Year: 1865

United States, say that the black man ought
to have the, elective franchise. If he had
listened to me twenty years ago In the city
of Cincinnati, he would have heard me say
the same thing. Things have worked on
toward that result, and certainly they look
a great deal better now than then. If every
F., body in tlifs city saw things exactly as / see
themI IL they feltas feel, that tits in the
interest Of everybod white and black, tliat
every man should have the same rights be-
fore the law, it would come very soon. But
there is not that agreement. / am not pre-
pared to say-U am no politician and have
nothing to do with politics, and am not in
the councils of the Governmental do not
Il know what it Is prepared to do, or illSdo;
but will only say this, that / believe
there is not member of the Government
who would not be pleased to see suf-
u frage universal; but at the same time / do
not know, because / have no means of
knowing, that Government Is prepared
to say that suffrage shall be universal, But
d this do know, that If you are patient, and
constantly show by your acts that you
merit the right of suffrage, that you can be
safely trusted with the right that
in your bands it will be on the side of order
and liberty, and education and progress,
and be honestly used, can safely say, be-
cause reason on general principles, that
JOu fOb lOu tudy SCI IL NcIJ SUOUs
it may be delayed; cannot tell, because it
is not in my power. If itwere In my power
you would get tilt might be to-day; il ]
might be tomorrow; 1t would not be long.
But that you will have it in the end is just
as sure as it is that you respect yourselves
and respect the rights of all, and do your
very best to show that you are worthy of
it. have no doubt about that and trust
you will show yourselves so worthy and
IuIt H.. al. H.
that every man who has been strongest in
opposition to your rights may become
satisfied of his error and say we have
been mistaken, and it is better that
everybody have the right Of suffrage
than be without it. What want is that you
will make them think so. You cannot by
any misbehavior, but you can by patience
and perseverance in well doing. Now,
, then, if the Government of the United
States taking everything into considera-
tion, does not at once enroll you as citizens
and voters, what isyour duty? To fret and
worry? / think not. If | were in your
case would just go to work and show by
my conduct that the Government of the
United States had made mistake in maxi
ing delay. If you do that-if that mis-
take is made-it will be speedily corrected.
| think it is best for all men-white men
and black men, and brown men if you will 81
make that dlStlnctl0n-that every man VINO q
is honest and every man who is of due age
shall have the right Of suffrage. Because
having it, it seems to me, he will more re-
spect himself, do more work, do more pro- :.
ductive labor, do more to. increase the
wealth of the community, be more respected
by his fellow men-and society composed
ofsuch men is always great Hence, / am in
favor of all having the ballot; but if Gov
ernment should think differently and cir
cumstances delay its action, be calm, labo-


rious, patient, faithful, advise you. 1


think it also your duty. Ordinarily, the


simple performance of duty is SO blessed of


God that men are better off in all respects


in this world by it, But if these results do


not attend the performance OF duty; II a
man carries in his heart the consciousness
that he does what is right in the sight of
God, or what he believes to be right, rem
dering to each his due, Withholding his due
from rione contributing as much as he can
to the general happiness and generalim-
provemenb diffusing as much enjoymentas as
he can in the little sphere of which he is
the center-then with that consciousness
he may go through life as "happy as
king" though he may never be king, and
he may end it in felicity and 60 where there
is an end to those controversies, because
there is one God ard one Father to whom
all his children are equal. [Cheers.l ~