The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-04-18

The colored people of the District
Columbia celebrated, yesterday, the ann
versary of the emancipation of the slave
: by a very large procession and ma
meeting at Union League Hail. Speechc
were made by Governor Cooke and Geners
Chapman.
REMARKS OF GOVERNOR COOKE.
My Felloao- Oitizens-I rejoice with yo
on this, the natal day of your freedom
1t commentaries one of the grandes
events in our national history-the strikin
the shackles from four millions of slaves
and paving the way for citizenship. Th,
proclamation of emancipation was tn
crowning glory Of the first Republican ad
ministration of Abraham Lincoln, an,
will go down through all future time a
the largest step in the progress of liberty
taken upon this continent since the signns
of the Declaration of Independence Ye
great as was the event, it was not COM plet,
until supplemented by another. 1t wa.
reserved for the second Republican admin.
stration of General Grant to make tht
work full and complete. That admins
tration added to your freedom the elective
franchise throughout the entire length and
breadth of the land, and to-day you stand
before me clothed In all the power, the
rights and the dignity of American citizen
ship.
But citizenship has its duties as well as
its rights. need not remind you what
these duties are. Foremost among them
is that of political fealty to the party, and
the men, whose wisdom in the councils of
State and whose skill and courage on the
field of battle aided in procuring for you
the priceless blessings you now enjoy.
Having full confidence that you appre-
ciate the Importance of wise use OF the
trust committed to you, and again congrat-
ulating you upon the joyous occasion of this
demonstration. bid you good day.
REMARKS OF GEN. CHAPMAN.
My fellow-citizsns- am glad to min
gle my congratulations with yours on this
auspicious occasion.
We often hear it made the subject of
com mplaint that the District of Columbia is
made by Congress the propagating and
experimental garden of the country for all
new ideas or questions of national concern.
But so far from its being to the dscredit of
our District that emancipation was here
first proclaimed, ii will rebound to the ul-
innate glory of our people that they first
witnessed and pal ticipated in this initial
step towards liberating an oppressed and
down-trodden race.
This tardy act of Justice was but the
precursor of other rights and privileges
which followed, and as the result of it all
you stand clothed to-day in the panopIy
of American citizenship our Declaration
of Independence is vindicated, and our na-
tional constitution is no longer "naunt-
ing le," as the friends of liberty in this
country used to denomnate it. l remem-
Der that bloodshed and riot were predicted
as the result of this act 1 remember af-
forwards when suffrage was extended to
you, it was said that war of races here
would follow, and woe betide the black
man who dared to accept his freedom or
exercise his right Of suffrage But expert
ence has proved to the world that you |
were prepared for the enjoymen of the na-
tural right to life, liberty, and the pursuit |
of happiness, and each successive year
that this natural right was
well supplemented by according to ycu as
to all other citizens the power to defend
That natural right through the means of
the ballot.
/ believe, my felow-ctizens, that the
sudden transition through which you pass
ID from degraded bondage to full citizen
ship, and your demonstration that you
were fitted for the latter, as you had pa
!iently borne the former, will forever stand
as one of the proudest achievements of
American civilization.
We are thinking people. The masses
urnish the aggregated thought which di-
'ects all our public legislation, makes and
our constitutions. l have never
oeen able to trace to any class of citizens
my superiority over another class in
public sentiment. Representa-
i've men appear and disappear-men of
ntellect-but they are but types of the
prevailing thought; lying in the minds of
he people, the humblest of whom may
lave the clearest perceptions upon the
eading questions of the day. You, my
rends. now form part of that great
linking machinery which rules this coun-
ry. Since you took upon Yourselves the
nies must admit that you have come up
c..ll A. Il -. |