The Pacific appeal., 1875-04-24

ther upon your time, | WiH close by
urging you to adopt for your motto
the following beautiful stana:
Zone united filial band.
Let us by each other staiai, !
To defend our native land,
From dark deeds of knaverT
By our Plains that were once red.
BY the blood our fathers shed;
We shall ne'er be captive led,
BY the chains of slavery, ),
We make the following extracts
from the oration by Thomas Deter:
Mr.. President and Felkow Cstizess:
We believe in the sentinentsI ex.
pressed in the federal charter-all
men are born free and equal We
have met to honor the fourth great
national event in the epoc and his.
tory Of this government in tho inter
est Of the colored race. | regard
the passage of the Civil RighSs Bill
as the last act in the drama sI h2-
man rights, fixing ever, trust our
political and social status in these
United States. The negro is. no
longer a slave-he is q freeman.
Now and forever in his native land
he is an American citizen. | see
him running side by side with his
white competitors for the city Of
fame, where the statesman, warrior,
| philosopher and the hero are restiag
upon their golden laurels. The
cry is now, He is comingl Make him
room! Look at the strides he has
made in a decade from the scryitude
Of the plantation. Beneath the
dome Of tic nations capitol he
stands, contending with the ablcst
adyersaries of his race. We come
to-day, as we oftimes came before,
bringing our sacrifices 10 freedoms
altar. Let US cast our eyes heaven.
wards, and with hearts filled with
gratitude let Us thank that God who
ontrols the destiny Of nations as
we'll as of individuals. | am not
here to discps5 slavery; slavery is
is dead. Its epitaph is written iii
characters Of blood: Dead, forever
dead p
am Itcre to ask you as American
citizens to keep the jewel of freedom
in the house of its friends. The
Republican party is my party, and
should be the pa rty Of every colorcd
man, until its great mission is com.
pleted- until pc rsonal and constitu-
tional freedom is ever secure. |
know among the other party gentle
men esteem who are my friends
i know them to be such. But [
am speaking of party, not of indi-
viduals- Remer rnber nations as well
as individuals have lost their nation.
ality, country and freedom. The
first gun rhe South fred upon Tire
Nations flag sounded the death
knell Of slavery. When she drew
the sword she st akej her all upon
the bloody issue. She lost the fight.
Napoleon fought for glory, yelling
ton for England, Washington for
personal and constitutional freedom,
the matchless Grant for obedience
to the federal constitution, the black
champion of San Domingo for the
freedom of his nation. y JON
When the South came with fire
and sword, the brave defenders of
this Republic met her. Over fields of
carnage and death they struggled.
Though She bled at every bore,
Freedom accepted OF no compromise.
She enforced her just claims for
free men, free speech, free press,
free schools leach the dread Of ty-
rants. Freedom is reliable 3 L
have watched her in history; l have
seen her deserted by her friends; l
have seenahenstruck} down upon a
hundred battle fields;J l haveseen
her chained to the stake, and her
ashes scattered to the winds of
heaven. But, fellow citizens, did
she not triumph ? Yes! She came
forth as terrible as a lioness. She
lives, and is the friend of the op-
pressed Of every cline, The thir-
teenth amendment to the federal
clothed the slaves in
robes Of spotless liberty; the four
teenth amendment protected them
in their freedom; the fifteenth gave
to us the honorcd title of American !
citizens and the ballot-it not mer-
chandise to be sold to the highest
bidder, but is the guardian of your
rights if wisely used-it is the price.
ess boon of American freedom.
Some claim that this is white
mans country. | ask you, When
he old bell of independence Hall
oeeledt high notes of freedom, calling
4 americans to arms, did she summon
white men only? No, sir. The
indian rushed from his smoky wig.
Yain. with his glittering battle axe
# steel; the negro from the planta-
ion with his crude implements of
united to make this the
and of the free, and the home of the
'rave." Yes, sirs; the negro poured
'ut his life.blood in every struggle
or your country's glory.
As to the color of races, it is a
natter of small Importance to me. I;
Perhaps some were made in the
light. If so. shall the morning
ppress the evening? Are they not j
qnals in the duties assigned them II