National Republican., 1882-07-01
ELOQUENT FRED. DOUGLASS.
IIIs Recent Speech in BaItimore--Thc Fu-
turo OF Thut CITY

tUrS OF Thnt ttty.
Al the banquet rendered the Grand Army posts
by the citizens Of Baltimore, at the reunion on
Wednesday evening, 2lst Of June, q number of
happy and eloquent speeches were made by dis
tnguished gentlemen. Among them were ex-
Mayor Lottobe, Mr.. James Hodges, General Mer
rill, and Hon. John l.. Thomas, The latter con-
cluded by introducing, MS an old Marylauder,
Hon. Frederick Douglass, who was most cordially
received and spoke as follows:
Fellow; citizens let me, as an old Baltimorean,
congratulate you upon the National Encampment
of the Grand Army of the Republic IN the Monu.
mental City. There have been many acts In the
life Of Baltimore some good aud some III, but
point to no one act in the life of this city more
significant, grand, and gratifying than the earnest,
generous and cordial welcome which Baltimore
has given to-day. Splendid MS was the military
demonstration, your welcome was fully equal 20
it, hail that welcome rs n sign OF promise. II Is
whatever may have been the sentiment of Balti-
more in the past, her heart to- day beats respon-
sively TO the lofliest demands Of American patriot
ISM that she Is not wasting her life amid the
darkness and gloom Of the past, but is hopefully
fnd wisely turning her face toward the brightness
o. d glory of the future.
HAVE AN INTEREST IN BALTIMORE.
II wns here spent my boyhood and youth /
have, man and boy, seen many great days here.
II was q great day for Baltimore, nearly sixty
Years ,ngo When she saw her greatest triumph in
IL was great day when she lfted to the capstone
OF yonder imposing monument the colossal statue
when the first spade full OF her soil was turned
for the baltimore and Ohio Railroad; 1t was n
great day for Baltimore when, in grand process
sion, she displayed her trades and industries in
celebration of Tie completion Of her first hundred
years, and II WIS great day when she com
mcmorated her sesquiscentennlnl. Fellow citi-
zens, though not to the manor born, It has been
my. good fortune 70 be in Baltimore on all these
and other great occasions. l witnessed the great
wards Park when the figure of Washington was
raised 70 It's present height. was with you when
You at your sesqui- centennial. These were all
GREAT DAYS FOR BALTIMORE,
but the greatness Of the present day surpasses that
of all iis predecessors. There is great moral
value to be set upon the important fact of this
day. Let 1t be remembered that this is not u local.
county, or state encnmpment but q national
encampment. Baltimore to-day is national, not
sectional. In other days she may have been In
sympathy with a section, To-day she is in SYM
pathy with the whole Nation. Her act of welcome
to the Grand Army of the Republic implies that
every pulsation other heart now beats in harmony
with the welfare, permanencc. and prosperity Of
the whole country. From this day, come what
may, sunshine or cloud, safety or danger peace or
war, veal or woe, life or death, 1plodgc Baltimore
rs the iniexible foe to any arm raised against the
Nations life
FOR HER PAST, TO-DAY. HAVE NO REPRoAcHEs
There are spots on the SUM- To err is human.
Let him that is without sin cast the first stone
aud no stones will be cast. If she was wrong in
she is right to-day. II is a noble courage which
can contradict the past and incur the odium of
Inconsistency Batimoreis is brave enough to do
this, and her noble example Is entitled to all
honor Unlike the class which neither forgets nor
learn, she has grown wise by experience. We
commend her high and noble spirit 10 every city
in the Union.
While am a believer in the rights of States, and
OF local SELF government, within the limits of the
and oil all occasions, here and elsewhere, for the
Nation supreme and above all. The whole is more
than part the ocean is greater than the streams,
the many more than the few. But for the Nation
local self government would be mockery If not
impossible Without the protecting arms of the
Nation, the separate States among the Nations of
the earth, would be but egg shells among
cannon balls, inviting insult by their weakness,
and outrage by their arrogancc--powcrless for
peace at home, or respect abroad. The grand fact
which this national eucampment symbolizes is
that we are and of right ought to be Nation with
the right power and dignity of q Nation bound to
protect all of its citizens wherever the flag floats.
LET US HAVE NO cowARDLY FEARS
of Capitalization. There is no ground for any such
fear. While universal suffrage is the law for the
the hands of the people. While taxation and rep
resentation go hand in hand. While the rulers of
OF our country are directly responsible TO the peo
and every great question of public policy must
be passed upon by the whole people there is no
danger and can be no great danger arising from
centralizaton. The circumference at all points is
equal to the center. Capitalization is the evil of
monarchies and aristocracies. Our monarchs
have no center. They are all over the country.
But enough of this. came here not so much to
speak as to see and hear and be seen.
IHAvE SEEN MANY THINGS TO-DAY.
Some things that few years ago would have been
deemed impossible. Ihave seen coored men with
arms in their hands and uniforms on their backs
marching with steady tramp in grand procession
through the crowded streets of Baltimore. That
they could do this is a triumph of liberty, pro-
gress, and civilization. Only n few years ago the
very stones in the streets would have risen in pro-
test against such an Innovation But after all the
colored man has well earned this right. His rec-
ord during the war and since gives him right to
be seen and heard in every demonstration of
American patriOtism Mr. DOuplasS concluded hic
remarks with n touching statement of the services
rendered by colored troops in the late war.