The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-10-28
General Garffeld's Visitors.

OlLEN hLALSD, w., OCUODpr ZU.-A bout
three hundred colored voters of Cuya-
hoga County visited General Garfield
at Lawnfeld this afternoon. The par
ty left Cleveland at 2:45 and returned
at Z P NJ. At General Garfeld's brief
but appropriate speeches were made by
Esquire j. P. Green and Rev. T. H.
Jackson, Of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church, of this city. Gen
eral Garfield made short response.
when each member of the delegation
was presented to the next President.
The time till the hour of train depart
ure was then passed in viewing the
Generals farm.
GENERAL GARFIELD's SPEECH.
GENTLEMEN have listened care
fully to what your speakers have said.
| have noted your manifestations of
applause at the special points of their
remarks All the time-not now
while the speaking has been going ON
but the time since the great strug-
gle for equal rights in this country
which eliminated in the war, I have
studied your problem with no little
solicitude. It was difficult problem
NOT for you only-but for US, and
equally difficult for the men who late
ly held you in slavery. Of all the
problems that any Nation ever con-
fronted, none was ever more difficult
than that Of settling the great ques-
ton which your existence upon this
continent brought to our people, and
settling it on the basis Of broad JUS
tice and equal rights to all. It was a
tremendous trial Of the faith of the
American people, tremendous trial
of the strength Of our institutions.
It was not for your sake alone that
the thoughtful men of this country
struck slavery and said it N lst die.
It was certainly good reason why
slavery ought to die that it wronged
your race, but it was an equally good
reason why it ought to die because it
was dangerous to the peace and pros
perity Of the white race and to the sta
bility of the Republic.
We are always inclined to express
much sympathy with the man who
suffers wrong. That is right. But
we ought also to express anxious solic-
itude for the man who does the wrong,
for in one very important sense he is
more to be pitied than the victim. If
man murders you without provoca-
ton, your soul bears no burden Of the
wrong; but all the sad angels Of the
universe will weep for the misguided
man who committed the murder.
And so [ say the men who enslaved
your race were wronging themselves
as we'll as you. To protect them from
being wrongdoers, and shield your
race from suffering wrong, was the
mighty problem which was solved by
the abolition Of slavery.
Now. fellow-citizens, after the fierce
struggle of the war, after Lincoln had
given utterance to the great thought,
that the centuries Of slavery had COM
mitted so great sin that without the
shedding Of blood there was no remis-
sion, and that our war was the bloody
expiation for that sin-even then,
VIXEN you were free by the proclama-
ton Of Lincoln and by the amended
Constitution that gave you citizenship,
your problem wss not solved What
is freedom without the intelligence to
use it wisely? What is freedom with
out virtue and intelligence combined
to make it not curse but blessing.
You were not made free merely to be
allowed to, vote, but in order to enjoy
an equality of opportunity in the race
Of life; to stand equal before the law.
Permit no man to praise you because
you are black Let it be understood
that you are ready and willing to work
out yogr own material salvation ON
your own energy, your own worth,
your own labor-all that liberty can
do for you is to give you fair and
equal chance within the limits Of the
Constitution and by the exercise Of its
proper powers. It is the purpose of
the best men on this continent to give
you this equal chance and nothing
more. Congratulate you on the great
advance which your race has already
made under liberty. | have seen your
Representatives in Congress-one of
them in the Senate, and | have seen
them behave with such self-restraint,
good sense, Judgment, modesty and pa
triotism, that it has given me new hope
that all their brethren will continue
to climb up towards the light with
every new opportunity. | will MOI
affect to be any more your friend than
thousand Of others. | do not even
pretend to be particularly your friend
but only your friend with all other
just men. On that basis, and within
those limitations, whatever can justly
or fairly be done to assure you an
equality Of opportunity, it will always
be my pleasure to do.
Gentlemen, thank you for coming
here, and shall be glad to greet every
one of you.