The colored American., 1902-05-31

In blessings on our head"
yet, we must never forget that, as with
you and your comrades, the battle rests
not more perhaps in the justice of Our
cause than IN our Stalwart rectitude. in
Our ability to enlist in our behalf the
sympathy and active support of those
who by word and by deed are qualified
to aid us.
The cause of the Negro slave was the
cause OF humanity-of liberty it was the
cause of the Republic; for upon the cor
rect solution of that problem rested the
future veal of the Union; and it would
nave been fought to a definite conclusion
regardless of the merits or dement's of
the unhappy victims of the hateful in
Stitutfon; but now that it has been wiped
out OF existence and the question of
slavery expansion, with its attending
evils, once and for all time settled. the
only sure and successful appeal which
we can make to the dominant class In
this country la Our behalf must be predi-
Gated on the immutable principles of ius-
tice and n1ert; otherwise all our appeals
tor sympathy and support will but fall
upon deaf ears. Our course toward sue
cess and consideration in this wonderful
country now lies, methinks. along the
paths OF industry, thrift, education, NOR
allty and usefulness. With these noble
characenSticS pertaining to us as a peo-
pie, We are sure TO bring to our support.
IN every sphere of life, that noble army
OF whrte men and women who are ever
on the alert to reward the worthy and
punish the unworthy. These people or
their ancestors were with us during the
Old anti-siavery contest; and, for the
sake OF Freedom, co-operated with the
Republican party, during its whole he
roic work, IN that behalf. Since the
dawn OF emancipation they have been
giving OF their wealth, of their sons and
daughters, for the education and adj
vancenent of our children, and, rely
upon It, If we but prove worthy of their
effortS-if we do not betray the trust
which they have placed in us-there is
no question of economics or political pol
1ty which can Swerve them from what
they consider to be their duty to the
Negro race in its present dependent con-
dition in the United States
Excepting the right to cast one ballot
and have it honestly counted for the
election of those upon whom devolves
the legislative, judicial and executive
functions of our national and State Gov
ernmentS, there is no function so dear to
the colored American as that of sitting
on jurieS and passing upon the innocence
or guilt of members of his own race, at
least; and upon cases involving property
interests in which a he is party to the
suit. Yet, it must be confessed that, in
the Southern States, this privilege-nay,
right-which has been safeguarded to
the English-speaking people and their de-
5cendantS from the granting of Magma IS
Charta down to the present day, is more
honOred in the breach than the observ-
ance" of it, and we have before US the
condition of ten millions of
citizens of the United States, free men
Tin theory, at leaSt), deprived substan-
of the right of being
ried, even in part, by a jury of their So
cial peers.
In ninety-nine cases out of hundred;
N cases where the life liberty and hap
oineSs of Negro citizens of the United
States are concerned, they are tried be-
lore a jury consisting of a white judge,
/ white jury and white prosecutor; and
n the South it is notoriOuSly true that
he two races never meet on terms of
social recognition, and they are politi-
ally at variance with each other. Until
his defect and gross injustice in the ad-
of the laws of the land is
adically changed, the colored American
an in no sense be termed a free man,
according to the Anglo-Saxon accepta-
ion of the term.
However, let us not be discouraged;
or, by every token of birth, service and