eloquent divine introduced his sermon
with beautiful description of the scene which
occasioned the use of the above sentence. He
pictured the Babylonian captivity, through
which the chilt reD of Israel had suffered for
seventy years. They had been delivered by God
and had reached their homes when they erected
affairs and offered up sacrifices to Him as their
deyerer. He also referred at some length to
the parallel case in the Scriptures-the deliver
ance of the children of Israel from Egyptian
bondage. They had crossed the Red Sea and
Pharoah and his hosts had been engu.fed. SO
joyous were they at their delverauce that they
manifested their praise to Almighty God by
singing the song:-
become my salvation; he is my God, and will pre-
pare him an habitaton; my fathers God and will
eXalt him."
''The Lord is man of war; the Lord is his name"
'Pharaohs chariOts and his host hath he cast into
the sea- his chosen captains also are drowned in the
''The depths have covered them; they sank into
the bottom as a stone"
"Thy right hand o Lord, is become glorious in
the enemy"
The preacher then alluded briefly to the cause
of the gathering to-day, and read the ratification
proclamation of the passage of the fifteenth
amendment. He also read extracts from the
Presidents message to Congress with reference
to the subject. He then contended that to fully
appreciate that which the colored people were
celebrating to-day, it was necessary to take a
recapitulatory review of the race ON this conti-
nent. Prior to the emancipation proclamation,
he held that everything was done with view of
degrading the race. He, in proof of this re-
verted to the FIRST sale of negroes into slavery by
the Dutch in 1920, and to the formation of the
Colonization Society in 1882 the object of which
was to drive all free men of color from this
country, which was practically to enslave the
entire colored population. He alluded to the
want of appreciation of the services of the negro
Crispis Attux, whose blood was the first shed in
the Revolutionary War. He also considered
separately, and in order, the several compromises
that took place with view to enlarge the slave
territory, and made pointed reference to the
deadly struggle in Kansas. He also referred to
John Browns mission South, to the insult cast
cession of the Southern States.
The speaker marked the arming of the slaves
as the date of the change in the fortune of the
national arms and held that not until then did
| the Government show any real practical SYM
pathy for the services rendered by the coored
| people in its hour of need. The first evidence
| of this appreciation he conceived to be the
| passage of the Freedmen's Bureau bill This
| was followed by the fourteenth amendment, and
| finally the ratification of the fifteenth amend
| ment has been announced. These boons were
| the gifts of God-the grand stepping-stones OF
| the full panopled citizenship with which to-day
the colored people are all clothed.
The Banner Presentation.
At noon a handsome banner was presented to
| the colored citizens of Philadelphia by the
| Union League, in the principal drawing-room ei
| the League building.
! Previous to the presentation the banner was
| on exhibition at the north end of the room. 1t
| was a most beautiful affair, and reflects great
credit upon both the designers and makers. The
dimensions of the banner proper are about seven
| by six feet. The face is of white silk orna-
mented at the sides with rich gold embroidery,
| two inches in width.
The ends of the cross bars are mounted with
small gilt eagle heads, and from the bottom
| hangs heavy gilt fringe The principal design
| is in a circular form, and represents colored
soldier meeting and taking by the hand white
| brother. Both of the principal figures are in
full regimentals. The colored soldier has his
| head uncovered and is raising his free hand to
call Heaven to witness the sincerity of the feel
| ings which the action expresses. In the back
| ground an army is assembled, with the accom-
| paniment of drums, cannon, and other warlike
Implements.
In the front rank of the army stands the mar
! tyr Lincoln, holding forth the immortal Eman-
| cpation Proclamation. On the left negro
family are grouped together in an attitude OF
thanklulness In the rear of the army may be
seen the white Capitol buildings, aud over all
the sun is just breaking through dark cloud