New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-03-20


IsAhsn eseh sGcesgiing dsg othy were held
ZAe writeris ofS The epiniae sthak ~, psblit
bss7.been ht,le dnfonneA, ma Tint beyond
ptberaisels Of speakers, dkasstng,as they Do IN
epinios. aobedy 10 better inforssd chan priol
- esese meeting. The-eyes Of the tnited
btstss asss turned towapis the District al
Tprese.i.sa sa Tie place ~hsre. ~ the past
wesdsct wisdon Of both white and eelefed
hAsAa'Aen its sojouun. Thie latter class - tx-
pecsd W tehhwhat they think and VIA. they
hows hot bow Few have done either IN
Ireference- Il. thes Cuban. question !, or that
rhichmre Immediately concerns them.-ou,
civil rights--is exiient. Yet these questions
seem TO the writer easy to b told, and al
though he shah make matters worse he will
I attempt, tn good feeling, q brief comment
spoh each ofthese topics.ssa "a "a. go:
E-sInrefcrence to Cuba, the colored citizens Of
Amsriea, albeit their sympathy LAS ii should
be, tnbomded towards. their fellow.man en-.
slavcd,. yet struggling for liberty, can only
call upon this Government togive listening
ear to the appeals Of a component part of its
citizens holding sympathy with their broth
ers in slavery; and while preserving its neu-
trality as long as is just, yet as soon as the
rules governing nations will permit, to recog-
nize the Cuban belligcrency, and let other
nations see that we are not party to the in
stitution Of slavery, even though carried on
by our best friends. Such request from the
'solored people ought to be needed by this
Government, not only because they are its
citizens, but also on account of the lament
able fact that not score of years has passed
away since it could not itself have held up
the finger of rebuke to Spain or any other
slave-holding power.
Is not our commerce injured by this war !?
Are not the prisoners taken in war treated in
a manner violating all the established rules
and regulations of civilized nations? Has
not Cuba shown herself capable Of sclf-gov-
eminent, and therefore in a condition to be
recognized by other Governments? Is not all,
or any one, Of these conditions sufficient
cause why Cuban belligerency should be
recognized?
In reference to our civil rights, no one can
doubt that President Grant has spoken in UNI
mistakable terms Of the right and justice of
our complaint, and his intention to give it his
executive influence. But his phraseology,
say some, is not choice, or at least unjustly
descriptive. SO say 1. The good that is
in the negro need not be matter of doubt,
since numerous examples have shown that
when placed under like circumstances he is a
man like all other men. AS to social equality
it is necessary that every good white man
should endeavor to raise the social condition
of the negro equal to his own, if for no other
reason than that his (the negro's) social
degradation is to be placed to the white man IS
credit. Social equality is distinct and sepa-
rate from social intercourse, and this latter
must be regulated by choice, and cannot be
legislated upon. But there is no CRIME in
what the President has said, since it emanated
from good heart and with good intent, and
all colored citizens are, in the main, satisfied.
Reference is made to these things in order to
tell our enemies that they need not store
them for future use in the belief that we &C.
quiesce in them. In closing, let me say that
it is the fortune Of the country, but more es-
pecially of the colored people, that President
Grant has been reelected, since, had it been
Horace Greeley, he had not dared preach
even in such tongue to his Democratic
friends. GRoTIUs.