Year: 1865

being done, ali those VINO nave been
industrious aud economical arc per-


mittcd to appropriate and enjoy


the products of their own labor -
+ Cheers. This is one Of the great


blessings Of freedom, and hence we


might ask the question and answer
lit by stating that liberty means free.


dom to work and enjoy the products
Of your own labor. You will soon


be mustered out Of tho ranks, 1t ia
for you to establish the great fact that
you are tit and qualified to be free.
Hence freedom is not mere idea,


but is something that exists in fact.


Freedom is not simply the privilege
to live in idleness; liberty docs not
mean simply to resort to the low


saloons and other places of disrepu-
table character. Freedom and lib


erty do not mean that the people
ought to live in licentiousness, but
liberty means simply to be industri-
tous, to be virtuous, TO be upright in


all our dealings and relations with


men; and to those row before me,


members of the First Regiment of
I Colored Volunteers from the District
of Columbia and the Capital of the


United States, / have to say that a
great deal depends upon yourselves.


You must give evidence that you are
competent for the right that the Gov
eminent has. guaranteed to you,--
Henceforth each and all of you must


be measured according to your mer.


IT, If one man is more meritorious
than the other, tn y cannot be equals;


and he is the most exalted that is the
most meritorious without regard TO


color. And the idea Of having a law
passed in the morning that will
b, make awhite man black man before
night, and black man a white man


before day, is absurd. That is net


the standard. 1T is your own con
duct; it is your own merit; it is the


development of your own talents and


of your own intellectual and NOR


al qualities. Let this then be your
course: Adopt a system of morali


ty; abstain from all RIGHTEOUSNESS.


And let me say one thing here, for I


am going to talk plain. l have lived


in a Southern State all my life, and


know what has too often been the
case. There is one thing you should
esteem higher and more supreme


than almost all others; and that is
the solemn contract with all the pen


alties in the association Of married
life. Men and women should alb
stain from those qualities and habits
that too frequently follow war
rnculcate among children and among
your associates, Notwithstanding
you are Just bcck from the army of
tile United StStes, that virtue, that
merit, thatintelliecnC" are the stand
ards to be observed, snu those which
you are determined to hJaictain du-
ring your future lives. This - the
way 10 make white men black al.d
black men white. Cheers. Ee


that is most meritorlous and virtu-


Gus, and intellectual, and uell-in-


formed, must stand highest without


regard to color. 1t is the very basis


upon which Heaven rests Itself


Each individual takes his degree in


tie sublimer and more exalted re-


gions in proportion to his merits and


his virtue. Then l shall say to you


on this occasion in returning to your


homes and fresides, nfter feeling


conscious and proud Of having faith


fully discharged your duty, return


ing with the determination that you


will perform your duty in the future


as you have in the past, abstain from


all those chickering's, and jealousies,


and revengeful feelings which too
often spring up between different
races. There is q great problem be.
fore us, and l may as well allude to
it here in this connection, and that is


whether this race can be incorporated
and mixed with the people OF the
United States, to be made a hsrmo-
NOUS and permanent ingredient in


the population. This is u problem


not yet settled, but we are in the
right line to do so. Slavery raised
its head against the Government, and
the Government raised its strong
arm and struck it TO the ground, SO
that part Of the problem is settled;
the institution of slavery is over
thrown. But another part remains
to be solved, and that is; Can four
millions of people, raised as they
have been with all the prejudices OF
the whites, can they take their places
in the community, and be made to
work harmoniously and pleasantly
in our system' This is problem to


be considered. Are the digestive
} powers OF the American Government
sufficient to receive this element IN
new shape, and digest it, and make
it work healthfully upon the system
that has incorporated itf This is
the question TO he determined, Let
us make the experiment, and make
1t In good faith, IL that cannot be


done, there is another problem before
US, If we have to become = separate
and distinct people although trust
that the system can be made to work
harmepiously, and that the great
problem viii he settled without going


any further, J it should be so that
the two races cannot agree and live
, In peace and prosperity and the laws