Year: 1869

his VIII with tne people ana lnstlullon


Of this continent, and for the proper ex


ercise Of this tremendous power he mus


answer at the tribunal OF posterity, AM


nj the bar of God. If he consents TO lie


race prcjudiccs sway his judgment an'


hinder his arm from doing The great worl
10 which he is called, with love o
liberty and the fear of God. then trul,
shall the sins OF the fathers be vstedupol
the children, and future generations shall
bewail the folly of the father who per
milted the craft of State TO drift int
rapids which inevitably end at the catarac
Of despotism.


Leaving ouL for the present considcra


ion, the proper treatment of the IN ian
the Chinaman, only stopping to say tha
enlightenment and justice are the ap
pliances needed in their case. | shall
proceed to ask: What shall be done witt
the ncgro2 What will YOU do with US
Here we are, five million strong. No
lust coming. rs the Chinese are, but her,
now and firmly seated Here now rs W,
Will be Tor centuries. Notfoolishly fight
ing the rising tide OF civilization, an'
pcrishing before il as the Indian does. .bu
assimiIating ourselves to il, and increas'
inc in number. We live and grow il
spite Of slavery, in spite of ignorance
Not even the doctors or the census tatles
and they arc worse than the cholera car
kill us.


We are told scornfully that it is mol
meet to take the childrcu's bread and
rive to the dogs, but eyenlrom the crumbs
which fall from the great table, where the
sons and daughters of America are fed,
we gather life and strength. We are a
part OF the American people. When
Americans mourn we mourn. When
Americans rejoice we rejoice. We ale
an existing tact, we can't nc ciphered out
Of the way. The American statesman or
economist who forecast the future of this
country and leaves us out of the calcula-
ton will fail woclully in his predictions.
Here VIC are, then. What will We do with
us, We white men of America, ye high
priests OF civilization?


\ few centuries ago the question OF
what should be done with subject rae c,
would be easily answered. The knife,
the faggots and the club would make short
work of them and their questions. Times
and manners arc mildcr. You have tried
to answcrmy question by enslaving US.
From 1920 to 1868 we were your slaves,
bought and sold like the beasts alongside
of (which we toilcd.


The fierce fires Of the civil war have
melted our chains, and we are tree, and
confront you with the old question, What
will YOU do with Us? Your humanity
forbids ourmassacrc the most outrageous
Ku klux. or New York rioter, would
recoil before the task of slaughtering five
millions of men and women.


The rcestablishment of slavery is an
impossibility. These million of menwho
have learned to love liberty, and would
bc ready to use those arms, to preserve
the liberty they love, they cannot be re-
enslaved. Universal massacre is posi-
BILE, but slavery reestablished is impos-
sibe. II YOU suggest that we be sent ont
OF the country, that the general govern
ment be turned into vast colonization
society that our idle war vessels be
turned to use in transporting Us to our
fatherland, wherever that is, then reply
that there are two insuperable difficulties
arises from the fact that we don t want to
20, which, in my opinion. is sufficient to
settle the matter But there is another
difficulty which would probably have
more weight with you, and that is that
YOU don't want Us 10 90. You love us too
well TO part with Us. You love the
millions of dollars which our industry adds
10 the wealth OF the country. The
planter of the South wants us for rlaborers /;
the manufactures of the North wants us
for customers. and neither can spare US.
Our color and features may not be
pleasant to contemplate, but the green
backs we add TO the national wealth are
highly pleasant 10 the sight and 10 the
pocket.


II is astonishing how rapidly the an
.wers to the question narrow themselves
down to one. and that j. the one dictated
by true patriotism. Take us by the hand,
educate Us. raise us 20 the level Of citizen
ship. cast upon us the high responsibilities
of that condition, and you will do the
best thing for us and yourselves. BY our
vices we may be curse 10 our country,
by our virtues we may prove a blessing.
Educate US and YOU double our value TO
the State. Educate us. and you not only
enrich but strengthen the State. 1t was
the common schools OF Prussia which won
the battle of Sadowa. and the confederacy
went downunder the influence OF the COM
mon schools of the North.


Men still talk OF classes that are born
to rule-that they must direct and the
others obey. This may do in peaceful
times. When the ocean is smooth. one
competent man, with the rawest and least
experienced of crews, may manage a
vessel; but when the storm beats high a
trained crew is needed. Such storms
sometimes assail the ship of State, and