Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-10-05

unanimously, ana Colonel BOwel
then took the chair amid genera
applause.
MIR. Green then announced a lis
OF officers, among whom were Mr.
johnson, secretary, and Mr.. Ed
ward w. Turner, corresponding
secretary.
The chair then called on Rev. D
II. Anderson, who opened the pro
ceedings with a fervent prayer, Al
the conclusion of which the band
performed the Star Spangled Ban.
ner.
MIR. Henry johnson then read
the proclamation of President Lin.
coin, issued on the 22d of Septem.
Der, 1862, announcing to the people
of the States then in rebellion that
if they did not lay down their arms
in one hundred days from that date
that a proclamation would be issued
declaring the freedom of all slaves
within such States. He then rea d
the proclamation of January /,
1863, declaring freedom to all per-
sons within the States then in re-
bellion.
GRAFTON OF PROF. JOHN N. LANGsToN.
Professor John NJ. Langston was
then introduced and delivered ali
address, of which the following is
the substance:
To-day We celebrate an event, or
rather a succession of events, which
renders peculiarly luminous and
glorious the most interesting chap
ter OF American history; and as
sociated inseperably with these
events stands the good, the great,
the immortal Lincoln.
The dignity and appropriateness
of our celebration are simply vindi-
Gated by the magnitude and impor-
tance of the triumph Implied in our
emancipation.
This achievement is one OF such
signal Importance, OF such far
reaching consequences, 50 essential
to the national life and liberty, that
1t stands in moral significance Sec
ond to no act recorded in our ma
tional annals. What the fathers of
OF our Government announced in
the Declaration by this act is incor-
porated into our National Consti-
tuition. And i'll practice, as well as
IN theory 1--WE hold that all men are
created equal" and that govern
ments derive their just powers from
the consent OF the governed"
We celebrate the triumph of ma
tlonal virtue over national vice; the
triumph of national law over State
and national violence the triumph
of the principles of intelligent civil
ization over national and State bar
barism; the triumph of the princi-
Piles of our national declaration ov-
er the inculcations of a once inno-
solent slave oligarchy; the triumph
Of freedom, with all its blessings,
over slavery, with it's incalculable |
evils; the triumph of Republicanism |
over mis-named Democracy; the tri-
umph of Christianity itself over the |
and atheism inculcated by |
the false teachings of despotism.
In this triumph the sentiment |
and opinion which once found ex-
preston in the statement that "this
is a white mans government" and
this is a white mans country" are
for ever destroyed, and neither in
our Bible nor State or National
Constitution is there to be
read, in any article, any sec
ton, clause, or phrase, the word
white" nor in any of our State or
national public documents is there
% be found any phraseology i'm
porting discrimination as to citizen
ship or political power by reason of
1t may not be denied, therefore,
hat we celebrate the triumph of
hat Democracy which, while it for
,ets not the things that belong to
tself, is none the less soGcitous to
preserve and defend those things
which belong Of right to all others
"a Democracy which is no less
ust in its demands than equal and
Impartial in its concessions.
1t is interesting to trace the pro-
,ress OF the accomplishment Of these
rand results.
First Of all, on the 10th day of
april, 1862. Congress abolished
lavery in the District of Columbia.
Second. On the 22d of Septem-
'er, 1862, Abraham Lincoln issued
he proclamation Of freedom, the
'inth anniversary Of which we cele-
rate to-day.
Third. On the 29th Of November,
862. Edward Bates, Attorney
ieneral of the United States, issued :
he celebrated opinion, in which be
ays:
Our nationality was created and !
ur political government exists by !
Iritten law, and inasmuch as that ,
NV does not exclude persons of ,
hat descent. AFRICAN, and as its
erms are manifestly broad enough ,
include them, it follows inevitably
hat such persons, born in the
ountry, must be citizens, unless the
act of African descent be so in
with the fact of ci,izen-