The Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1870-1871, 1871-01-15

grateful tor what had been done Tor them and he
did not believe there was any race who had the
feeling of gratitude implanted in their hearts
deeper than their race. Having received so
many blessings in the past few years, then, it
became them to obliterate all those feelings Of
revenge for IAst injuries. They had gained the
great blessing for which they had been seeking.
Let, therefore, the past and its injuries be for
gotten. Their rights had been fully sustained
They should themselves then give complete
rights to all men. [Cheers.1 There might still
be designing demagogues who wished to deprive
other men of their rights for political purposes;
but there could be no good government where
considerable portion of the people were deprived
of their political right He would therefore have
their rights granted to those men. [Cheers ]
These might be curious words for a colored man
to utter; but they who had once said that they
had suffered wrongs grevious to be borne, could
not reasonably advocate the disfranchisement Of
any one. They had been the people who had
borne all the burdens. If there was, therefore,
any wrong that they would, see revenged, they
were the ones to do it But they had received
sufficient benefits, since the time when those in
juries were inflicted, to enable them to forgive
them now. ICheers. And they would find ge-
nerosity of this kind the best in the end for them
selves, for their brethren, and for the govern
ment in general.
The speaker objected to the policy of the
United States government, as expressed in at
tempting to secure o portion of the island OF
San Domingo, the negro government of which
had been the only one of its kind which had
been tolerably successful The object of this
government was mere ACCOMPLISHMENT, and its
accession would simply result in the destruction
of the free government on the remaining half Of
the island. The negro population of this country
should send up an emphatic protest against the
acquisition of any portion of the island by the
United States, lCheers.]
In conclusion, he would urge all his brethren,
in choosing men to vote for, not to choose men
because they belong to such and such party,
but to choose them because they would make
good men to represent them, and to recollect
that united they would stand, and divided they
would fall. [Cheefs.
Dr. c. Y. DYER
was then introduced as an old and tried friend
of the negro race. The speaker said it was no
new thing for him to speak to negroes, either in
this country or the old country. He was glad
to see them celebrating the day of their emanci-
patton. All great, free countries, celebrated the
anniversary Of their freedom, and it would be a
bad day for them when they should forget to
celebrate the day when they became free So it
would be an unfortunate day for the United
States when it should forget to celebrate the day
of emancipation; and whenever that day shall
come when they will forget to celebrate that
great day. the United States would deserve to
perish, and the negroes would deserve to lose
their freedom il they shouli forget to celebrate
the LIST. of January every year; and he hoped to
see hereafter, not only professions and meetings.
but to see bonfires burning all over the city and
all over the land on the LIST ofJanuary. [Cheers. ]
The speaker concluded with references to
several of the prominent orators against slavery.
DR. J. H. SMITH
was then introduced to the audience. The speak
discussed the past condition of the colored race
and its present condition. Hitherto the negroes
had been deprived of MI the rights and privi-
leges of white men, social educational, business
and political. But this was changing rapidly
and completely. 1t was indeed astonishing how
rapidly prejudices of races were dying out in
this country In the South, for instance, q
grand change was going ON. Now its people
were the most illterate, but soon the time would
come when it would have the finest people in the
United States The negroes themselves were
rapidly cultivating themselves up to standard
suitable to their new rights Now there were in
the schools 1900 colored children. All should
seek education Education was what the negroes
needed. Education was protection. Education
would show him his manhood Again, the
colored people must seek to obtain position in
the community position both as men of intel
lect and as men of capital. He, was afraid now
that such men were as scarce among the colored
people here as it was said people from Chicago
were in heaven. They had therefore great work
to do before they could obtain that influence
| which they ought to possess as a people and as
one of the national compounds that now made
up this government [Cheers.]
The meeting then after singing "John
Brown, adjourned !; after which refreshments
were served to the audience
TELEGRAPHIC DISPATCHES.
(FRON THE SEAT mr. WIN