New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-12
THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT,

| President Grant did good act when ne
by message notified Congress of the pro-
mulga ion, by proclamation of the Secre-
tary of State, of the ratification OF the
| fifteenth amendment to the constitution
| of the United States. A message from the
President upon such occasions may be
unusual, but upon this particular occa-
sion it was not only appropriate, out Tue
object which prompted President Grant
to make the PRONUNCIATION of the ratltica-
| ton OF the fifteenth amendment cause
| for a special message to Congress was
| highly patriotic. 1t was the proper time
! to impress upon the people just invested
| with suffrage and full citizenship, the
irnnortance of the advice of Washing
| con, gwen to bis countrymen. when enter
ing upon his duties as FIRST President .of d
republic that then embraced but small
portion of the territory that is now subject
to its control; and reiterated so fervently
by the Father OF bis Country, when voluu-
tafily retiring from public Office, in his
| farewell address to bis countrymen. That
! advice was: promote then, as matter OF
| primary importance, institutions for the
| general diffusion of knowledge. IN pro-
portion as the structure of the government
gives force to public opinion, it is essential
that public opinionehould be enlightened
President Grant, feeling as Wash
| ington undoubtedly did, thai!
without education a people would be IN
capable of self-government. has taken a
very solemn occasion to remind those
about to be invested with the rights of
citizenship of the fact; and of the i'm
portance of their striving in every honor
able manner to make themselves worthy
of their new privilege For this reason
he has done a good act-an act which not
only concerns the four millions of people
that have been enfranthised, but the thir-
ty-sx millions of freemen who
are deeply interested in the per-
pstuation and growth of free in
situations. Education is as essential
to the true success of the individual as it
is to the cause of republican government.
If, therefore, the people who have just
been raised to citizenship wish to profit
by the timely advice given by the Presi-
dent, they will endeavor by all honorable
means to fit themselves to intelligently
discharge the duties that now >devolye
upon them as citizens. Washington felt
the necessity of such advice in his time;
and now, when four millions of people,
the most of whom we're formerly slaves,
are suddenly invested with the rights
of freemen, certainly advice OF the
Kind can be considered most oppor-
tune for all who really cherish
and admire rational freedom. The strug-
gle should NOT be one for Office with those
vho have SO lately come IN possession of
the right of suffrage, but it should be
struggle to become educated. This will
enable them, step by step, to perform, in
telligently and creditably, every position
they are called upon as citizens to I'LL.
President Grant must have felt this when
he penned bis message TO Congress
in relation 10 the final ratification
of the fifteenth amendment, or
ne would not have deviated from
the usual course to do 40, and taken occa-
SION to say that institutions like ours, in
which all power 10 derived directly from
the pc ople, must depend mainly on their
intelligence, patriotism and indest'y.' 1t is
the duty of the true friends of freedom to
speak plainly and without hattery upon
subject of such vital importance. WASH
ington set the example of so doing in his
time, and President Grant has not taltered
in his duty at this time. Let those who
would continue to enjoy the inestimable
boon Of liberty heed their advice.