New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-12-04
from Massachusetts.

Aran the advocates of orr equality before
tha law prepare themselves to cry aloud
s-ainst the last remaining vestge of Ameri-
can slavery, and 10 plead for that equality
before the law vouchsafed to us BY the franz
er> Of the Constitution.
It j. 10 he hoped that the call for a Civil
Rights Convention" will be heard by every
c,lorel man throughout, The entire land! For
tSe las; decade we have turned our strained
eyes towards the legislative halls Of our
couairv. Yes, ON couH',y' Doubly ours.
Ours because its wealth has been piled by
The unrc4nitcd toll Of an outraged and de-
graded people. Ours because that when
those Who were educated at the public ex-
rensc, warmed at the nations hearth, turned
heG swords against the bowels of her mother
country, and lead the South in conspiracy
aga.ns; that Government "by The people, for
the people, and Of thc people We offered
our services, but were refused. Ours be-
cause that, when from ''Iiull Ran" 10 "Gct-
tysburg,' our army was thinned by the enc
mys bullet, wasted under Southern sun
when hundred thousand lives had been
sacrificed 4; nay, knew not for what they died ;
when there was a dearth Of loyal men, and
COlumla's war eagles tapped their weary
wings in the blood-Staincd dust of the coun-
Try: when ''thcrc was darkness over the
land aud men walked the streets as if they
were aroused from om;nous dreams il was
in these trying hours of the nations struggle
for material existence, 10 maintain the Union
founded hy the fathers !; that we, the rejected
at the first, took our position among the de-
Tenders Of the country, and turned the tide
orvictory on the Federal side.
In lnGG the colOrcd man took his place
beside the best blood Of the land. The white
man, born under the shadow of our glorious
republican institutions, rocked in the cradle
ofpotical and religions liberty, and trained
in the famous American schools the black
man, born 4 chattel, and thus robbed of all
that ennObles ami dgnilics human nature.
With all these odds against him, the black
man entered the struggle for liberty, without
any prestige or history, save one Of wrong
and suffering, TO win all.
And what historian has been able to write
ofthe black man Gle lacked courage she
could not face his foe upon the field ofstiife ~
But, on the contrary, the historian has
written, though il be in blood, che fought
brave,y :" she was courageous :" she was
deeply conscious of the principles for which
he fought
Our history has been written as tie de-
Tenders Of the Union, and will go down TO
our children as the dearest legacy we could
bequeath him.
But what Of our history as citizens? 1t is
not, nor can it be, so long rs the Govern
ment withholds from us those rights, the
exercise Of which will prepare Us TO begin
our political existence.
The war Of arms is over, bat the war Of
IDEAS and principles is raging still. The mis-
sion Of the party which began its existence
more than quarter Of a century ago, was to
overturn the institution of slavery and set its
victims at liberty. But while the war broke
our chains of bondage, there are other Fed
etal and social chains to be severed by a pro-
digiOus stroke.
When Appomattox echoed the victory, the
odiOus question Of slavery was settled once
and forever
Under the present existing circumstances
is impossible for us TO exercise fully even
the few rights accorded us, much less those
other rights that are only nominal, and that
mock us when we would use them.
Yet there is no reason fol disparaSement.
need always produces the thing needed.
Ciyil Rights" TO the colored people of this
country is an absolute necessity. This has
been clearly, logically, and forcibly stated by
Our true and honorcd friend, Charles Sumner.
The necessity Of a Civil Rights Bill cannot
te doubted by any colorcd man in the coun-
n.y. But while we all acknowledge the
necessity Of such a bill, are we actively en-
Yesterday that "cvery colorcd leader ought
10 be at the convention"
Every village, town, district, city, Terri
"'y, and State ought to be represented in
Tue convention, TO be held on the 9th of De-
'einber, at Washington city. If we fail to
get civil rights during this Administration,
XVIII be forever buried beyond the realm
Possibilities, and the mission of the party
DC ended in complete failure. l argue this,
because | firmly believe that this Admins
uaton will end the existence of the party.
May the eloquent pleadings of Wagner,
rIiiow, and Petersburg, the prayers of a
she'ously afflicted people TO a righteous
uod, and before our National Congress, in
whose power and control all those rights for
which we have prayed, for which we have
fought, and the rights yOuchsaicd unto us by
ue trainers of the Constitution be answered,
aud be invested with all the rights of a full
citizenship.
Until civil rights bc given Us, we cannot
ENJOY that for which We fought, viz: Life,
~'erty, and the pursuit of happiness"
With the civil Rights Bill" OF our pure
AID great sumner, the peerless champion of
aunan rights, with confidence in ourselves.
'sth in God, and firm in the right as God
g'e Us to see the right" may not predict
W my race glorious iuture
ALREADY l hear the voices OF freedom
he ages are opening propitiously before US,
eaa We are TO begin our march Of blessings
wards political and national greatness.
lie times are vocal! On every hand we
aeaf cries Of coward, I" fright onward" to