New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-06-11

prison door and let the oppressed 90 free
and to every sentiment of justice tina
was uttered in behalf of the poor slave. sh
promptly, in the fullness of gratitude re
sponded amen. Many good men in Congress
in days past, were inspired and encourage,
to continue to fight valiantly the battle O
freedom by visit to "Old Israel church ius
, down the hill from the CAPITOL" and fire
quent has been the reference to the "colore,
church down the hill'' as evidence Of "yirtuc
refinement and education existing anon" tn,
colored people at the capital of the nation.
The local and peculiar reasons why the oil,
church organization should be kept up and ;
new church built are too numerous for me tr
mention here, but it does seem to me tina
the spirit of Newton, Cornish, Dunlop, Ten
ney, Nichols, and host of good men now
departed, is around and about to urge us t,
accomplish this good work. They did no
work III vain, for old Israel church has llvet
10 see new doctrines and principles adopteC
at the Capitol and Senators confess Greco
and practice justice that puts even the
Church to shame. The battle against the
fearful sin, prejudice, which should have
found natural leaders in the Church, it seems
has its champions in the Senate of the
United States. Says very distinguished
Senator, in discussing that browning measure
OF civil and religious liberty and equality
the civil rights bill: {" believe what oul
fathers who laid the foundations taught, that
all men are created equal. | believe in a
still older teachng-that God is no respecter
OF persons, and that he made of one blood
all nations of men to dwell on the face OF
the earth; and further, that he maketh his
sun to rise on the evil and the good, and
sendeth rain on the just and Wi ust. | be-
heve that government is instituted for all
and, like the sun, the rain and the dew,
should shed its blessing upon all alike.
| believe that the colored race in this coun-
try differ in nothing but their lineage from
the white race, except in so far as their ma
lures have been dwarfed by slavery. That
they have the same bodily and mental and
moral faculties, the same wants and appe-
tites, the same capacity for labor and enjoy
ment, the same sensibility to wrong and in
suit, no one can deny.
" ask what argument do we find arrayed
against this claim to equality under the law,
founded, as have endeavOred to show, upOn
the fundamental law of the land? 1 regret
to say the argument begins and ends in pref
udlce-a prejudice as unreasonable as it is
unjust; Il pre- udce that reaches beyond life
even, and would perpetuate distinctions in
the grave. Alas, sir, | know how hard it is
to argue against prejudices. Time, reason,
and reflection only can correct them. But
hopeless is the task of reasoning them away,
let me remind the Senate that Nature has
not Disseminated against the negro in any
of her regulations. On the contrary, he as
all the bodily faculties in the fullest perfec-
ton, the same capacity to subdue nature and
supply his wants the same appctites. More
than that, he has the same spiritual nature :;
the same thirst for knowledge; the same
hopes and fears; the same scnsibility to
wrong and insult, and the same desire to inn
In I Il Ia,
color Of his skin, the difference between him
and you would disappear. And then, again,
does he not dwell in this goodly heritage by
the same title that you do and l do: Is he
not warmed by the same sun, does he not
breathe the same air, and draw his subsist-
ence from the same bOuntiful earth, which
knows no distinction in the hands that till
her and bring forth her fruits. More than
that, does he not speak the same language
worship the same God, owe the same allcei-
ance, and obey the same laws ,
Sir, when | remember the WRONGS that
have been inflicted upon the colOrcd race
through so many generations of slavery
when recall how patient and long suffering
they have been through all the long years of
cruel bondage; how they have contributed
to the wealth and prosperity Of the country,
and at last how nobly they came to its res
cue, when, Ike noble ship, it seemed about
dashing upon rocks and perishing, and how
they offered their lives to save the govern
ment they had known only by its expressions
my heart warns with unspeakable gratitude
When the opportunity for wreaking vengc-
ance upon his task-master, was the negro
swift to avenge by fire and sword, and rapine
his accumulated wrongs: No, sir, to his
lasting honor, let it be remembered of him
and stir our warmest sentiments of gratitude
in the memory, that he watched like faith
full sentinel over the women and children and
tenderly cared for them, while his rebel mas
ter was seeking upon fields of battle to fix
him and his postcrity in a still more hopeless
condition of slavery. Even then he put
aside the supreme temptation, and listened
mine; | will repay, saith the Lord"
Eloquent Senator and Christian gentleman,
the colorcd people bless and thanI; you for
these noble words.
An influential iourn1l, reviewing the action
of the Senate on this subject, says: "Noth-
ING more remains to be done in this direction
The negro who few years ago was chattel
slave logged at his masters pleasure and
sold on the auction block to pay his masters
debts, is now a citizen and a voter; the
schools are open to his children literary in.
stitutions invite him to their privileges and
honors he is a landholder and planter and
politician sits in the jury box and pleads at
the bar he is legislator and Representative
in Congress and Governor of a Common
wealth.
Yes, my friends, there remains yet one i'm.
portant thing to be done ; it is the work of
the Christian ministry, the work of all true
Masons and of every American citizen, Chris
tianity, Masonry and the constitution of oul
country forbids ''caste distinctions" Let us,
then, in the future, Danish it from cur hearts
Danish it from the land.
My friends, must close. Some here to-
day may consider that l am rash and speak
too plainly on subject that might have
allowed to sleep. True, might have spoken
in praise Of the Church and of Masonry fol
the principles upon which both are founded
are alike-noble, Just and true /; but the great
question of the hour, to my mind, is how can
we rid the Church and Masonry of this great
sin-preudicc against a man on account of
the color ofhis skin. Just and true men who
fear God and love their country and fellow
man are making great effort to Danish it
from the State. Is it not right, then, to cry
aloud against this great evil, which has in the
past and is now doing such a fearful injury to
the cause of religion and society:
All! who of us can measure the evil cOnse-
quence of the presence of this monster in the
Church it has driven thousands from hel
doors into doubt and intidelity.
Another able writer on this great question
of human rights and equality says: Its dis.
tinguished author (the late Senator Sumner,
knew that he was standing on solid rock,
challenged those who hesitated to indorse
and those who oppressed to attack his posi-
ton but all that they dared to do was to de.
rlina tho cnntoet With hiS lyinU broo III 1,o