Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-11
FRED. DOUGLASS.
His Remarkable Speech on the
Color Question.

delivered by Fred. Douglass near Washing
ton, July 5, are very suggestive reading for
both races in the South:
Men cannot, ought not and will net
quarrel and fight forever, even though out
side parties may be benefited by such
quarreling and fighting. This is true even
Of contentious among men Of different
races, and much more true where men are
of the same race. The American people
are essentially of the same race. They are
of the same color. United by blood, by
a common origin, by common language,
by a common literature, by a common
glory, and by the same grand
historic associations and achievements. So
sure as the stars shine in the heavens, and
the rivers run to the sea, so sure will the
white people North and South abandon
their quarrel and become friends. Tne
whole American horizon is already fringed
with the pOrtents Of this coming union.
Boston, Lexington and Bunker Hill have
already sent forth their silyeTy notes OF
peace and unity to the whole nation, and
next year Philadelphia, the birthplace of
the Declaration of Independence, will lift
to the sky its million voices in one grand
Centennial hOsannsh Of peace and good will
TO all the white race Of this cOuntry-trOm
gulf to lakes and from sea to sea.
Now when this mighty quarrel has
ceased; when all the asperities and resent
menls have gone, as they are sure to 60;
when all the clouds that a few years ago
lowered about our national house shall be
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried;
when this great white race has renewed its
VOWS of patriotism and flowed back into IT'S
accustomed channels, the question for us Is:
In what position will this stupendous recon-
ciliation leave the cOlored people? What
tendencies will spring out oft, and how will
they affect US? If war among the whites
brought peace aud liberty to the blacks,
what Will peace among the whites bring?
Has Justice so deep a hold upon the nation,
has reconstruction on the basis of liberty
and equality become so strong that the rush.
ing together of these mighty waves will not
disturb its foundations? These questions,
my friends, make me thoughtful. The
signs of the times are not all in or favor.
There are, even in the Republican party,
indications Of a disposition to get rid Of US.
Men are seeking new allies, and smiling in
faces upon which they never smiled before
since the war. 4 disposition is seen TO
shake off the negro and accept the old mas
ters class. Out Of the eight hundred thou
sand black voters Of the county We have
only had about twenty black clerks here II
Washington, and these in the last few days
have been thinned ont and reduced. We
have had a few representatives abroad and
afew in Congress; the indications are that
we shall have fewer by and by. Ambitious
candidates for the Presidency are already
casting about to see if they cannot be
elected in some way without the aid Of the
black vote. Well, they have the right to
do all this, but the thing looks bad, aud We
at least are called upon 10 look the matter
full in the face. Our shelter in the storms
of the past has been Ulysses 5. Grant.
The question is as to who viii shield Us in
the future. Well indeed will It be for us
if one as true, just and abe shall come af-
ter him.
One Of the most unpleasant features Of
the situation for us is in ourselves. We
ale q divided people, and have no men
amOug us, l fear, whose counsel will be
Needed in the right direction. 1t has been
our misfortune 70 be educated by two hun
dred years Of slavery TO respect white men
and despise ourselves.
Now, just tbs is the thing We are to
OutgrUW. We have GOT to find out that a
people 10 be respected and powerful must
have men among themselves and Of them
selves whom they must trust and respect.
White men have their great men, and are
respected in the scale Of being because they
have them. Ireland loves OCOnnell,
America lo7eS Washington, Kentucky loves
CLAW, and Massachusetts, loves Webster
anj Sumner, and our whole country believe
in L. 5. Grant. Now l believe that We,
the cOlOrcd people, have men Of our color
in whom We may well believe; and woe to
US, woe to any people, wh0shas no great
men among its own people and OF its own
people,
There is another evil to be looked at and
removed. and that is the swarm Of white beg
gars that sweep the country in the name Of
the ColOred race. We must hereafter do
our own begging, if any begging is done al
ali, in our own name.
While We were the victims of slavery,
and had no voice or vote in shaping our
destiny, we had good reason to appeal TO
the benevolence of mankind. To ask for
help in that condition involved no disgrace.
But all is changed now. We are no longer
slaves, but freemen; 40 longer subjects,
but citizens, and have voice and vote
with all ether citizens. A new condition
has brought new duties. A character which
might pass without censuTe as slave can
not so pass as a freeman. We must not
beg men to do for us what we ought TO do
for ourselves. The prOstrate form, the un-
covered head, the Cringing attitude, the
bated breath, the suppliant, Outstreiched
hand Of beggaTy does not become an Amer
lean freeman, and does not become us as a
class, aud we will not consent to be any
longer represented III that position. Nc
people can make desirable progress or have
permanent welfare outside OF their own III
dependent and earnest efforts.
The burden Of our demand upon the
American people shall simply be justice
| and fair play. we utterly repudlate all
inyidious distinctions, whether in our favor
or against us, and ask only for fair field
! and no favor.
In our Judgment we have been injured
more than benefited by the efforts OF So
called benevolent societies. While they
NAV have helped a few, they have in
/ iured the many. They originate with and
| are organized by some good men, but
| they invariably fall into the hands Of a
| peculiar class or men-men who combine
shregdness with religious zeal, aud who
/ whether they sing, pray or preach, always
'mean business" They are ever on the
lookout for just such associations as special
| colonization societies, African civilization
/ societies, African educational societies,
I Lincoln and Howard universities, and
freedmen's banks. They follow these with
| a scent as keen as the sharks, which IN old
| times followed the slave ship to eat tha
| flesh Of
DEAD AND DYING NEGROES'
They are heels over head in love with
! the negro, and want to DO him ever 50 much
/ sooa. Tnece sharply piOus men usually
| manage to slip into Lh5 t;,oney-ooXeS cI
these associations.
There is no keeping them out Of the OF
fees of honor aud profit. A negro among
| them stands uO chance. Money must GC
| solicited in his name, but it will not do To-
him to know exactly what becomes o
Z. These holy men have studied The
! science OF begging all their lives and thel
have attained the highest perfection. +hel
! manufacture circulars By the bushel ani
| load down the mails with their appeals
They have got the names and addresses
ali the giving men OF the country. 4hi'
begging class is mainly composed OF broken
down preachers without pulpIts, la|yeI'
without clients, professors without chairs
editors without journals and the Ike men
WHO fail in everything but managing none.
q Of