The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1870-05-12
Fred. Donelas. Advice 70 The
.Colored Voters.

pie, (but, my friends, / am not GO
ing to give advice, for we are not
in the position just now to receive
perhaps more than we can dispose
of in that line); but let me say that
one of the first things that. we col
ored voters have to learn is this, to
respect tothe fullest extent, to re-
spect in each other the right to a.
difference Of opinion.
lhear some men say that if the
black man in this enlightened age,
should vote the Democratic ticket,
let him be denounced; [Cheers. |
Gentlemen, / do not s6are that
opinion at all. l am Republican
q [cheersb dyed in the woodland /
never intend to belong to any other
than the party of freedom and pro-
gress. Cheers. But ifone ofmy
Icolored fellow citizens chooses to,
think that his interests and rights,
and the interests of the country,
can be better subseryed by giving
his vote against the Republican
party, ], as an American citizen,
and as one desirous to learn the
first principles of free government
affirm his right his undoubted
right-to vote as he chooses.
What we have to learn.i is respect
forthe law everywhere; it is not to
lead and control the opinions of
our fcllow-citizens. l am lover
of freedom. ] am a Protestant.
Cheers. believe in free con
science, both religiously and polit-
ically. ! go in for the first, sec
ond and last, and Iwant you to do
so too.
am down upon any one who
begins to question a man who is 60
ging to vote a ticket different from
his own. That talk was commenced
in the District of Columbia: Moth
ingl nothing! nothing will tarnish
our liberty in this country SO much
gas doing that. We are to respect
each others rights.
Well, we are to learneomething
about religious liberty. The col
ored people in this country are
Boosting that in Cincinnati the
first vote given by the colored peo-
pie was in favor of retaining the
Bible In onr common schools.
Cheers. They had a right so to
yote--an undoubted right 80 to
vote, and on this question / am
with them. Lglory in their stating
their convictions; but, on the other
hand, If there be any colored man
who, by experience, by reading, by
knowledge, honestly believes that it
is unjust to the Catholic popula-
tion of this country to impose up
on them the reading of King James
version Of the Bible to the exclu-
sion Of theirs, and was therefore
in favor of removing the whole
question of religion from our
schools, let that mans conscience
command the respect which | ac-
cord to you, and which you should
accord to others who differ from
you. F3
confess that am of this de.
scription ofmen, and had been in
Cincinnati l should have voted
against enforcing the reading of
the Bible In the schools of my
country, e of.
The schools of this country were
established TO teach what can be
known, They were not established
to teach what cannot be known, or
what any man believes concerning
the unknown; but they were estab-
lished TO teach what can bc known,
and there 1t would leave them. II
any other man has n faith, let him
love it; let him teach it to his fam
lily; let him teach it by the way
side; lot him teach it by his life
let him teach it from the pulpit;
let him teach it through the press;
but let him not call upon the Gov
ernment, made up of all religious
peoples and no religious people, to
undertake to enforce any book of
religious ideas whatever. Cheers,
Religious liberty, Oil what a
liberty 1t is. The right to think,
write and believe; the right to diff
fer with the majority, more pre-
cions, more priceless; a liberty |
that has cost more tears, more
blood, more agony than all other
liberties together. l am not for
seeing 1t compromised. | am for
seeing it established, and my com
mand to the Church, and all de-
nominations ofthe Church, whether
Catholic or Protestant, is hands Off
this Governments Hands off the
Government. Cheers. And my
command to the Government Is,
hands off the Church.
We'll, here | have gotten out of
the way Of the Fifteenth Amend
ment, and been talking of some
thing else; but l throw out these
remarks because there is q tenden-
cy on the part of certaip parties to |
pre'engagc or pre- promise your
votes in u certain direction all
through.
We are ireemen tonight! / like
the Republican party. Ofcourse l
do. How can l do otherwise? 1t
IL the party of progress. 1t has
done all for us that has been done,
and.all has been done gloriously
and well,
/ have no fear as to whore your
votes willgo. know you. know
that there are people ON this foot.
stool to whom an appeal, based
upon the idea Of gratitude, can be
addressed with a certainty of re.
ply and they are the colorcd peo- |
pie of this country. May they al, |
ways be In that position. Wel
never forget n favor thouvh ,ve al |