American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-09-28
GREELEY AT LOUISVILLE.

He Speaks Of New Phase of the Canvass
Why the COlOred Men Should support
tie Liberal Movement-How their IgnO
rance and Prejudiccs are Played Upon
by the Grant Men-Why We Should Have
Universal Amnesty.
LOUISVILLE, Sept. 81 On the
arrival of Mr.. Greeley this evening
he was conducted to the EXPOSE
ton building, where he was formal
ly received by the Presiden of the
Association and the Mayor. Mr..
Greeley responded, and was then
conducted to the Calf House, where
stand had been erected and an
immense thrOng was awaiting him.
On his arrival there he was intro
duced by Henry Watterson, of the
COurier-JGurnal.
Mr.. Greeley said:
Citizens Of Notwithstanding
on this soil of Kentucky l ask you,
who are my associates in the great
Liberal movement of the day, to
bear testimony with me to certain
truths. First, is it not true that we
desire a government of just and
equal laws, which shall extend equal
favor and equal protection to every
American citizen? Loud applause,
and cries of "That's So" Is it not
true, that while we demand a repeal
of acknowledgements, of all proscrip-
tions of all Americans because of
the part they bore in our late strug-
gle, that we desire that no man
shall be DISTINGUISHED, that no man
shall be prescribed, but that every
man shall stand on an equal plat
form with ourselves? Is not that
the fact! Crles of Yes; that's
sou
Now, fellow-citizens, I wish to
call your attention to an
ASPECT OF THIS STRUGGLE
which has not yet been presented.
There is no class of our citizens, no
part of the American people, who
have so real and great an interest
in the success of our movement as
the color ed people of this country !;
for though they know that we all
admit that their rights are perfectly
secured by the constitution and
that no one can go back OH that, it
is still their real interest that those
rights shall not be merely accorded,
but they shall be cheerfully accord
ed; that there shall be no oppOsi-
ton, no objection to their enjoying
just the same civil and political
rights that we do. 1t is their inter
est more than yours or mine, that
all contention concerning the black
men or white men shall absolutely
cease that every individual shall
be judged and estimated according
to his worth, with no respect what
ever to color or condition. If our
movement succeeds, there is no par
ty, there is no considerable faction,
there is really nobody left in the
field opposing or Directing to their
standing OH a common platform of
American nationality. Great APP
plause. l say then, that it is their
clear interest that our movement
shall be welcomed and ratified and
approved by the entire American
people; and yet it is a very discOur-
aging fact presented to us that there
is no class generally and SO
BITTERLY OPPOSING US
as they are. There is no other class,
as class, who insist so thoroughly
on misapprehending and misr epre-
senting us. l say not this to excite
prejudice against them; they are
ignorant, and their ignorance is not
their own fault. though it is their
own misfortune. They are misled,
and we are illuminated in their ears.
Why, l have been repeatedly asked
to contradict assertions that 1 was
a negro trader. Even on my way
to this place, one quadroon girl, af-
ter hearing me speak said, Is L would
like to stick knife into his heart;
he sold my mother in Richmond,
Virginia" Great laughter. 1 can
imagine a reason why lies like that
should be told [ can imagine no
reason why good men and women
should not everywhere discounten-
ance and refute them. 1t is, 1 say,
a misfortune of the colored people,
a misfortune of our people, that
they, as class, are steeled against
us. They will not hear us they do
not believe us; they are told that
this movement is a cOntrivance to
get them enslaved again, virtually,
if not absolutely, and that all the
pretensions of the Cincinnati plat
form and Baltimore endorsement in
fovor of equal rights, are frauds,
are lies.
If this party succeeds, says Mr..
Wendell Phillips, you must conceal
your property and
TAKE CARE OF YOUR ARMS.
Now, fellow citizens, state these
facts here, not that 1 would have
you think any worse of this mis-
guided people ; Estate them because
| want you, Kentuckians, to realize
that ignorance is a public peril that
you cannot we'll afford to have any
part of your people growing up in
that dense unacquaintance with
public men and public affairs, that
they can be deceived as this people
are. You ought to take care that
they shall be educated, so that they
shall be too wise, too well informed
to be thus deceived and misguided.
Fellow citizens, If our movement
shall prevail, as trust it will pre-
vail, we will sweep away all this re