New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-05-01
NEW ORLEANS, SUNDAY, MAY J. 1870

turns in loathing from the craven souls who,
having no such interests as the people OF
the South to cherish slavery, stlli aovocateo
it loudly and ever rushed with indecent
haste to bind with stronger fetters the toll.
ing slaves OF this Southern land. Let me
speak now briefly of what has been accom-
plished for the black people since the war
When we first proposed to give the right OF
franchise to black men, storm OF opposi-
tion came from every side.
We were told that the attempt would
create another revolution and end IN the
utter overthrow of kepublicanism IN
America. We were told we were veDturlng
upon dangerous experiment. That which
the world scoffs at the most sometimes
proves to be OF the greatest v'Aue. sup.
pose there were few who did not laugh ana
jeer when the ark was built, yet 1t rode out
in safety the wild deluge that buried the
world in waters. Few ceileVed IN MOSES
when he smote the rock in the wilderness.
yet out from its granite bosom streams OF
cooling waters flowed. How few believed
in the brazen serpent. yet never one who
turned his eyes toward It but felt the blood
that before had throbbed, hot and feverlsh,
IN mis- veins, flow with the sweet, calm cur
rent OF perfect health. The multitude
doubted when the annointed CT Goa
reached his hand over the angry
waves of the Red sea, still the
waters parted and the nation was saved.
Pharlsee and Saduaee scOtfed and Jeered at
the teachings OF the meek aud loWiy one
who went about doing good. Tney decrled
his mission, doubted his godhead, cruel
fed his person. Yet the words he spoke
have come down through ali the years over
turning and destroying wrong. placing upon
an eternal basis the good and true. Rame
thundered her anathemas at Luther, still
his WORK went on. The old world made
light of the great Columbus; pronounced
him madman because ne Insisted that be-
yond the swelling waters OF the ocean
great continents existed, and yet they dld
exist. The people OF TINS iand VINO
fought slavery down, determined to try the
experiment of clothing the black race
with the right OF franchise; they believed
that men who had dared the storm and
danger of battle were entitled (no matter
what the color of their skin to every chance
in the race for life that others had. In
ancient times the monarch or a realm struck
with his sword his Suppliaat subject, and he
rose up a knight. America followed that
ancient custom on a grander scale. She
reached out her hand, anG with her blood
STAINED sword smote thrice her kneeling
| blacks, and they rose up haighted with ever
lasting manhood. [Great applause.
NV friends, | find myself tonight almost
powerless TO express the em otiOns that surge
| up from my heart. | feel that IN the living
presence OF the fifteenth amendment my
| race should stand aside and give place to
| those whose political salvation 1t secures;
| have watched with a full heart the thou
| sands VINO have thropged the streets to-day,
men and women (most OF them, IN whose
veins the blood of that race, accursed tor
near a century, is flowing; have watched
| the play OF their features; | have studied the
unconscious of their voices, ana have tried
| to catch from them something OF the JOY
| they feel 10 know that the shadows have
drifted from about their people, and that
| the clouds no more darken their habitation.
| TApplausel. | am powerless to realize as
| they do tue mighty march OF the last de-
| cade. Think of it. In this great city, where,
ten years ago. slavery, with naughty crest
| erect swept in and out, now freedom, with
| majestic tread, walks to and fro. see before
me vast assembly, who, awhile ago. were
chattels; new they are free as am. Near me
! sits a man, now the second officer OF this
| great commonwealth, who, but little while
ago, with troubled look, passed up and
down an outcast in this the city OF his birth.
Go to our halls Of legislation see, black and
white working together for the common
| good; visit the nations Capitol. look IN
upon the Senate, and tie dusky face OF
| Hiram Revel5 greets'you. CApplause.l Go
| where you will in this broad laud and no
| ban Of race cOnlrOnts you. The fifteenth
amendment, thank God, Knows no North,
| no South. no East. no West, no race, nc
color; knows nothing but manhood absolute.
| [Great applause.1 Verify, the hand OF God
worketh wonders; the strong and mighty
are cast down, and the Children OF toll and
sorrow are lifted up in exalted places. All
| that America ca.. do polite ally for the black
race has been done. Iu their own hands
! their future lies. As they choose it will be
good or evil. For one, l have no fear that
! .hey will not come up to the highest hopes
and wishes of the great party who have
| been their firm and steadtast friends
i through years of fiery trials. One
act alone is necessary upon the side
OF freedoms party to hand its name
| down 10 the latest generations Of the world,
20 stamp it in all coming time as the best
and wisest political party that ever controll-
! ed the destiny OF great nation. Now that
| the war is over, now that not only what We
started out to accomplish but much more
has been achieved, | hold it to be the
| nigh privilege, the solemn duty OF this gov
| ernment, to open wide its arms aud gather
| every erring child within them. [Applause
| Side by side with the proclsmatlon of the
| fifteenth amendment want to see procla-
| nation of universal amnesty. l want the
| TWO with clasped hands to walk down the
centuries, living and eternal witnesses ol
| the justice and mercy of America. Zap
| plaUse. 1t seems to me the people of this
| Southern land have had ful! and ample pun
| ishment for the wrongs they have committed.
| Knowing, as | do, full wei the awful woe
! and sorrow that the war created in the
| North, | can fully understand that grief rest s
| in almost every household OF the South. To
| the sadness of private sorrow for the people
| of the South is added one thing the North
has never known-the bitterness of defeat.
| The North lost well nigh half a million OF
her sons, but she never saw as have the people
| of the South, her form of Government des-
| troyed, the banners of her armies swept
| away III the Whirlwind of defeat, all the
| high positions Of her section filed with
| strangers. Some may say the South de-
served all that has come upon her; sup
| pose she has. why still go further and press
| the iron still deeper into souls already
| smarting under untold sorrows2 Why say
| TO some two hundred thousand men, you
! shall have no rights in this Government, go
! forth with the mark of Cain upon your fore
| heads? Did you ever think, my friends.
what sad thing it is to have no country,
/ to look 10 vain among all the banners OF the
| nations and find no one to call your own; to
wander up and down the earth and have no
| spot upon the map to call your country; 20
lay your wife and children away in ground
to which you have no title? Il can not 'be
! that this great nation will long permit any
Of her children (no matter how much they
| may have erred) to be homeless triendless,
! powerless in the land where they first sa W
| the light of day. When the South stood
Up in conflict. when her borders were alive
| with steel, and all her vailles grey with the
! smoke OF cannon, believed IN
| striking blows quick and strong, be-
iieved in pushing to des truction, but
| now when no armies confront US, when no
! sound of war disturbs the air of heaven, |
| do not believe in striking angry blows upon