Morning journal and courier., 1880-10-21
News by Telegraph
 FROM ALL QUARTERS. The Race Problem. General GarfieId's Views of
 it's Solution. AN EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY One of the Chief Results of
 Enframchisement. THE FATE. OF THE ALPENA, Dead Bodies and Wreckage.
 Floating Ashore.
THE FATE. OF THE ALPENA.
POLITICAL.

The Colored tfon for Our Enfranchised Citfzens-Equality Of Opp | portunity the True Sequence of En- franehfsement- Sound and Patriotic Words from General Garfield.
 CLEVELAND, O., Oct. 20.-About four hun dred colored citizens of Cleveland accompa-
 nied by band of music went to Mentor to-
 day to pay their respects to General Garfield. After addresses of introduction by Justice K. P. Green and Rev. F. H. Jackson, General Garfield spoke as follows:
 GentIemen-I have listened carefully to what your speakers have said. I have noted your manifestations of applause at the points of their remarks at the time when the speak ing has been going on. But all the time since the great struggle for equal rights in this country that eliminated in the war I have studied your problem with no little so- licitude. (Applause.) It was 8 difficult problem, gentlemen; not for you only, but for us and equally difficult for the men who lately held you in slavery. But it was not more difficult than that of settling the great race question which your existence upon this continent brought to our people and settling it on the basis of liberty, justice and equal rights to all. Applause and cries of Good, Good.") It was a tremendous trial of the faith of the American people and of the strength of our institutions It shows that
 
 this country struck slavery and said it must die. It certainly a good reason why slavery ought to die that it wronged your race (cries of ''Yes, Yes"), but it was an equally good reason why it ought to die be- cause it was dangerous to the peace and pros perity of the white race and the stability of the republic. Applause and cries of ''That's good.'O We are always inclined to express our sympathy with the man who suffers wrong. That is right. But we ought not forget to express our anxious solicitude for the who does the wrong, for in one very impor- tant sense he is more to be pitied than the victim. If a man murder you without provocation your soul bears no burden of the wrong The sad angels will weep for the unguided man who commits the murder. (Cries of ''True Truei") And so say that the men who enslaved your race were wrong ing themselves as sure as you. To prevent them from being wrong doers, and to shield your race from suffering wrong was the mighty problem which was solved by the abolition of slavery. (Applause) Fellow citizens, after the first struggle of the war, after Lincoln had given utterance to the great thought that the centuries of slavery have committed great sin that without the shedding of blood there was no remission, and that the war was the bloody expiation for that even then when you were freed by the proclamation of Lincoln and by the American constitution that gave you citizen ship, your problem was not solved Ia voice, ''No sir'') What is freedom without the intel igence to use it wisely? What is freedom without virtue and intelligence combined to make freedom not curse but blessing Ca voice That's it.") You
 were not made free merely to be allowed to vote, but in order to enjoy an equality of op- portunity in the race of life, to stand equal before the law. Permit no man to praise
 you because you are black Chats it), nor to wrong you because you black. (Ap- plause.) Let it be understood that you ready and willing to work out your own ma terial salvation by your own energy, your
 own worth. All that liberty can do for you
 is simply to let you have fair and equal chance within the limits of our constitution and by the exercise of it's proper powers. It nent to give you this equal place and nothing
 more. I congratulate you on the great advance which your race has made under lib erty. Good! Good) I have seen your representatives in Congress, one of them in the Senate. have seen them behave with such self-restrained good sense, judgment and patriotism that it has given me new hope that your race will contrive to climb toward the light with every opportunity. (Cries of Good! Good! and applause. J do not affect to be any more your friend than thousands of others. do not pretend to be particularly your friend, but only equally your friend with all other classes of men. Cheers and cries of Good!.) On that basis and within those limitations whatever can justly and fair ly be done to assure to you an equality of op- portunities, it will always be my pleasure to do so. Applause md cries of Good! Good! Gentlemen, I thank you for coming here and shall be glad to greet every one of you. (Pro- longed applause)