Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-09-22

secondly that so many colored men have been
found 50 competent to discharge the duties i'm
posed upon them as Office holders.
just after the election of Gen. Grant as Pres-
dent and before his Inauguration, one of the
most distinguished and influential colored men
in the country, one of a large committee who
waited upon the President elect BY the National
Colored Convention to express our profound
qualification at his election, said to one of his
ASSOCIATES upon his return-''I do not believe
that he will do anything for u.s." His prediction
however, proved utterly false. and today there
Is no man in the land more enthusiastic in his
praises OF the President for what he has done in
our behalf. am not disposed to hold that there
Is not yet even greater things to be done by the
republican party in recognition of our claims to
ofnciaI place Indeed, am of the opinion that
the republican party 1t to itself not less than
TO US, to see to it that some able and efficient coll
ored man be called TO ill some very prom
inent and influential Federal position. There is
no indispOsition on the part of leading republic
cans to do this; nor is there lack of ability on
the part OF colOred voters of the country TO fur
nish the man for such place. III evidence be
needed to convince you that our republican
friends are disposed to give due consideration TO
our claims, L beg TO offer the following words
taken from letter received two OF three DAYS
ago, and written by white republican of high
social and political standing in the State of New
York:
"Those who for long years toiled and endured
for the freedom of the cOlOred race in America
still work for and ardently desire their eleva-
ton. The admission OF colored men in the
Senate and Congress of the United States,
tINHEh GTatuNlfg ana n triumph beyond
the rope OF the most enthusiastic is vet an in
complete triumph. Some coloFei man must
occupy position in republican Cabinet and
another must sit on the L. S. Supreme Court
bench-tili when the cOlored man will not have
been put on level with the Dutchman or the
HShman." he continues: 81 see by the news
papers that national convention of cOlored
men is to be held in Charleston, s. CT al
hope" he says, 'that resolutions will be passed
in that convention boldly and clearly demand
ing Cabinet appointment" He further says:
such demand will be granted, fully be
lieye; the republican party cannot jeopardizs
their future by running the risk OF alternating
100000 colored voters" Loud applause.
Should considerations, which cannot be over
come, make 1t proper for us TO wait even longer
for higher Official recognition, we must not lose
confidence in the republican party and its lead
ers. We must not suffer any such selfish con-
sideratiOn as this to determine our conduct
Our obligation to sustain the republican party
Is binding upon us as Americans, no less than as
colOred men. Were ones duty TO support a
party to depend upon his securing Office or not,
in its day of power, not even the republican
party could ever have secured the control of the
government. Considerations OF patriotisni-con-
siderations OF duty. ought and must determina
our action in this regard.
WORK OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY NOT YET
ACCOMPLISHED.
While 1t is true that the essential and funda-
mental Ideas of freedom, acknowledgements, and
suffrage have been worked into the texture of
our national and State law, the work of the re-
publican party is not completed. Nor are the
The cOlored voter. The work of the republican
party will not be completed till the liberty and
equal rights, the common privileges and immu-
mites, which belong to all are secured beyond
possibility of reversal or overthrow. Its work
will not be done till State and national laws are
enacted guaranteeing to all citizens, without
regard to color, by the imposition of heavy
penalties for their violation, common law rights;
nor will its work be done till the law against
Ouuages perpetIated by the kuklux and the bill
to enforce the 10Th amendment are duly executed.
10 act Inn
such laws, We must create through the republic
can party and the instrumentaities furnished by
II, healthy, regenerated public sentiment; and
10 accomplish this, education, thorough and
broad, in regard to our rights and the duty of
our white fellow citizens everywhere to recog-
nize and respect them, is indispensable.
Questions connected with the national curren-
cy, the national debt, the levy and collection OF
taxes, tine tariff and civil service reform not to
mention other matters of interest which claim
thoroughly discussed and acted upon. Nopoiiti
cal organization in our country is SO able to
handle these subjects as the republican party;
and no citizen ought to be more profoundly in
terested in Ner proper solution and settlement
than the voter of African descent. IApplausel
Baptized afresh in the spirit of freedom, let
US now, as In the past, cultivate manly purposes
with regard TO our duty. 1t is well for us to re-
member that our position Is one of two-fold
character. We are colOred men. newly emanci-
pated; We are no less american citizens, with the
usual respor sibilites Of citizenship attaching to
u.s. As cOlored men, we are the subjects of ne
culiar trials and duties, as we are and have been
the subjects of peculiar, though not altogether
unnatural, predictions. Accepting emaacipafion
as signfying to us the right TO and the enjoy
ment OF manhood and individuality; eafrdncLise-
ment as signifying duty 10 family no less than to
State; the ballot as signifying the power to rise
in social and official life rapidly and to posi-
non as exalted as others. Our duty to cultivate
virtue and intelligence as the ZEAL basis of indi-
yldual ard national elevation, 10 apparent and
binding. These-emancipation, eufranchise-
ment, and the ballot-are to ms the crteria and
m(eure OF liberty: are. indeed, liberty itself
and liberty is nome other thing than such
opportunity 10 be and 20 10 as that neither our
countrymen nor mankind may Justly hold US
answerable for failure TO prove ourselves ser
ylceable " in our day and generation" To the
full measure OF our numbers and political power
we are responsible for the deyelOpment of the
material and moral resources of the country: the
maintenance Of all its industrial and financial
interests; and the conservation OF all that per
tains to its general good.
These duties We accept; and the earnestness
and energy, which characterize our past con
duct are a sure pledge of our purpose to meet
and discharge cur obligations as men and citi-
zens in the future. CONTINUED applause.l
Atthe conclusion of Mr.. Langston's address
the poe ms, sob, Why should the Spirit of Nor
tai be Proud" and {" The Black Regiment
were recited by Mr.. T. G. Ely.
Dinner was then served on the ground and
music and addresses followed, until O'Clock
when the procession re- formed and marched 10
the City Hall, where il was dismissed.