National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-14
ISRAEL A. II. E. CHURCH..
LITERARY ENTERTAINMENT IN IT'S

a gIAnu literary entertainment in a1Q OF TINT
building of Israel A. N: E. Church was held
last night at the Armory building, on Sixth
street. The attendance was not very large
and the majority Of those present were ladies
The exercises were presided over By Rev
Richard Motley, of How ard University snd
opened with the hymn "Americs," which wai
sung by the choir Of the church: Prayer was
offered by Mr.. Motley, after which another
hymn was sung and d. A. straker, ESQ.,, wa
introduced, who ssidi
The word citizenship is derivative of the word
citizen. In its most comprehensive and in liz
primitive sense It means zone of the sovereign
people, q constituent of society" In America
it was once understood as q white person
born in the United States" or q naturalized
person. No such meaning prevails to-day
The best definition of citizenship may be found
in the opinion of ex-Attorney General Bates In
the case of the schooner Elizabeth and Marga-
ret, of New Brunwlck. The Attorney Genera
said: "a citizen of the United States, without
addition or qualification, means nothing mort
nor less than q member of the nation, and
all such are politically and legally equal-:ht
child in the cradle and its father in the Sen.
ate. Tho learned attorney further states that
I" no one will venture to deny that ,conlen, and
children, and lunatics, and even convict felons,
may be citizens of the United States;" and
once citizen, whether natUs or dasus, always
citizen. And will add that this Is no legal
hold on the woman suffrage question, since
suffrage is an incident but not o consequent of
citizenship.
Right,in its most comprehensive sense is a
well founded claim, and this is what woman
needs TO prove to establish her claim to suf-
frage. The unalienable rights of man, also
called the absolute rights of man, are by com:
mon law denominated the right of personal lib
erty, the right of personal security and the
right of property.
Suffrage is privilege and not a right, until
granted, as may be seen by the constitutions Of
the various States. But it is difficult to deny
suffrage to a citizen, except on well founded
cause of objection. Crime may incapacitate,
property, time of residence, and the unsettled
question to-day is whether sex should. The Hon.
Charles Sumner, our firm and true friend-nay
our benefactor-he who has departed this life,
and the like of whom we shall not soon see
again, whose name is a synonym for integrity
of character, virtue, excellence in statesman
ship, philanthrophy; the champion of the col
ored mans oppression, the iconoclast of slavery,
and the mighty destroyer of unequal laws, thus
speaks ofthe colorrd mans capacity as citizen:
"Ceasing to be slave the former victim has
become not only man, but citizen, admitted
alike within the pale of humanity and within
the pale of citizenship. As q man he is enti-
tied to all the rights of a man, and as a citi-
zen he becomes a member of our common
household, with equality as the prevailing law;
no longer an African but an American. No
longer a slave, he is q component part OF the
republic, owing to it patriotic allegiance in re-
turn for the protection of equal laws. By in
corporation of the body polite he becomes a
partner in that transcendent unity, SO that
there can be no injury to him without injury to
all. Insult to him is insult to an American
citizen. D:shonor to him is dishOnor
to the republic itself. Whatever he may have
been, he is now the same as ourselves. Our
rights are his rights our privileges and immu-
mites are his great possessions. Not only is
he citizen, bu ttherei Office in the republic,
from the lowest to the highest-eXecutive,
judicial or representative-which is closed
against him. He may be Vice President; he
may be President"
Our civil duties are those which tend to bind
US together, and are incumben; on US for the
good of society,
Our civil obligations are expressed; our
civil duties implied. They are yet binding in
conscience and patriotism. Duty differs from q
legal obligation in that it cannot be enforced
by law.
Let me repeat, your civil rights. when. OBJ
tanned, will be mythical unless supported and
maintained by industry. The earth, the air,
fire and water God has given to man to con-
tribute to his happiness by means of his in
dustry. A race Of people has only stand
among men in proportion to their education
and industry, which comprises their civiliza-
ton. Men are enslaved only when they are
unciyilized-that is, uneducated in art and sci
ence, in manners and religion. Not even war
is potent enough to enslave an industrious
class of people. They may be conquered, re-
duced TO poverty; their bodies may be kept in
chains; but they cannot be reduced to servile
serVitude. Then, industry is a safeguard
ll ,s,,1 y. 81
race, well as 1t Is sure road to social eleya-
ton. No people that have ever lived upon the
face of the earth have elevated themselves to
the standard of social and civil equality with
their superiority resting upon their rights
alone.
It is the duty of every citizen TO widen the
of his country and elevate himself
and his race by industry. In plain language,
let me say to you that If you desire to destroy
exclusiveness by prescription, as practiced by
the white race in this country, to mingle with
them in churches, schools, hotels, inns, and
other public places, upon platform of perfect
equality, socially, civilly, and legally, you must
create an inter-dependeucy. This you can only
do by being citizens Of every description, manu-
fac:urers, scientists, philosophers, merchants,
lawyers, doctors, politicians and statesmen like
unto white men. The colored men throughout
the United States, especially those having
money and those who are educated, must CO.
operate and establish workshops, be incorpo-
rate bodies to the end of having steamboat
lines, street cars, steam cars, establish dry
goods stores, stationeries (there Is not one con-
1ucted by q colored person in the. District of
Columbia, as there may well be,) and these in
situations should not be characterized as col
pred peoples but for the public. A good article
will command a purchaser, good workman
patronage, education esteem and respect, with
out regard to color.
History fails to tell Us of any other means by
which a race of people has risen in the scale of
civilization and equality among men, having
been once slaves-for slavery has been the lot
Of every weak race of people when conquered,
and this without regard to color. cannot
leave this subject without admonishing the
white race in this country not to throw itself
across the path Of q struggling people, part
Of the body polite with themselves. 1t is sui
cidal. The elevation of the colored race in
this common country, and its co-association in
all legitimate business with the white race is
necessary to the safety, permanence and pros
Derity Of the Government. This may appear
extravagant, but as the whole is made up of
al its parts, so the whole is imperfect, unsafe,
weak, without all its parts, more
over, the man who would debar his fellow
citizen from any opportunity to rise in the
scale Of industry and education is more traitor
than a patriot.
Yet let me state that this commonality of
citizens in the exercise of their rights and priv
lleges, is by no means intended to instruct
against that necessary preservation and dis
tinction of the different races. For 1t is we'll to
bear In mind that the confusion of tongues at
Babel seemed to have begotten the distinction
of races, and that neither war nor peace, re-
ligion nor heathenism, civilization nor barbar-
ism, wealth nor poverty, color nor creed, has
ever been sufficient to so absorb one race into
another as to lose the origin Of either. Nor is
this good argument why the colored Ameri-
can should 20 to Africa because 1t is the land of
his forefathers. What right has the European,
the Asiatic, or the Australian In Americal The
right of locomotion is q fundamental principle
in the law of human rights, as have already
shown, and cannot be circumscribed or abridged
by man. We, as colored people, should be
unified as to race interests, like unto the Ger
mans, French and Irish who adopt this country,
and are unit when such does not conflict with
their duty as citizens. In our zeal to obtain
and enjoy our rights we are, in my opinion,
manifesting too much discord.
It is difficult to say for some whether they
are asking for their rights or demanding to be
considered first in high places and among men.
This is dangerous. Let Us watch It. Caste
distinction has been the curse of white people,
and is part Of the history Of barbarism. Let US
not follow such evil example. In closing my
remarks shall say one thing more. It Is the
duty Of every citizen who can read to study the
Constitution of the limited States We have