New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-05
Give Us the Freedom Intended
for Us.

Give Us the Freedom Intended
for Us.
We are often cautioned against demanding
too much for the colored people Of this coun-
try. This cautioning is invariably accom-
panied with a full narration Of what has
already been done for our people, and we are
further exhorted to remember that within
the past decade we were slaves without any
rights entitled to respect, and that in this
short space Of time we have been freed and
transformed into American citizens, with the
right to exercise the elective franchise en-
tended to us by amendment to the National
Constitution. Having been the recipients
of these very valuable gifts, it is asserted by
some who have taken an active part in the
giving, that we should be satisfied at least
long enough to allow the nation TO take
breath after its strenuous exertions in the
accomplishment Of the results so beneficial
to us. To such persons the fact that we
have been oppressed, outraged, and wronged
for more than two centuries seems to be no
argument why the nation should hasten to
undo the wrong it has sanctioned against us,
now that it fully admits the evil perpetrated
upon US.
The elective franchise without protection
in its exercise amounts to almost nothing in
the hands of a minority with a vast majority
determined that no exercise of it shall be
made by the minority. Freedom from the
auction block and from legal claim as prop
erty is of no benefit to the colored man with
out the means Of protecting his rights. The
blackm an is not free American citizen IN
the sense that white man is q free Ameri-
can citizen he cannot protect himselfagainst
encroachments upon the rights and privileges
already allowed him in a court of justice
without an impartial jury. If accused OF
crime, he is tried by men who have a bias
against him by reason of his race, color, or
previous condition Of servitude. If he at
tempts to send his children to the nearest
public school where free white American
citizen, who pays no more taxes, can have
the privilege without question, he is driven
away and has no redress at law. If, after
purchasing tickets for q ride in first-class
railway carriage, colored person is hustled
out into smoking car, he or she has no re-
dress at law because a custom prevails
which allows injustice in this respect to col
ored persons.
We claim that the thirteenth, fourteenth,
ard fifteenth amendments to the Constitu-
ton of the United States were intended to
give full freedom to every person without
regard to race or color in the United States !;
and, in order that this intention should be
carried out and acted upon, power for that
purpose was given by comforting upon Con-
gress the right to enforce the amendments
by appropriate legislation. 1t cannot be de-
MED that the violent interference with the
black man to prevent him from exercising
the elective franchise in accordance with
his own views is an abridgement OF his
freedom as is also the refusal of trial
by Jury OF his peers; nor can it be denied
that the forcing Of colored men to pay for
what they do not get by railroad corporations
or the refusal to allow the same accommoda-
ton to them as to other citizens Of the Uni
ted States, is an invidious discrimination
amounting to an abridgement Of citizenship
rights.
We cannot be asking too much when we
ask this Congress to carry out the intention Of
this Nation as expressed in the thirteenth,
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments. We
are not free. We cannot be free without the
appropriate legislation provided for in the
above amendments. We say to those who
think we are demanding too much that it is
idle to point us to the amendments and ask
us to be satisfied with them and wait until
the nation is educated up to giving us some
thing more. The amendments are excellent
but they need to be enforced. The result
intended to he reached by the nation has not
been reached. Congress has neglected to do
its full duty. The people one month ago re-
iterated in thunder tones their demand IS that
complete liberty and eract equality in the en-
ioyment of all civil, political, and public
rights should be established and effectually
maintained throughout the Union by efficient
and appropriate State and Federal lesisla-
ton" We join in this demand those who
think we are asking too much to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
The people on the 9TH of November last
ratified the following:
"The recent amendments to the national
Constitution should be cordially sustained
because they are right, not merely tolerated
because they are law, and should be carried
out aceoyding 10 their spirit by appropriate leg
islation." The Liberal Democratic platform
took similar ground as follows, and all the
voters in the country voted for similar prin-
ciples: 1--WE recognize the equality of all
men before the law and hold that it is the
duty Of Government in its dealings with the
people to mete out equal and exact justice to
all of whatever nativity, race, color or per-
suasion religious or political. We pledge
ourselves to maintain the Union Of these
States, emancipation and enfranchisement
and to oppose any reopening of the questions
settled by the thirteenth, fourteenth, and
fifteenth amendments to the Constitution"
In view of this can Republican Congress
longer refuse to enact into law such bill as
Senator Sumner brought forward in the last