The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-23

and Gentlemen: / thank you for this
privilege and the honor you have shown
me. Abraham Lincoln did one of the grand
est acts man ever did do when he signed
the proclamation which meant the liberia
tion of four million of Gods children from
that damnable bondage OF slavery that sap
ped their life and prostituted their future.
Slavery was born in war centuries ago, and
the white well as the negro race was
race should hold this day in high regard,
and the I'D of September should be con-
sidered by them with as much If not more
gratitude and reverence than that day
which celebrates the signing of the Declara-
ton of independence. When Henry Ward
Beecher was travelling over this country de-
livering address after address in order to
promote the emancipation of the slaves, his
speeches did not seem to give the right
impetus to the movement until he was in
spired by an old colored lady who attended
enc of his meetings. On this occasion he
had pleaded with his hearers and was just
ready to resume his seat, nearly exhausted
with his efforts. when an old coored woman
arose in the back part of the hall and
asked: oh, Mr.. Beecher, is God dead"
This question fired Mr.. Beeeher with a new
eloquence, and this question not only gave
him renewed life for the battle but it gave
impetus to the cause which was soon taken
up by Abraham Lincoln. 1t was not long
after the war until the negroes had a roof
10 shelter them; then their home was sup
Piled with a carpet, then dishes found their
way In, and then furniture; and then and
rot until then, were they soyereigns and
freedmen. No other race whose ancestors
have been held down in bondage for two
centuries has ever made such advances as
has yours. Don't ever forget to celebrate
this day. The interests of the two races
are common. That which is for the benefit
or the white man should also be for the
Denent OF the black man. The members of
your race are Gods children the same as
the members of the white race. We are
members of that grand brotherhood of man
ard our interests are all one in common.
with you on ore common level"
GURLEY BREWERS ADDRESS.
Mr.. Gurley Brewer next spoke as fol-
lows:
II am not insensible of the distinguished
honor shown me in the invitation which
brings be before you on this occasion. AS
l value the honor you do me, through your
invitation, / trust | in some proper sense
appreciate, the dignity and Importance of
the task it imposes. When the pen of the
historian gives to the world the record of a
century, achievements and also writes the
story of sacrifice at Shiloh, Gettysburg and
Bun Run he will have neglected his duty
if he fails to dip his brush in the clear sun
light of Heaven and paint in most glowing
colors that great instrument, the magma
charta of our political and civil liberty--the
proclamation emancipation. Our converting
here is for the purpose of keeping alive the
spirit of gratitude and to ever cherish with
extreme care the memory of Abraham
Lincoln. We will briefly discuss the
facts which led to emancipation and this
brings US to a consideration of the early
colonies and their relation to the inhuman
institution, African slavery. 1t was black
labor that developed the resources of the
colonies. What made cotton king?
What made tobacco rice and sugar the cor
nerstone of Southern prosperity? 1t was
the blood of four millions of chattels. Who
was it that killed the wild beast, cleared
the forest and opened the way for wider
and better civilization? 1t was the tears of
the gray-haired mothers and fathers, and
they should be the first to come and drink
from the cup of liberty. Following this line
we find that the friends Of slavery became
more aggressive in their greed for slave
territory. They want the annexation of
Texas, lawfully or unlawfully; then we have
the Mexican war in the interest Of power
and sin. We now see our glorious country
turned into hunting ground, for when the
poor slave, guided by the north star. would
flee to the region of hope and liberty, the
fugitive slave law, like the laws of Drac0
for, it was written in blood, was enacted
and provided for the return of the poor fug
tive, when he fled to rejoice in liberty-free
TO do right and to worship God. We
cannot pass without rejoicing in the praises
of John Brown. We have cause to admire
the spirit of the old hero when we learn of
his noble conduct while suffering in prison
What grand sight-one hand on the pulse
of his dying son and a gun in the other
See him in the courtroom surrounded by
foes. but calm and dignified. When con-
victed and sentenced to the scaffold to die
the grand old hero said: / do rejoice; yea,
/ do rejoice
Two proclamations were issued by Pres
ident Lincoln. The first on the 22d of Sep
TENDER, 1862. The second was issued
JAN l. 1863. In close succession the
next acts regulating our civil and political
rights were the thirteenth, fourteenth and
fifteenth amendments These bad to be
placed upon the statute books of the United
States before til liberty guaranteed us by
the proclamation was made secure In all
these laws we have a right to the ballot
box, cartridge box and the jury box. :
These laws stand as monument to the
Republican party who created them and
made them a part of the original law of
the land. 1t was the Republican party that
elevated us from chattelhood to manhood.
1t was the Republican party that trans
formed the auction block into schoolhouses
and churches whose spires tower upward
into the silent but eloquent dome of the
heavens. 1t is related of Michael
Angelo that going along the streets of
Rome he espied a rough, unhewn block of
pointing to the stone. He at once had it
brought to his studio and began to chip it
and hack it and to shape it, till finally there
came forth the faultlesS Similitude of an
angel. A similar block of marble was the
negro thirty years ago. He entered upon
the arena of civil and political life, I'M
trained in the science of government and
unnstructed in the ethics of morality and
virtue All the germs of manhood were
crushed in him, but as the rough, pnhewn
marble concealed the angel so did the
chains and letters conceal true manhood
and noble womanhood in the breast of the
negro. Let us ever cherish the
memory of Abraham Lincoln and the glo-
rious principles he represented M
Elder Morton, who next briefly described
the condition of the negro during slavery
and related personal experiences, said that
no one could tell about slavery but those
who had felt it, He said he had been sold
eleven times. In closing he announced that
Rev. O; s. J. Grandson. pastor of the
F'reewill Baptist Church of the Deity and
Rev. James Charleton would begin a ten
days tent missionary meeting at o'clock
this afternoon under the tent used by the
speakers of the evening. There will be two
services daily; at o'clock in the afternoon
and at 1880 o'clock in the evening.
&-0-e-