New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-04-06
PROSPECTUS
or TIE
NEW NA9I0NA AL ERA.
FpEn,y norcr M.
FREDK DOUGLASS, Editor & Publisbsr

AS an Advocate, II will assert and msirtsi, sr..
right pertaining to the American citizen ;,s,
pendent of race, color, or accident Of birth !,
wall demand the recognition of these r;gb,,
wherever the Constitution extends or tho -.
uonai ens'gn waves As an Educator. its col.
ulns viii De an especial medium for the eFact;v.
o'uusion OF right principles and much needed N
S''"'''oh' ana torihe incubation ofthose habt.o,
INDUSTRY economy, and selfrelauce which co,
duoe To independent manhood, and give yitaIi,,
and energy to free government, insurins in ,s,.,.
blessings to the governed.
While the editors ofthe New NArIcy,t E,..-
coiored men, and the contributors will be u,i,l.
coiored. yet the columns will be omen for a..
discussion OF all questions of vital importance =,
The country by any of its citizens. Commup;c..
tons suitable for publication in these column.
are solicited from our friends in all rarts If III.
country, especially in the Southern States.
THE POLITICAL DEPARTMENT.
Upon all questions involving the especial inter,
eSts ot the colored American citizen. the .unIA
rule OF equal justice for all men will govern the
policy ofthe Nav national ERA. 1t will demand
the recognition Of no right for one citizen which
it will not freely accord to every other. 1t will
oppose any attempt to confer privileges upon
class, that are withhold from the humblest citiss,
| IN the land. 1t will demand for every citi,.r
equality before the law, and full protection ~
person and property in every State aud Ter-i,,-.
of the National Union.
The NEw NATIONAL Era will take high vronnd
upon all public questions, and labor TO ;,s,i..
oneness OF purpose and encourage unity Of
action, especially among the newly-enfrancbisAB
people of the Reconstructed States Ramou
bering the past history Of TIE Republican psrty
and recognizing what i has done for the coIorss
people OF the nation, the New national En-,
will give its hearty support to that party withou,
reserve, This pledge of fidelity to the RepubE.
can party is given under the conviction. AMI
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 Govern nent.
such as ours is intended to be, are better qual,-
fed to discharge their duties to the State,
and TO one another The nation will ever fnd
It's surest safeguard in the intelligence of Us
voting masses, and the journal which would pro.
mote the highest good of government and peopl.
must lend its energies and its 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 blightngip.
duences, have been deprived Of the oppor,unitie.
enjoyed by their more favored brethren of the
free States.
The treedmen's Bureau had under its charge
during the past year, as shown by the last anpusI
report, ia, 523 cOlored pupils in the day school,
and s9,73l in the Sunday schools. en,oloyipg
$500 teachers. About 1870, 900 of these pupils
were slaves at the commencement Of the war.
The educational department of this paper win
contain matter prepared and selected with sps.
cal reference to toe capacities and needs of this
large number OF pupils and teachers, thereby
making the New NATIONAL ERA valuable aux
liary in the scheme of education.
THE INDUSTRIAL DEPARTMENT.
lhe industrial interests of the colored people
will claiu and receive large share of our at
tenuop. We adopt the following extracts from
the address promulgated by the Colored Labor
Convention held in this city in December last, MS
indicating the views and policy of the NEW Ma
TIOYAL ERA on this subject:
'tor our own good and the welfare of our
country in all things pertaining to her material
and moral well-being, We seek better and
broader opportunity to gain knowledge in the
fields of agricultural, mechanical, commercial
artistic, and professional labor, and this knowl
edge we would energlse, direct, and make more
largely effective through the enlightening and
sanctifying influence of education. Our rnottoes
are liberty and labor, acknowledgements and edr.
cation The spelling book and the hoe. th.
hammer and the vote, the opportunity to work
and to rise, place on which to stand and 70
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 far
dealing.
"That this end may be reached, we ask, first
OF all, that trades be opened to Our children,
equitable system of apprenticeship in the Sc
ond place, that for every DAYS labor given se
be paid full and fair remuneration, and that ne
avenue OF honest industry be closed against u.s.
and thirdly, since we believe that the IntelL
gence, the elevation, and happiness OF all people
depends IN no small degree upon the diversity
OF thelr iudusdrlal pursuits, we ask tnat We
may work In the printip.g office, whether PriVs'S
or governmental, ia the factory, the foundry, Ie
workshop, upon. the railroad, the canal 'A'
river, the stealn aat, IN the warehouse, the 'oIe
wherever labor is to be done and an able anu
faithful workman is wanted we CONCEIVE Aa'
we may claim place without distin cton :"
our color or former condition, since all Ihs! %
be demanded by the employer is ability, is-
tui performances of the contract made, anu -
employee reasonable treatment and the c2mPs1
sauOn promised. Hence, while We condemn 'Aa
spirit which IN ITS proscriptlve regulations lel
us industrial opportunity and the fruits Of loH7'
toll, We rejoice in all those evidences OF prs
pective good which we and other laDoring c. '''s
see in the erection of factories and fouudr esq