New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-12-28
Letter from Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. %, 1871

To the Editor Of the NeW National Era:
A breathing spell, after hard terms work
, acceptable to teacher and pupil alike, gives
me an opportunity, just before the holidays
OF writing to you again.
First, let me congratulate you on the sur,
, position your paper is securing among oul
people. You are almost upon the firm, harC
ground of success, where you Can stand ant
light manfully for the right. Your urgent
editorial and form of petition to be circulated
in aid of the civil rights are admirable, but
allow me to say little tardy. We are gathering
In our names here, and intend to forward a
goodly number to our gallant champion.
have presented the subject to the prominent
members Of the U. L. A, of Pennsylvania,
and they resolved, at their last meeting, to go
earnestly to work in advocacy of the matter.
What are the other States doings Why do
we not hear from them3 Little "Rhody," all
honor to her, has sent one list, and the Empire
State has, l trust, only begun her movement.
Let every colored clergyman, lawyer, public
official, and influential private citizen force this
question on reluctant Senates and states.
men, until no man, dependent upon US for
votes, will dare to oppose our just claim. Let
them feel that we are of that large and incress.
ing class
"Who know their rights,
And, knowing, dare maintain"
Is there prominent or humble colored man
IN the country who has not felt this iron of
prescription enter his soul /? Who has not.
from boyhood to manhood, been subjected to
contumely, scorn, and insult, which, if inflicted
upon less patient race, would have produced
revolt? No annoyances-no wrongs more
petty, contemplate, and utterly unjustiiable
have ever been inflicted upon any race.
1t exceeds the old prescription Of the Jews
IN England. 1t rivals the disgraceful penal
code which England wrote for Ireland. 1t
puts to the blush the worst prosecutions of
religious sects. Could wrong ever be justified /;
were any one form of religion to be maintained
at the expense of every other then, with some
semblance of reason, might the Christian hate
and persecute the Jew and Infidel then might
the Protestant Englishman ilLtreat his Catholic
Irish brother.
The Frenchman might continue to hate the
Prussian, and the latter, remembering the first
Napoleon and Berlin, feel a pardonable glory
In planting his cannon in the Champ de Mars,
and in making the palace of Versailles his hos
pital. That, In Democratic America, resting
upon the Declaration of Independence, and
proclaiming abroad, after a successful war.
Liberty and Equality for ALL" the American
people, individually and through their repre-.
sentatives, should subject US to such insults as
we are liable daily to receive, is a disgrace to
the civilization of the country. Let them take
lesson from the late procession of the much
condemned inter rationale in New York CITY.
With these fanatics, Liberte EgalRe, Frater-
mite, seem to have a real meaning. Others
may be satisfied with simple citizenship and
the small spois of Office. I glory in the fact,
that my majority and citizenship were coinci-
dent hut my manhood preeededa =b-.L--.yr--
were human beings, with certain inalienable
human rights to hospitality, recreation, and
the opportunities for intellectual development
before We were citizens. Feeling this, 1, for
one, have determined that no pardoning of un-
repentant rebels, whether it be an Administra-
ton measure or not, shall stand between me
and my rights. Those may be calm, who have
never felt the lash. They may counsel sweet
patience, who have never felt barrier before
them in life; but we, who have our own
hard battle to fight, and who feel strong because
we have faith that though justice be blind she
is not deaf-who know that God is not dead
yst-have determined to cry aloud and con.
tend, step by step, until in the organic law OF
the land. beyond cavil and beyond jeopardy, our
rights are secure. Glass legislation does nc
harm. when the absence Of it strengthens in
justice.
"The best way to put down the agitator,'
said a prominent European Judge, sis to give
him no grievance" We commend the axiom
to the Forty second Congress, for we intend to
"agitate" until this, our worst grievance, is
abolished. Any one who has read the recent
debate on Mr.. Summers bill between that gen.
tleman and Senator Hill, of Georgia, must have
felt the potency of truth, the irresistible logic
OF justice, when confronted with hal fawakened
sympathies, defective reasoning faculties, and
vulgar prejudices. The first book of Plato's
Republic came to my mind. Thrasymachus was
again oontcnding with Socrates, and strange to
say, the subject was the same What is JUS
tice; what is injustice? Thrasymachus, as OF
old, got the worst of it, and showed conclu.
sively that he had no clear conception of the
terms. The modern Thrasymachus, however,
did not acknowledge, as his ancient prototype
did, the wise conclusion of Socrates" never,
then, my excellent Thrasymachus, is injustice
more advantageous than justice. Well, Socra.
ties, let this be your entertainment for the feasi
OF Bendis," christmas.
Senator Hill means we'll to his "humble',
negro friends. if his logic is defective. He
would give US the privileges granted to other
animals half human, existence, air, burial. and
with strange Inconsistency, would grant us to
SIT with him in the Senate, but would not have
US with him in the cars, hotels, or theatres.
This is Thrasymachus' definition of Justice
finally resolved and found to be identical with
injustice. When the Ithuriel like spear of tn.
modern Socrates touched him, he wrigged and
squirmed. Any shrewd negro would have, by
INSTINCT" avoided such contest. As if tc
make the lights and shadows of this debate
! stand out in holder relief, for the Senate Cham
Der must be scene worthy of Rembrandt.
pencil, our half rebel and suspciously recon
structed Ex-Governor but now Senator, Alcorr
PLEADED IN propria persona, not through Rev
fnR hru 1sac-