New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-05-11
PROSP ECTUS
or THE
NE W NATION AL ERA.
FREDK DOUGLASS, Editor & Publisher

IL
The'NEw NATIONAL ERA will partake of a two.
fold nature--that of an Advocate and an Educator
As an Advocate, 1t will assert and maintain every
right pertaining to the American citizen. india.
pendent of race, color, or accident of birth II
will demand the recognition of these rights
Wherever the Constitution extends or the ns.
honai ensign waves. AS an Educator, its col.
ums Will be an especial medium for the effective
diffusion of right principles and much needed in.
straeton and for the incubation ofthose habits Of
industry, economy, and self-reliance which con.
auce to independent manhood, and give vitality
and energy to free government, nsuring in return
blessings to the governed.
While the editors ofthe NEw NATIONAL ERA az
coiored men, and the contributors will be mainly
colored, yet the columns viii be open for the
discussion of all questions of vi al importance to
the country by any of its citizens Conmunica,
uons suitable for publication in these columns,
are solicited from our friends in all parts of the
country, especially in the Southern States.
THE POLITICAL DEPARTMENT.
OponaIl questions involving the especial inter,
estS OF the colored American citizen, the simnls
rule of equal justice for all men will govern the
poicy ofthe NEW NATIONAL ERA. 1t will demand
the recognition of no right for one citizen which
1t will not freely accord to every other. 1t will
| oppose any attempt to confer privileges upon a
class, that are withheldfrom the humblest citizen
in the land. 1t will demand for every citizen
equality before the law and full protection Of
person and property in every State aud Territory
of the National Union
| The Nsw NATIONAL ERA will take high ground
! upon all public questions, and labor to inspire
a oneness OF purpose and encourage unity of
action, especially among the newly enfrauchsed
| people OF the Reconstructed States. Remem-
bering the past history of the Republican party.
and recognizing what it has done for the coored
people of the nation, the New NATIONAL En-,
will give its hearty support to that party without
reserve. This pledge of fidelity to the Republi.
can party is given under the conviction, and
with the assurance, that in the future, as in the
past. that party will be the steadfast and inAexi-
bic support Of those principles of Justice and
liberty which have now become part of the
organic law Of the land.
THE EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
By education the people of free Government.
such as ours is intended to be, are better quail
fed to discharge their duties to the State.
and to one another. The nation will ever find
its surest safeguard in the intelligence of its
voting masses, and the journal which would pro.
mote the highest good of government and people
must lend its energies and it's power to the work
of educating that people. Especially is the
agency OF the press needed by that portion of
the people, colored and white, who, either
in slavery or under the ban of its blighting in.
huences, have been deprived of the opportunities
enjoyed by their more favored brethren of the
free States.
The Freedmens Bureau had under its charge
during the past year, as shown by the last annual
report, 1923 colored pupils in the day school,
and S9,73l in the Sunday schools, EMPLOYING
$3.50 teachers. About 19O, 900 of these nupils
were slaves at the commencement of the wa.
The educational department of this paper viii
contain matter prepared and selected with sns.
cial reference to the capacities and needs of this
large number of pupils and teachers, thereby
making the NEw NATIONAL ERA valuable aux
Hilary in the scheme Of education.
TIE INDUSTRIAL DEPARTMENT.
The industrial interests of the colored people
will claim and receive large share of our at
tention. We adopt the following extracts from
the address promulgated by the Colored Labor
Convention held in this city in December last, a.
indicating the views and policy of the New Ma
TIoNAL ERA on this subject:
''tor our own good and the welfare of our
country in all things pertaining to her material
=
broader opportunity to gain knowledge in the
fields of agricultural, mechanical, commercial
artistic, and professional labor, and this knowl,
edge we would energse, direct, and make moro
largely effective through the enlightening and
sanctfyng influence of education. Our notices
are liberty and labor, acknowledgements and edu-
cation The spelling book and the hoe the
hammer and the vote, the opportunity to work
and to rise, place which to stand, and to
be and to do, we ask for ourselves and children
as the means in the use of which, under God,
we are to compass these achievements which
furnish the measure, the test, and justification
of our claim to impartial treatment and fair
dealing.
That this end may be reached, we ask, FIRST
Of all, that trades be opened to our children,
and that they be given the benefit of just and
equitable system of apprenticeship; in the sec.
ond place, that for every day labor given We
he paid full and fair remuneration, and that no
avenue of honest industry be closed against US;
and thirdly, since we believe that the inte!l-
gence the elevation, and happiness of all people
dspends in no small degree upon the diversity
of their Industrial pursuits, we ask that We
NAV work inthe printing office, whether private
or governmental, in the factory, the foundry the
workshop, upon the railroad, the canal, the
river the steamboat, in the warehouse the store.
wherever labor is to be done and an able and
faithful workman is wanted we conceive that
we may claim place without distinction as to
our color or former condition, since all that can
be demanded by the employer is ability, faith
full performances of the contract made, and the
employee reasonable treatment and the compen-