New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-03-23
Hon. }. Henri Burch in Penns, Iva ria.

| IeeHGn instant:
On Wednesday evening, in the Wesley
Union Church, this gentleman delivered an
| able address on The freedman of the
S0uth-hls past and present condition" 10
| large audience.
Professor William Howard Day was
| elected TO preside; Captain Baxter Major
j. w. Simpson and Henry Mars hall vice
| presidents, and E. NJ. Stanton and d. r.
| Chester, secretaries.
After d brief address by the chairman.
| Mr.. BuTch spoke as follow:
| Mi. President, iadie. and Gentlemen
| First. by way of congTatu! ation allow me
| TO rejoice with the colsred men of Harris
burg, OF Pennsylvania, aye, of tho United
| States, that at last we have been clothed
with all the privileges and immunities Of
| political equality before the law, and CON
! graduate the colored men OF Pennsylvania
| that after few years of absence from this
| State, return 70 tud them in the full en-.
| JOyment of universal suffrage and its con
cOmitant blessings, for which, when lett.
| they were !aboring hard to secure.
Secondly, by way OF explanations would
state that did not come North for the par
| pose OF making speecEes but upon the ur-
| gent request Of your distinguished fellow
citizens, Professor William Howard Day,
| &. NJ. Brown and others. whom met III
Washington, | thought that l would like TO
| come to Harrisburg and speak to the Cit
| zens, especially az d former visit TO Harris
| burg was the direct cause of my going
! South. The speaker then referred to his
| connection with the Garnet League Of this
| city, and Of his letter written in the interest
! OF education among the freedmen Of the
| South, and published in the columns Of the
| freedmGn's -ippeM ia 1866. Continuing his
| discourse, he said ! have selected for my
subject this evening, the Freedman Of the
South. his past and present condi-
t IN. | do not purpose to lift the
veil of the past. Suffice it to know
that these people were once the help
! less victims of an Gccursed crime. made up
Of pure, unallOyeG wickedness; crime
sparing neither age, sex nor condition.
scorning comparison, defying competition,
and visiting upon its outraged victims IN
told horrors. Not only this, but they were
subjected to the UnrighteQus declaration of
a partial, prejudiced Judge, who dragged
his judicial ermine sufficiently low TO place
them beyond the pale of manhood, by de
Gliding that "a black man has 10 rights
which u white man is bound to respect"
Would to God that the author of this IN
famous declaration could return again to
earth and witness the race whom he sought
to degrade 10 the level of brutes, in the full
CT 0yment Of political equality, bestowed
uson them by the same people whom he
claimed need not respect any of their
rights. The colOred race was held in the
chains Of slavery for over 200 years, and
for that period toiled ana groaned beneath
the yoke of a cruel slavery. and withou.
any relief whatever.
The speaker then referred 70 the break
ing out of the late rebellion, and sad that
hen the rebels first opened fire on Fort |
Sumter. they in reality opened fire on old |
Fort Slavery, and fired shot after shot at it |
until they knocked hole in it sufficiently |
large to let out over four millions of human |
beings who had been held as slaves He
spoke of his first impressions Of the devo,-
edness q the freedmen to Republican prin- |
cipIes, evidenced by their rcjocings over !
their first victory in Louisiana in 1853 He |
described their poverty IN their churches, !
their school houses and their homes four |
years ago. and their pTes.u: prosperous !
tOUdif!On.
He said where 'he g.nuni was their floor. !
the sky their root and the fallen trees OF /
the forest their seats. and whieh was used
g. then h uses o. W o"ship, there now stand !
substantial and beautiful editices, erected
and dedicated 10 the uses of Christianity |
and education. All over the South every |
means are employed locking toward the |
education of the masses of colored chill
dren, who havs heretofore, under Southern
rule been debarred from any exercise of J
these inestimable privileges. There 10, III !
their efforts, q determined move to sweep |
away every vestige of their former mex
cusa0lc ignorance, and every nerve is |
strained 20 accomplish the desired result, I
and al! their powers are brought 20 bear
upnn those having power to enact such |
Jaws az will secure them the means to !
drink deep a. the fountain Of universal edu-
cation.
The speaker paid {. glowing tribute 10 |
the loyalty and devotion of the freedmen Of
the South to the great Republican party, |
and the many obstacles thrown in their !
way. lie alluded &c the detection of those |
eminent champion. of the coiored men |
Horace Greeley. Charles Sumner and 9th. |
ers bur with e fidelity unparalleled. thev !
had refused TO follow them out of the Re- |
publican "a, ty, believing firmly that their |
only salvation lies within the party that |
w0l lled ont their redemption from slavery. |
Despite the workings of the midnight as. |
aassiu IS no had boldly stalked into Il he col. |
cred republicans cabin, murdered the |
father, drove the defenseless widow and |
children into the swamps and left the cabin |
IN ashes; despite the unj ust wholesale ar. |
rest of colored Republicans and their con. |
fnemcut in the pententiary of the State, |
and for no other reason or crime than that |
they We're Republicans and had voted that |
ticket, these newly made voters chung to |
the Republican party, and left it onl, with |
their lives in referring To the subject of |
civil yighta. the speaker drew a strong |
contrast between that and social equality. !
and said that the colpred people did not de-
sire social equality. all that they desired |
was the right to travel as civilized men and |
women travel. and not 10 be compelled to
put up with inferior accommodations while
they We're charged full fare. In speaking
of the sfvanced condition of the colored
people 't Louisiana, he sad that much was
owing 10 the aplenGid career of the late
Lieutenant Governor Oscar J Dunn, and
he paid q glowing, well meTited tribute ~
the memory OF that distinguished e0lored
man In d few brief remarks he urged upon
his audience the cause of the struggling
Cubana, and said that it was the bounden
duty OF every colored sian in Inc United
States to give Als immediate attention 10
this cause, and to demand of the govern |
mens an immediate relief, by ACCORDING 20
them their beligerent rights.
In conclusion, Mr. Burch said, snc@ she
emancipation OF the cOioIed race of this
country, every anticipation of philanthro-
pists and friends had been realized. In tho
South we see them occupy ing digDitied posi-
tons in craftsmanship, law and medicine
Universities abound and their places Of
Christian worship are multiplying. Before !
another generation 10 born, education and
liberty conferred upon the colored people
by a Republican administration. will bear |
its magnificent fruit, and then the people
Of the United States will be proud to &C
knowledge the untold benefits that have
accrued to our country by means of the i'm
mortal emancipation of President Lincoln.
After thanking his audience for their receIN
ton and attendance. Mr.. Buych retired.
Resolutions passed in public meeting in
Wesley Union Church, Harrisburg, on
Wednesday evening, March II, 1873, on the
occasion of the visit and address vi Hon.
J. Henri Burch. of Louisiana:
WHEREAS We have listened with great
pride and pleasure 80 the very able and in