Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-18
His Citizenship Recognized.


ship in the lesser degree Is of necessity the
slave Of him who has it In the larger de-
gree.
His Citizenship Recognized.
The Constitution and laws of our country
recognize the citizenship Of the colored
man. He Is large part Of the productive
energies and public functions of the COM
muntties in which he resides. Under all
cfrcumst anees he Is amenable to the law,
and must perform every duty incident to
citizenship. In case OF war, foreign or do
nestle, he Is subject to draft, and may De
compelled to lay down his life In defense or
the republic. In every crisis of the eoun-
try's history. the colored man has been
loyal to the flag. On every battlefield, from
Lexington to San Juan HILL he has shed
his blood and offered up his life in defense
of his country. Since, then, there Is equal
ity for the colored man In the requirements
Of obedience to the law and OF sacrifice for
the security of the government. should
there not ALSO be equality in the enjoyment
of such civic horDrs as are attainable by
all other citizens Of our common country?
Certainly this is what the war amendments
to the Constitution means BY virtue OF
their enactment the free public school sys-
tenn was established In the south; philan-
thropy was given a motive to assist In the
elevation Of those recently emancipated,
and the colored people were encouraged to
acquire property and to become good cit
liens. Without these amendments these
splendid benefits could not have accrued
either to the colored people or to the coun-
try at large.
Political Platforms
In 1876 all political parties had accepted
these amendments as the final settlement
Of the questions growing out Of the civil
war. The republican party In its platform
of that year made the following declara-
ton: 1.-THE permanent paciication Of the
Il. H. A,
plete protection Of all it's. citizens In the
free enjoyment of all their rights. is duty
to which the republican party stands
sacredly pledged. The power to provide
for the enforcement OF the principles en-
bodied In the recent constitutional amend
mentS invested by those amendments in the
Congress of the United States, and we de-
clare it to be the solemn obligation Of the
legislative and executive departments Of
the government to put into immediate and
vigorous exercise all their constitutional
powers for removing any just causes of
discomfort on the part OF any class, and for
plete liberty and exact equality In the ex-
ercise of all civil, political and public rights.
To this end we impefatively demand Con-
gress and chief executive whose courage
and fidelity to these duties shall not falter
until results are placed beyond dispute OF
recall 8" - -,
The national democratic platform de-
clared: For the democracy Of the whole
the permanence of the federal Union, our
devotion to- the Constitution Of the United
States, with its amendments universally
accepted as a final settlement Of the con-
troversies that engendered civil war and do
here record our steadfast confidence in the
perpetuity- of republican self-governments."
By such declarations the country was led
to believe that the people of all parts Of the
Union accepted these amendments in good
faith and proposed to work out the prob
lens Of their sections In accordance with
their spirit and intent. large element of
the white people of the south accepted the
situation and were willing to work In f1ar-
mony with the requirements of the amend
ments, and 1t is our firm belief that many
of them are now Of the same conviction.
In the Southern States.
The: tfenaecratie party. has had full con-
troll Of the governments Of the southern
states for more than quarter Of a CEN
fury. All their legislation relative to the
colored man has contradicted the solemn
declaration upon which they claimed to
have won "a national victory in 1875 In
several Of the states they have Invested the
coi0red race of the political rights conferred
upon them by the amendments to the fed
eraI Constitution. which they professed to
accept as settlement of the controversies
engendereds by the civil war. Not content
with proper and wholesome safeguards of
the franchise applicable to all classes alike
they have by cunning devices made their
RESTRICTIONS operative only against the ne
gro. EmboIdened by their apparent success
they now demand that the colored man
shall not be deemed eligible to appointment
to office. More than this, their represent
atives are now boldly demanding that your
honorable body shall place its seal Of APP
prevail upon their unjust policy and thus
close 1.-THE door of hope-the door of oppor-
tunity's.s against the colOred men of the
south. When we compare their present-day
attitude with their professions a quarter Of
a century ago 1t Is hard to refrain from i'm
putting to them political bad faith, and we
are forced to give less credenee to their too
oft repeated claim Of being "the negro's
best friend"
Previous Nominations Of Colored Men.
Tie nomination Of a colored man as col
ieeter Of the port is not. exceptional Presi-
dent Harrison appointed, and the Senate
confirmed N. w. Quincy as collector at Ca
weston. Tex. the, second largest port Of
entry. In the south: John II. Deveaux. at
Brunswick, Ca; Robert Smalls at Beau
fort, s. c., and John C. Dancy at VIII
mington, ". c. President Mckinley ap-
pointed, and the Senate confirmed. John II.
Deveaux Collector at Savannah, Ga: Robt
Emans at Beaufort, g.. c., and John c.
Dancy at Wilmington, N. c. All these.
men served fuTlsferms with credit to them
selves and to the satisfaction of the gov.
eminent ~ President Roosevelt has reap
pointed and the, Senate has confirmed
John II. Deveaax; collector at Savannah,
~. = n O. D. g.