New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-05-16
District Matters.
From washiagton Chronicls, 18th Inst. ]
Liberty 10 Len rn.


S srsn DsS.El.:s:: John =: L:ngssen. .nd
Hsvtsw OF the Common Carrier and thu
Quite large assemblage was present las
evening at Congregational Church for the
purpose giving audience to Frederick Doug
lass, Esq, Hon. >R. b. Elliott, Robert Purvis
Esq, Senator Wilson, John F. Cook, Esq.
u. A. Straker, George Il. Downing, Hon. j
IL. Harris, John l.. Langston, and others
who had been advertised rather extensively
to make addresses upon the present socia
issue, viz: this ACCESSIBILITY of admitting tc
the public schools children without regard to
| color. The interest manifested in a proper
disposition of this important question may be
imagined when it is known that, suffocating
as was the atmosphere of last night, the
| church was at an early hour filled to reple-
ton with those who have at all times been
prominent in the furtherance of its adjust
ment.
The meeting was called to order by w. j.
Wilson, who said that, on behalf of the Com
mttee OF Arrangements, he would announce
the following as officers of the meeting:
The list OF Vice Presidents and Secretaries
embraced the names of prominent members
OF both Houses of Congress, the District Leg
| islature, city government, and influential
citizens.
Frederick Douglass then announced the
Rev. Mr.. Walker, who delivered prayer.
Mr.. Douglass then took the stand, and
said:
We are assembled here tonight for pa
triOtic as well as benefcent object. 1t is
patriotic, because if obtained it will take from
the politics of our country an element which
has ever dashed them into fury. We intend
to strike at the root of the evil by doing away
with all determinations against any class of
American citizens on account of race, color,
or previous condition. No one can fail to OBJ
serve that our nation is made of different
nationalities, which are bound to increase.
No one variety can discriminate against an
other without weakening the body polite and
destroying the love of country. The object
OF this meeting is to bring about this great
change in our public opinion by firm, earn
est, patriotic expression of our views. The
great objection to the object of this meeting
is what is called neutrality-suspicious. against
color. 1t is urged that the white man natu-
rally feels a repugnance against the black
man, and with some amelioration it is urged
that it is reciprOcated by the black man. I
don't believe in this kind of prejudice. 1 see
in it simply an effort on the part of those
who make the discrimination to keep the
colored man in servile condition. The OBJ
lection is to the colOred man being a gentle
man and his wife lady. No one objects to
have cOlored man ride in their carriage pro-
vided he is there as servant. see it every
day on Pennsylvania avenue.
There is no objection to his color, but he
must be kept in his place. All this is relic
OF barbarism. The prejudice exists nowhere
but in the United States. The people of
country under the sky where this prejudice
exists except in the United States. But it is
not invincible. The whole history of our
country shows us that. 1t has been over
come thousands of times, and can be again.
We are here tonight to urge equality in our
common schools, because there of all other
places is the place to start right. The COM
mon school is the basis of our whole system.
and without it the United States would be
little better than uneducated Hayti. We
are met with an objection at once. 1t is urged
that our Jealous white friends are endeayor-
ing to enforce social equality in the coun-
try. We do not aim at any such thing. The
cOlOred people desire nothing so intangible,
1t is unknown to the laws of this country or
any other country. l understand what is
meant by equality before the law, but social
equality am entirely ignorant of. l know
there are little rings and lotteries, where men
are equal, but there is no such thing as social
equality on national scale. What is social
equality? Is it to walk the streets with
others, to ride in the cars, to drink ut the same
fountain? Ii these constitute social equality
then 1 am in for it. I don't think that even
the editor of the Patriot, if he drank at the same
pump with Fred. Douglass, would consider
him his social equal, and don't know what
Fred. Douglass would think on the other side.
[ Laughter But if it be understood that we
are endeavoring to force our white neighbors
to invite us to their drawing-rooms, to allow
us to marry their sons and dauehters--if this
is social equality then L contend that it is
wrong to confOund the common school SUBJ
ject with this idea. There was no distinction
between color when was a boy playing with
my fellows. 1t was only when the black man
asserted himself man, and endeavored to be
man among men, that the line was drawn.
l desire, and the gentlemen on this platform
desire, that the cOlored child have the same
common school right that any other child has.
and say until this is done there will be no
such thing in this country as a common school
system. 1t is easy enough to see how logical it
was to keep the colored man ignorant during
the time OF slavery, but we have new basis
from which to argue. We want common
platform of nationality. / see no reason why
a colored child should be kept from the COM
mon school simply on account of his color.
There will be no difficulty in carrying the
project out. IL has already been accom-
plished in New England and in New York.
1t was not done without struggle, but it
was done eventually, and we want to do it
here.
Mr.. Douglass then introduced the Hon.
Henry Wilson, who was received with great
applause.
Mr.. Wilson said: 1 come here tonight
after labor of eight hours and half upon
the subject for which you have assembled to
advance, simply to say l am heartily with
you. l know not what the end will be. /
hope that during the present session of Con-
gress civil rights and amnesty will become
fixed facts all over the country. In the Sem
ate to-day we listened to the same arguments
that we have heard for thirty years. 1 had
hoped the time had passed by when here, in
the capital of the country, any man would lay
down the argument that the God of nature
had fixed all these matters, and we could not
change them. believe it is our duty to es-
tablish absolute and perfect equality on every
square mile of the Republic and Judging
from the events of the last twelve years /
think triumph is certain. After breaking the
letters Of four and half millions of men, we
believe it is our duty to make them perfect
citizens. Some who fought with us for the
glorious idea are deserters now, and are en-
deavoring to constitute a reactionary move
ment Rut we had with lis the heart IF the