New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-24
The Colored Eiectar.ai-Large.


tor-at-large, of this city, delivered the fol
lowing speech to an immense assemblage, at
the Courthouse of Williamsport. AT the
outset he drew vivid, life-like picture OF
what he styled the new rebellion, with its
new leader, Horace Greeley. This attempt
to revive the old doctrine of State rights and
State sovereignty, which the Union guns di-
rected by the brave Hartranft and his loyal
soldiers had burst into fragments, was dwelt
upon with great force and effect.
He reviewed the Congressional career of
Senator Buckalew, and gave his votes, as pub
lished, on all the questions involving the most
sacred issues of the war that the least that
could be said of them was that they were a
record proving disloyalty. With much feel
ing he rejoiced in the fact that Pennsylvania s
sons had, on the 9Th Of October, with an
unanimity extraordinary, declared TO the
world that no man with such a record could
occupy the honored chair of Governor Of the
old Keystone State. He rejoiced that they
were not willing to pay premium for dsloy-
atty, the very spirit of which is a cancer in
the heart of our institutions, and, if not cut
out, will eat the yitals of American patriot
ism, corrupt the sentiment of the people, and
prepare the way for renewal of the bloody
conflict which was encouraged and supported
by the cowardly and the treacherous. The
loyal legions led by Grant and Hartranft have
Just buried beneath the bloody soil Of the
tyrant-cursed South this Shareholders rebel
lion, and their efforts to save their country
found no sympathy or support in the votes,
influence, or means of Charles r. Buckalew.
The triumph of this Greeley and Bukalew
fiction is the triumph Of the "whitc mans
party in Pennsylvania and it means polti-
cal subordination to the negro. 1t means
death to the equality which at SO fearful a
c.,Oa in
Observation-Disclosures been extended to every citi-
zen through the glorious and elevating in
strrImentality Of the day, the Radical party,
who, having made black men free by the
passage of the fifteenth amendment, have
also made white men free, for no white man
was safe across Mason & Dixon's line. None
dared to visit the South and be free until the
Government was controlled by the Repuhli-
can party. His appeal was to all honest,
patriotic men to unite and firmly support the
loyal and the true.
He said the principles of our immortal De-
claration of independence are yet to be
practically applied in their most complete
sense to every one. The mission Of tho
party is to do 1t! To build up the wall of
national unity without an embrasure, encom-
passing freedom as sacred heritage, the
equality of men to be maintained at every
hazard--the citizen to be equal in the law,
equally exercising all rights, political and
ciyil-bearing equal responsibilities and up
holding the Government, and by it made Sc
cure in person, property, rights, and immune
ties is the mission of the Republican party,
and our duty, Pennsylvanians, is to uphold
this party, elect its representatives, and with
millions of patriotic sons of the Republic, we
Of the old Keystone State will bear in tri-
umphaDt victory the patriot hero, statesman,
INN al Lon
to the honored seat of President of the United
States for the next four years. At this
point the speaker was interrupted by deafen-
ing applause.]
A large number of colored men being pres
ent, to whom Mr.. Forten addressed himself in
the following eloquent and forcible style:
Omy people! o my people the eyes of
generations behold you. You are innocent,
unsuspecting. The baleful influence and ma
levolent intent of this Greeley combination,
formed in the interest of corrupt and vcnal
mercenaries, you must especially guard
against, for its supporters are the men who
on every occasion have given their time,
money, and influence to crush YOU. It's life
principle is repugnant to your interest, its
doctrines hostile to humanity.
1t inculcates the spirit Of caste, its tenden-
cy is to strengthen the cruel, mean prejudice
clared, that through this combination negro
supremacy alone can be destroyed. It fires
the hearts Of your opponents against you,
steels their sympathes to callousness, and
your appeals will be rejected. Greeleyism
stands in your way with the flaming sword of
States rights, negro supremacy, hatred, and
prejudice, and threatens to cleave down the
black man who asserts fearlessly his rights
to all that belongs to an American citizen.
Greeleyism darkens the avenues Of improve
ment, closes the schools, workshops, and
factories against you. 1t eXcites the hatred
of the enyious, eXtinguishes the glimmer of
hopes light, shrouds with the gloom of de-
spair, and covers with impenetrable darkness
our prospects Of advancement through the
avenues opened to you by the great party of
Lincoln and Grant. God has gwen us Grant,
so staunch, firm, reliable; determined that
no power shall intervene to deprive you of
all that is yours, and with him, all, all is Sc
cure. Stand firm, brothers; stand firm! BY
this course you will palsy the herculean arm
of prejudice, build the nation firmly on the
rock of justice, establish peace permanently,
equality of rights to all, and to all will prac-
tically be applied the principles of our coun-
try's Declaration ofIndependeDce. Brothers
and citizens, law-abiding producers of wealth
and prosperity, lovers Of country, Constitu-
peril life for the protection of these taberna-
cles wherein lies our faith, call upon you to
oppose Greeleyism, step by step; write against
it, speak against it, vote against it, and in
every way prevent those who are unwary from
being deceived and ruined through it. BY
this course their Vaccinations will be with
cred, blighted; the scornfnl look, invidious
frown, rude laugh Of contempt and ridculc,
will be changed and you respected.
Stand by Grant. the great, the true, the
noble, the brave. Stand fast in your faith,
in support of the Republican party and its
nominees, for it was the party that was faith
full to you, to liberty, to equality. Aid this
party in lifting the nation to that grand height
of civilization, that true Christianity, which
disowns no child of the human family by rea-
son of color! You have lived to see the
nation which enslaved, brutalized you,
trampled down your claims Of manhood, bow
its proud head, solicit your influence, your
votes, acknowledge you as citizens, and amid
the carnage of battle, the terrible conflict for
national life, implore the aid of your stout
arms to shield her from the rebels rage.
Brothers, remain firm in your support OF
General L. S. Grant; finch not, swerve not
the future prosperity Of the nation, of YOUR
selves, demands this the securing the cleo
ton of good and true men, who will maintain
the laws as they new stand, and who will