Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-04-28
Washington letter.
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 10


Monday was a decided success. This
was the twenty-first anniversary of
the emancipation of slaves in the
District of Columbia and was UMPIRE
cedented in the elaborate display and
intensity of interest which character
lied the proceedings of the entire day
In spite Of the rain it seemed that the
people turned out in full force day
and night. In the procession which
paraded the streets during the day
there were many novel features
which space will not permit me to
enumerate. But the most striking
and important feature of the occasion
was the Grafton of the Hon Frederick
Douglass at the First Congregational
Church. This took place at night
and though the weather still contin-
ed disagreable,. the church was con-
veniently filled at an early hour.
There are times when even Homer
mods, says Horace and in like man
ner Douglass has been charged with
nodding for some time. Be that as
it may the sold man eloquent" was
evidently wide awake on this occa-
sion. The following from his speech
will speak more eloquently than any
words from me. In speaking of the
negro he said:
1t is his sad lot to live in a land
where all Prescriptions are arrayed
against him unless we accept the pre-
sumption of worthlessness and infe-
riority. If his course is downward
he meets very little resistance, but if
upward his way is disputed at every
turn of the road.
1t is real calamity in this coun-
try for any man, guilty or not guilty
to be accused of crime; but is an in
comparably greater calamity for any
colored man to be so accused. Jus.
tice is often painted with bandaged
eyes. She is described in forensic
eloquence as utterly blind to wealth
or poverty, high or low, white or
black, but mask of iron, however
thick, could never blind American
justice when black man happens to
be on trial. Indeed, color is a far
better protection to crime than any
thing else, In certain parts of our
country when any white man wishes
to commit any henious offence he
wisely resorts to burnt cork and
blackens his face and goes forth I'M
der the similitude of a negro. When
the deed is done little soap and wa
ter destroys his identity and he goes
unwhipt of Justice Some. negro is
at once suspected and brought before
the victim. of wrong for Identification
and there is never much trouble here
for as, in the eyes of many white
people all negroes look alike, and as
the man arrested and who sits in the
dock in irons is black, he is undoubt-
edly the criminal. A still greater
misfortune to the negro is, that the
press, that engine of omnipotent
power, usually tries him in advance
of the courts and when once his case
is decided in the newspapers it is
easy for its jury to bring in its YER
dict of guilty as indicted.
There is but one destiny, it seems
to me, left for us, and that is to make
ourselves and to be made by others,
a part of the American people in ev-
cry sense of the word assimilation,
not isolation is our true policy and
our natural destiny. Unifcation for
US is life. Separation is death. We
cannot afford to set up for ourselves
political creed apart from the rest
of our fellow citizens. Our own in
terests will be best subserved by
a generous care for the interests
of the nation at large. All the
political, social, and literary forces
around us tend to unifcation. |
am the more inclined to accept
this solution, because l have
seen the steps already taken in that
direction The American people have
their prejudices but they have other
r.,,o1;f;oe, nc ,,.oII UJ1.a.- s..s.:I r..