The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1908-05-01
AMERICA.

The response to toast by VIM A.
Crosthwait Attorney-at-Law of this
city, at the banquet recently given
to Hon. W. T. Vernon, Register of
the Treasury of the United States,
and DR.. Booker T. Washington by the
citizens of Nashville at the Spa Cafe:
For him who is imbued with the
spirit of our country's political insti-
tutions and history, America hath
charms to soothe the savage breast"
Though we are once in a while NOR
tilted by the folly of some of our peo-
pie in refusing to sing:
my country tbs Of thee,
Sweet land of liberty"
we are constrained TO throw the
mantle of charity" over them, and
to pray: Father, forgive them; for
the yknow not what they do" For
where else on this planet could we
hope to enjoy the generous measure
of religious and civil liberty which
we, as citizens of the United States
of America, now enjoy? Under what
other system of government could we
expect to come into mans full es-
tate?
But says one: "The Negro must
have flag Of his own, before he will
be respected as man" answer:
The Negro in America has a flag of
his own bought and defended by our
fathers blood. We have a country of
our own, enriched and beautified by
our parents sweat and toll. We have
a constitution of our own, sealed with
our blood in every war of the Nation,
and sanctified by our love and devo-
ton. Our flag is the Stars and
Stripes Our constitution is the Con-
stitution of the United States of
America. Our country is the God
dess of liberty, enlightening the
world" Shame on him who utters
SANDER against her fair fame for she
will yet vindicate her title-"The
land of the free" Her promise of
equality of opportunity is presaged
by our marvellous advent from bond
age to citizenship.
The Declaration of independence is
Gods voice whispering to the con-
science of the Nation. His Word
cannot return unto him void. The
Constitution has squared itself with
the Declaration of Independence.
The laws are squaring themselves
with the Constitution. Here we en-
JOY the inestimable blessings of the
Christian religion. This gift of God
is as free and benefcent to us as to
the most favored in the land. The
sense of His Fatherhood is speedily
bringing to us the consciousness Of
the brotherhood of men. His divine
yoke is fast elevating us to morality
and spiritual light Under the fire Of
His love we are coming out of the
bondage of superstition and error.
Here we possess the unparalleled
riches of the English tongue. We are
not pent up by a provincial dialect.
Our mother tongue is spoken by $780,
100000 human beings. We are thus
placed in direct correspondence with
this vast number of thinking and as
piring men. The masterpieces of lit
elature of all nations of all times
have been translated into our tongue,
enabling us to commune with the
saints, bards aud sages of the world,
and to think and live IN the centuries.
Largeness of contact begets amplitude
of life! What z boon to dwell in
land the keel of whose religion is the
love of justice and whose timbers are
meekness, patience, charity and love!
What a privi,aSY to be a citizen of
country whose organic law is the We
hicle of justice.
Under the imperial aegis of these
two institutions the Negro in America
will work out his destiny. Where
else has the Negro as a class attained
to so exalted a status in religious and
civil life as has the Negro in Amer
lea?
The right of trial by jury is con-
coded to him.
The writ of habeas corpus is avail
able to him.
1t matters not if in practice these
rights are reduced to mere travesty
of justice by hose who administer
the law, still This is no fault of the
system. For the inherent and innate
virtue of our system of government is
impervious to Il e assaults of human
perfidy. l am more solicitous about
our ability to r.r equal to these glo-
rious privileges than l am about the
integrity of our polity.
Our RIGHT tO own DrODerty is a vest