New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-08-28

Tor that, hut when they turn TO the offices Of
the State. they have the right to expect and
demand the same consideration that j at
corded TO young white men.
This uniform exclusion from positions Of
profit and honor Is not accidental. II orici-
| nates everywhere from the same SQUIRE, aud
the feeling Of prejudice which produces It
must be combatted by every coIored man
who i not entirely lost to self-respeCt
| am asked, "Wll YOU render yourself
ridiculous BY entering on contest merely
Tor offce:' will do so when that denial
Of Office implies, as it undoubtedly does,
( denial OF my equality citizen. am told
that many good white men get no office
True, but many good white men do get office.
But no good col"red man is either elected or
appointed to an official position.
l have no doubt but that the office seeker
among colored men will be like white office
/ seekers, actuated by selfish motive mainly;
but To the mass of Us. who can never be
( Office holders, the value Of the thing is found
in the recognition of our equal citizenship
1t IL the assurance that the last stronghold
f Of slavery has fallen. 1t is the guarantee of
future peace and unm0lested liberty.
1t Is too late in the century to advance the
idea that this IS white mans country and
/ Government. When we were slaves that
doctrine might have been asserted with some
show of reason, but now this is every mans
/ Government who is a citizen of the United
states, be he white, black, or red. Five
millions OF colored people, dwelling in every
State and Territory of the Union, in some
States preponderating numerically. can
never be returned to the condition which
rendered that assertion apparently true
The most prejudicial man must accept the
fact OF our equality politically; the most
prejudiced party must adapt its policy to it,
/ The American n1tInp haS pptaraI n
pathway which has but one logical ending.
viz, one law, political and civil, for every
adult man and woman in its bounds We
can not go backward on this path We are
weak and paltry if we stand STILL Dignity,
justice, and safety bids us go forward. The
revolution of 1868 was as momentous as that
/ of l7TG.
/ Perhaps the party managers who can find
no room on their lists of officers for colored
men-and it is the party managers-and not
the party itself, who are to blame in this
matter, intend that rule of exclusion shall
be adopted, by which no colored man shall
be elected or appointed to office in the white
States. Of course, then, no white man
should be elected or appointed to office in
the black States. Such a rule might be
highly gratifying to the prejudices Of white
men in the North, and Of black men in the
South, but nothing more detrimental to the
| IuDllC NtlIdIt COulNl nc utNlSeu. IL the UdN
| shall ever come when it can be truthfully
said to any American citizen, in any State
| or Territory, ~ on are not at home here.
| You are an intruder, and an unwelcome
| Onc,' then the day of our national destruc-
ton is at hand.
| We are told we must wait awhile, before
| we can realize our desires in the matter of
which we complain.
| The tree is planted, but we must not be
over hasty in gathering the fruit We must
walt until a public sentiment is generated
which will sustain such an innovation.
| How long will these gentlemen have us
wait: Until their prejudice subsidies, or
their greed of Office is satisfied:
But what authority have they to set up
| their prejudces or selfish desires as a bar to
my rights: How much meaning do they
attach to the paragraphs from the Philadei-
phia platform which i have quoted, and how
much value do they attach to the indorse-
ment which three millions six hundred thous-
and of the people gave them last fall?
If that election means anything it means
| that the time has fully come, and that the
public sentiment was fully generated, which
will warrant the passage by Congress of
law which shall thoroughly protect the rights
| of the colored people to the enjoyment of all
civil, political and public rights"
1t must not be supposed that the majority
OF 763,OO0 which was given to the Republic
can ticket and platform represents all the
strength of the friends of equal rights,
for many thousands Of such voted for Mr.
Greeley. Had their votes been added to
those cast for the Philadelphia platform, the
majority would have exceeded a million.
We are urged to beware lest in our efforts
to attain power, we throw the Republican
party into minority, bring the Democratic
party into power and so lose what we have
already gained.
There is but little danger of this. More
than two-thirds of each House Of Congress is
Republican, more than twO-third5 of the
States ale under the control of Republicans,
and even if Senator Thurman should chance to
be his own successor, the Nation would still
be in the hands Of the same party.
This is our time to make complaint, to
present cur CLAIMS for redress. Our party
is all powerful in the Government, and it
need have no fear of losing control if it does
the things we ask for the platform upon which
it triumphed pledged it TO that very course.
We now ask it to carry out that platform nj
letter and spirit.
If the party managers refuse to permit this
to be done, then use your ballot to enforce
your claims. DonOt hesitate to vote against
those men who have crawled into the Repub-
lican ranks under false pretenses, and where
you can defeat them do it,
1t is better that the cause shall live than
they shall have Office. At any rate, do not
let any weak talk about being true to the
party induce you to vote for such men, and
thus be false to yourself.