Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-04-29
A Plea for Justice.

In bis thoughtful address before the
Chase memorial celebration at Washing
ton City, last week, Mr.. Frederick Doug
lass made a convincing and most elo>
quent plea for the colored citizens of the
south. He recountsd in beautiful terms
and with grateful recognition what the
Republican party had accomplished for
the black race, but could not forget that
the work of that party was still iHcom-
plete. 1--WE are yet, as a people" he said,
"enly half tree. The promise of liberty
remains uufulfilled. We stand to-day
only in the twilight of American liberty.
The suubeams of perfect days are still
of the Republican party will not be end
ed until the persons, the property and
the ballot of the colored man shall be as
well protected in every state of the
American Union as are such rights in
the case of the white man"
After portraying in a mastery manner
the great things that had been wrought
for his race through emancipation and
its consequent benefits, he turned to the
blotches still resting upon the nation,
because of its failures in its duties and
obligations towards the freedmen, and
asserted that neither the Constitution of
1889, nor the Constitution as amended
since the war, is the law of the land. so
far as the colored people of the country
are concerned, the Constitution is but
stupeDdOus sham, rope of sand, Dead
Sea apple, fair without and foul within,
keeping the promise to the eye but break
ing it to the heart.
While these are severe words, it cannot
be denied that there is much of plain
truth in them. In the south, justice. has
not been established, and the colored
man is not secure in his rights through
due process of law. Not only are their
rights and liberties at the mercy of the
mob, but mo power is employed by the
government to prevent this lawless vic,
lence." The reader who doubts this
statement, has only to recall, as the last
of long list of cruelties practiced
against weak and oppressed class, the
recent bloody massacre at Carrollton,
Mississippi.
"In any other country" says Mr. Doug
lass, "such frightfnl crime as the Car
rolltOn massacre-in any other country
than this scream would have gone up
from all quarters of the land for the ar
rest and punishment OF these cold-blood-
ed murderers; but, alas! nothing like
this has happened here. Where are the
defenders of the Constitution? What
hand in House or Senate, what voice in
Court or Cabinet is lifted to stay this
tide of violence, blood and barbarism ?"
While it is true that Mr.. Cleveland in
a private way has expressed his disap-
prevail of this last bloody massacre, as
President he has taken no decided steps
to put stop to such infamous butcher
les. Hence this grand representative of
his people asks: He could threaten the
law breakers and marderers of the west
with the sword of the Nation, why not
The south? If it was right to protect
ind defend the Chinese, why not the |
negro? If in the days of slavery the
army could be used to hunt slaves, and
suppress slave instructions, why, in the
lays of liberty. may it not be used to
enforce rights guaranteed by the Consti-
,ution?"
These are questions of Importance to
he American people, and upon their
light settlement will depend the future
rood name and fair fame of the country |
and whether we are to be perpetuated |
ls land of liberty to all the peoples of
he earth.