The Washington bee., 1888-04-28
Washin gton D. G.
April II, 1888.

APAiA AS3 AOOO'
w. Calvin Chase, Secy. ect.
Dear Sir
In response to your
invitation | have to say it is now
manifest that my public duties will
not allow me to attend the Doth
Anniversary of the Emancipation
of Slaves in the District of Colum-
bia. l regret this as [ am one of
the very few now present in Con-
gress who voted for this great act
of justice and benefcence and l
naturally take an interest in the re,
suits of an event in which | par.
ticipated.
The striking contrast between the
condition of the colored people of
the United States, now and then,
as marked change as is recorded
in history. Then most Of them
were SLAVES, a word the abiect
degradation of which the great body
of your people can now scarcely
appreciate. Those who were free
were deprived of every civil and
political privilege and were treated
as persons having no rights which
a white man was bound to respect.
How marked the change You are
now not only free but invested by
the Constitution with every civil
aud political right conferred upon
any portion of our population.
Though you may not in all places
enjoy these rights and are deprived
in many states and communities OF
the clearest and plainest privileges
of citizens, still these rights are
guaranteed by the Constitution Of
the United States aud will as sure
as time rolls on, be secured to
every one without doubt or ques
ton. To deprive any citizen OF any
light iS tn nndanger all rights of
all citizens. Already a growing
feeling exists among those who
lawleSsly. by fraud and violence,
have deprived you Of your rights
and privileges, OF the danger that
they invoke to themselves and their
children by this notification of the
Constitution. You are growing IN
intelligence, in the acquisition of
property, in moral independans.4
and in all the elements which tena
to make good citizens. You may
be sometimes discouraged by
wrongs without redress, but when
you reflect upon the lasting in
huence OF race prejudice and pass
ion as evlnced in many instances
in the history of other times and
countries, you must feel encouraged
that already in quarter of cen.
tury, by your patience and for
bearance. you now enjoy many
rights cheerfully acquiesced i'll by
all, and your full anu equal rights
and privileges have been secured
and guaranteed for the future in
the most enduring form. You have
a well grounded hope and belief
that the day is not far distant when
the most prejudiced and ignorant
white man will learn enough to
respect and cheerfully yield to you
all the rights and privileges of free
men and, above all, that most
sacred of rights, the right to par
tlcipate in your own government.
Heartily congratulating you upon
this auspicious prospect, and in
the hope that in good time the col
ored population of the United Stat
es will be, by common consent and
universal acquiescence placed on
the same plane of equality in polit.
ical rights and privileges as the
native born or the naturalized cit
Izen, the protestant or the catholic,
the jew or the gentle. all Amer.
lean citizens alike, without discrim-
ination As to race, color or condi-
ton, 1 am,
Very truly yours,
JOHN SHERMAN.