The bee., 1883-01-06

army. Until this day the mighty con-
f1ict between the North and the South
appeared to the eye of the civilized
world as destitute of moral qualities.
! Until this day the sympathies of the
world were largely in favor of the
Southern rebellion. Until this day the
man Of sable hue had no country and
no glory; until this day he was not
permitted TO lift sword, TO carry a
gun, or wear the United States uni
form; until this day the armies of the
Republic fought the rebels in fetters,
for they fought for slavery as well as
for the Union. Until this day we
presented the spectacle of that weak
ness, indecision and blindness which
builds up with one hand while il tears
down with the other. Until this day
we fought the rebels with only one
hand, while we chained and pinioned
the other behind us. On this day,
twenty years ago, thanks to Abraham
Lincoln and tho great statesmen by
! whom he was supported, this spell of
blasted hopes and despair : this spell of
inconsistency and weakness, was
broken, and our Government became
consistent, logical and strong, for from
this hour slavery was doomed, liberty
made certain and the Union estab-
lished. We do well to commemorate
this day. 1t was the first gray streak
Of morning after a long and troubled
night of all abounding horrors.
The future as well as the past claims
consideration on this day. Freedom
has brought duties, responsibilities
and created expectations which must
be fulfilled. There is no disguis-
ing the fact that the price of liberty is
eternal vigilance, and if we maintain
our high estate in this republic, we
must be something more than drift
wood in stream. Wei must keep pace
with the nation in all that goes to
make nation great, glorious and free.
Natural equality we have long pleaded
and righteously, but now that the
fetters are off we must be able to plead.
Practical equality might be complied
with and the proclamation withheld. l
attended grand meeting in Fremont
Temple last night. The depth and
intensity of the anxiety felt at that
meeting cannot well be described 1t
had convened to receive the news, the
glad tidings, but as hour after hour
passed on from seven to nearly eleven
o'clock at night, and no word of the
proclamation came, all hope seemed
blasted. AS usual, however, here as
elsewhere, the darkest hour was just
before daylight. The message of deliv-
erance came at the point of despair,
and from the lowest depths of depres-
sion whole people was lifted to the
height of unspeakable joy. A'shout of
triumph as of people redeemed, shook
the walls of the great temple, for here
was new departure, the equality of
industry, equality of morality, equality
of education, equality of wealth, eqal-
ity of general attainments. ! hardly
need say here that to all this there are
formidable obstacles and discourage
ments: that we have entered the race
of civilization at an immense disadvan-
tage is manifest to the candid Judgment
of all men. No people ever entered
the portals of freedom under circum-
stances more unpropitious than the
American freedmen. They were
thrown overheard in an unknown sea,
; in the midst of a stormwithout planks,
ropes, oars or life preservers and told
they must swimor perish. They were
without money, without friends, with
out shelter and without bread.
The land which they had watered
, , with their tears, enriched with their
! blood, titled with their hard hands, was
owned 10y their enemies. They were
told to leave their old quarters and
seek food and shelter elsewhere. In
view of this condition of things the
marvel is not SO much that they have
made little progress, but that they are
mot exterminated. Iregret to observe
! that even colored men are heard tu
deny that any improvement has taken
; place in their condition during the last
twenty years. How they can do this |
am utterly unable to see.l Twenty years
ago therewas. perhaps, not asingle school
house for colored children in the
Southern States. Now there are two
hundred thousand colored children reg,
, ularly attending school in those states
, , That fact, which does not stand alone
is sufficient to refute all the gloomy
stories of croakers as to the progress OF
|, the colored freedmen of the south.
The trouble with these croakers is that
they do not consider the point of the
freedmen's departure. They know the
, heights which they have still to reach
but do not measure the depths from
which they have come.
: Twenty years, though i long time in
, the life of an individual, is but a mo.
ment in the life of nation, and nc
9 final Judgment can be predicatcd of
, facts transpiring within that limited
. period.
+ For one, / can say in conclusion that
nothing has occurred within these
, twenty years which has dimmed my
E hopes or cause me to doubt that the
, emancipated people of this countrywill
F avail themselves of their opportunities
; and by enterprise, industry, invention.
: discoveryand manlycharacter vindicate
, the confidence of their friends and put
to silence and to shame the gloomy
predictions of all their enemies.
Both addresses were enthusiastically
applauded, after which the presiding
, officer announced the following toasts
, which were responded to in order:
2 ToASTs.
$ Our honored guest-Hon. B. K. Bruce.
The day-Hon. Fred, Douglass.