The weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1872-1882, 1872-09-14
COLORED MEN IN COUNCIL.

SPEECH OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS IN F'A.
EUn HALL, AT THE NEW ENGLAND
co1oRED CONVENTION.
Nh. Presidenl-I regret somewh.
this call upon me at this time for
speech. As most of you are aware
I have been busy prosecuting th
political campaign during the Ia.
three weeks in the State of Main,
speaking often twice a day, trave
ing in all weather, at all times, an
now after having ridden all night,
feel unfit to respond in a becomin
manner to the warm and urgen
call made upon me at this moment
It seems only a few weeks; or 8
most a few months ago since I AZ
peared in company with VIM. Lloy'
Garrison, Francis Jackson, MI
Quincy and others of the distin
guished citizens of this great city
for the purpose of receiving an ad
dress igned by Daniel O'Connell
Father Mathew, and sixty thousant
Irishmen calling upon the American
people to make themselves consist
ent with the Declaration of indie
pendence, and put down slavery
forever. That is now, short as the
time seems to me, more than thirty
years ago. Then the most sanguine
did not dare to hope to live to see
the day which we now sec. I Ger.
tainly did not dream that it would
ever be my privilege to address in
Faneuil Hall a convention OF colored
citizens convened from all parts OF
New England, for the purpose Of
canvassing the policy of public men
and public measures and to take
part in the election of those men
and in support Of those measures.
I have appeared in Fanueil Hall
quite often; sometimes as a slave,
sometimes as q fugitive slave, al-
ways as an advocate of human lib
erty; but this is the first time that
I have been permitted to appear
here in the somewhat dignifed, I
may say almost sublime position, of
the American citizen. Applause.
Look where you will, over this wide
wide world Of ours, and where is
the country of which q man has a
right to be so proud of as this same
Republic of ours. Where is there
a citizenship so desirable, SO ex-
alted, endowed with more sublime
rs the citizenship of the
United States? Nowhere: We are
the only people in the. world, with
one or two exceptions, that have
upon US the duties of
self government. France has it not,
has it not in any such
sense as we have it. Austria, Rus
sia, Prussia--no country on the
globe has it to the same extent we
havc-this right, this duty of elect
ing the men and deciding upon the
policy which shall he pursued by
The government; and it is only very
ately since you and I in a national
way had this right. You in Massa-
;husetts had it, but the country as
,uch had it not.
Thanks to the magnanimity of the
American people, thanks to the JUS
ice OF the American people, thanks
o the thought, courage, wisdom and
,atriotism exercised by the colored
ner themselves in the tremendous
through which this country !
las passed. We now are citizens;
ve now have the liberty in common
With others, and have the right to
eel an interest in the welfare, per-
nanence and prosperity and glory
i. this republic in common with
'thers. I am not a New Englander
ust now, but for the purpose of
|berty l suppose I may call myself
uch, for a man that goes in for
quail rights Of man, he is my coun-
ryman, my kinsman, my clansman,
~ brother, everywhere, and should
9 held SO to men in general. We
re- engaged, fellow-citizens, in a
cry peculiar canvass-sanguine-
nd the peculiarities of this CAM
aign is this, that We have two par
es and one platform, two cats and
ne mouse. Laughter.] The De-
locrats and the Republicans. Judg-
e from the professions Of these
70 parties, judging from the utter
nee of the candidates of these two
arties, it might be somewhat diff
nit for us to determine the path OF
aty: But happily for us we are
Of left to find the path Of duty by
1ch lights as are afforded by mere
latfo sm and profession. We have
,me other guide upon which we.
lay:rely in ascase like this. There
such a thing as history, and his
'ry such as, the tendencies and
lures Of movements. The social
id political movements of our time ,
q no exceptions to the rule. Left
q mere profession Of the one or
70 other party, we might as weA{] J
looss Horace Greedy as Ulysses S. !
rant, for. Horace Greeley has said I
me good things in his day and {
;neration. I am not here to deal {