New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-02-05

ucieNc tliiC UOu Almighty has made oil one
bieod all the nations upon the face Of thu
eartn. we believe we arc made Just like
1 white men are. Laughter Look; l stretcl
out my arms. See; have two of them, a:
you have. Look at our ears; have two o
: them: L have two eyes, two nostrils, ont
, mouth, two feet. stand erect like you.
l l am clothed with humanity like YOU.
THINK, l reason, talk, l express my views
as you do. Is there any difference between
!, us? Not so far as our manhood is concerned
unless it be in this: that our opinions differ
and mine are little higherup than yours
[Iaughter.]
The gentleman states that this idea of all
men being created equal is a fillacy, an
nounced some years ago by Thomas Jefler.
J son, that old fOOlhardy man, who announced
SO many ideas that have been woven into
the wool of the nation, who announced Sc
many foolish things that have made this ma
ton strong, and great, and powerful. Sir, il
he was i'll error, L accept the error with
, pleasure. If he was 4 foolish man, would
to God that North Carolina had been
baptized in that foolishness about two hun
dred years ago. [Great laughter.]
The gentleman also states that if you pass
this bill your power over the South will pass
away; that the power Of the Republican
party in the South will pass away. Sir, let
me tell the gentleman that behind this bill
are nine hundred thousand voters; that, like
, the warriors of the tribe of Benjam every
one of them is lcft-handed ,and can "sling
a stone at hairs's breadth !" that each will
come up stronger and mighticr and more i'll
fused with power than ever before when YOU
pass this bill giving them their rights, as
other men have them. They will come up
as never before to the support of the Rcpub-
lican party, and they will make the South
source of JOY and gladncss.
The gentleman also talks about the COLI
orcd people deteriorating. Sir, who tills
your lands now? Who plants your corn :?
Who raises your cotton? have been in the
South during the last ten years. l have
travelled over the Southern States, and have
: seen who did this work. Going along saw
the white men do the smoking, chewing to-
hacco, riding horses, playing cards, spend
ing money, while the colored men are tiling
the soil, and bringing the cotton, rice, and
other products to market.
Sir, L do not believe the gentleman from
North Carolina wants us to 20 to Africa;
do not believe it. 1t was slip of the
tongue; he does. not mean that the black
people should leave North Carolina not a
bit Of it. If they did you would see such an
exodus OF white people from that State as
you never saw before. for they would follow
them wherever they might 90. Laughter. I
Sir, we feel that we are part and parcel of
this great nation and as such, rs | said be-
fore, we propose to stay here and solve this
problem of whether the black race and the
white race can live together in this country
l make the statement that L regard it as
essential to their welfare and interests that
they should live together in this their quota
to the advancement of progress and civiliza-
ton. Sir, the country. Why not? l can
see no reason why not, If they contribute
mechanics of the South are almost altogether
colorca people. The carpenters, the machin-
lists, the engineers nearly all the mechanics
in the Southern States are colored people.
!, Why can we not stay here and work out this
problem? -~s----
1 ask Congress TO pass this bill for the
reason that it would settle this question, once
and forever. The gentleman says that he
does not desire that the colored people shall
be crowded into the schools of the white
! people. Well, l do not think that they
) would be harmed by it; some few of then
) might be. But experience has taught lis
that it is not true that great harm will come
from any such measure. l think, therefore
that if we pass this bill we will be doing a
great act of justice, we will settle for all
time the question Of the rights of all people.
and, until that question is settled, there can.
: not be that peace and harmony in the coul-
| AANSSS'tt''
The gentleman says the colorcd people
and the white people are living together now
in North Carolina in amicable relations. !
! am glad for that admission, for he rounded
off all that he had said before by that
last sentence. lie said that the two races
could not live together, and yet at the close
of his speech he says that the whites and
!, blacks are now living in North Carolina in
amicable relations. Sir, if they are so liv.
ing now, why not hereafter? VIII peace
, and good order be destroyed because all arc
to have their rights? Sir, do not think so
l close with this thought: believe the
, time is coming when the Congress of the
United States, when the whole nation, will
, recognize the importance of the passage OF
this bill in order to settle this question once
and forever. 81 regard the interests of the
black man i'll this country as identical will
the interests of the white man. I.would
have that set forth so clearly and unmis.
takably that there should be no antagonisnl
, between the races, no friction that should
destroy their peace and prosperity. believe
Almighty God has placed both races on this
broad theater of activity, where thoughts
and opinions are freely expressed, where We
may grasp every idea of manhood, where We
may take hold Of every truth and develop
: every art and science that can advance tho
prosperity of the nation. believe God de-
signed us to live here together on this con
tinent, and in no other place, to dcvelor
. this great idea that all men are the children
: of one Father. We are here to work out tho
grand experiment of the homogeneity O
nations, the grand Outburst of the greatness
of humanity, by the development in us o
: the rights that belong to us, and the per
Torrance Of the duties that we owe each
other.
Our interests are bound up in this coun
!, try. Here we intend to stay and work on
the problem of progress and education ans
, civilization. l say to the gentleman from
North Carolina, Mr.. RoBBINs,] and to tn,
gentleman from Virginia, Mr.. HARRIS, ant
: to the gentleman from New Y ork, Mr.. Cox,
: who discussed civil rights the other day, ant
to the gentlemen from the other States, tina
, we are going to remain in this country side b,
- side with the white race. We desire to shar
:. in your prosperity and to stand by yoa in ad
J vcrsity. In advancing the progress of tn
= nation we will take our part; and if tn
= countryS should againsbe involved in the de
vastation of war, we will do our part in til
struggle. We propose to identify ourselve
: with this nation, which has done more thai
= any other on earth to illustrate the great ide
:, that all races of men may dwell together il
- harmony, working out together the probler
~ of advancement and civilization and liberty
y Mr.. Speaker, we will drive the buzzar
, away; we will scare the crow back to Mort
u Carolina. We will take the eagle as tn
. emblem of liberty we will take that hOnOre
Z flap which has been borne thrOuph the hea