Year: 1865

| Tribune. MIR. CHASE SAID:


My FRIENDS / shall comply with the
| invitation of Gen. SaXton to address you a
very few words. 1t is true that have all
ways been the friend of freedom. l have
always desired to see every man, of what
ever complexion, protected in the enjoy


ment of all his natural rights, and to see


every man clothed with every legitimate
means for the protection of those rights
No man, probably, in this country deplores
this war more than myself; perhaps no man
would have made greater sacrifices 10 avert
it. i did not wish to see even the great
good of emancipation obtained at such a


terrible cost. believed that it would come


some time-that by wise and Just admin
| istration of the Federal Government the
time might be hastened-but | never de-
sired to see such a terrible struggle rs we


have passed. never desired to see those


seas of blood and those vast gulfs In which


the treasures of the country have been


sunk, even for this highest good which


could be obtained by no other means. But


in the providence of God the war came;


and as means ofcarrying that war through


to a successful issue l felt it was the duty of
the General Government to respect its nat


ural allies, and knew that the whole col
ored people of the South were loyal. PRO


longed cheers.] And trusted and felt that


if we would succeed in this struggle we


must strike the fetters from the bondmen.


Cheers Such was my counsel In the Cab


met, and when that honored man, whose
death this nation now mOurns in common


with all the lovers of freedom throughout
the world-when that honored man made


up his mind to say that all men in this land


shall be free, no one gave ii q more hearty


sanction and a more emphatic amen than


myself. [Cheers.l Then, when that 9TH


er question arose, "Shall we put arms into


the hands fthe black mani" Inever doubt


ed. If we make them freemen, and


the defense of their freedom is the defense


of this nation, whose duty is it to bear arms,


if not theirs? Cheers Whose duty is it


to take part in this struggle now for free


dom as well as for Union, if it is,nOt their


duty? And how can we expect to succeed
if we do not avail ourselves OF that natural


strength which in this struggle is created


for us by the circumstances in which it is
waged? So, when the Government made
up their mind to call black men to the field,
felt that they did not do it one moment
| too soon, but great many days too late.
| Cheers. And how has the colored man
borne his proper share in this struggle? If


anybody has made sacrifices, he has made


them. If nybody has suffered extreme ill,
! re has suffered it. And the victory being


,yon, and freedom and Union now secure,


who has better right than he to partake OF


the fruits of both? | think the right pecu-


liar and ncontestible-and it is as simple


matter of Justice and right that have adj


vocated it. Ibelieve that the safety of the


nation as well as of individuals, consists in


doing justice. | believe in the truth of that
Scripture which says ''he that walketh up
| rightly walketh surely" That man and
that nation which links himself or itself
| with justice and truth and relies on the
providence of Almighty God Is sure to is


sue safely and triumphantly; it may be that


great struggles have to be gone through,
| great sacrifices made, great trials endured.
great martyrdoms suffered; this war has
| seen its multitudes of martyrs, the last and


noblest of them struck down by the hand of


an assassin a few days ago. Great martyr
doms may yet be endured; but through


them all the right cause will come out in


the end triumphant and sure, tor a just
| God is on the throne and he wills it. In


this issue, Isaid that victory is won, the bat
| tie is over, the army of the Rebellion is
| disbanded, peace returns, and this brings
with it its duties. The country is in


very peculiar condition. A great


race, numbering 100000 is suddenly


brought into freedom. Our country is


looking to see whether the prophecies of
| the enemies of that race will be fulfilled or
| falsified. Itrests upon the men of that race


to say. They say that you will be disor-
| derly, idle, improvident, lazy; that you will


starve rather than work; that wages cannot


tempt you to work: that you will become
disorderly and vagabonds. Your enemies say


that; and agreat many people not your ene-


mics fear 1t. 1t rests with you to show


whether it shall be SO or not. 1t does not


devolve on you, my friends to have too


much anxiety as to what people say of you;


feel in your inmost convictions that your
salvation, under God, rests with yourselves.


If you will, by your honesty, temperance,
industry, faithfulness in all employments,
| by your readiness to work for honest wages,


by your economical savings-if you will lay
| up portion of each weeks earnings in


some Savings Bank for yourselves and fam
| lily in a wet day---if you do everything in
your power to increase the productive re-


sources of the country; If, as'agriculturists
| in agriculture, as mechanics in the mechan-


ic arts; if in this employment and thatem-
| ployment; if in whatsoever your hands
| find to do-you eXcell and have an honest


character, you will save yourselves, and re-
| fleet credit on those who have been your
| friends. God forbid that before die l


shall have to hang my head in shame and


say, Well, expected great deal OF this
4 people-that they could bear freedom, that
! they would be honest and industrious and


orderly, and find that am mistaken; that
| they allowed miserable prejudices to grow


up among them; that they allowed vindic-


tiveness to grow up In their breasts; that


they were pleased when white men were
| overcome; that they were unwilling to take
| their part cheerfullyi In life and improve


their condition. / was western boy, and l


know that labor must be the cardinal law


of our lives! In log cabin of the West we
Jared just as rough and hard as most of you


have to fare, and we had very little of any


kind of capital-nothing to go on but our
/ good wills, patient hearts, and equal oppor-
| tunities for education which every White


boy-thank God-has had In this country,
and all black ones who want it can now


have. Well, upon this capital we went to
| work and came to something, aud now you


can do the same thing If you 60 TO WORK. -
| But if you spend your time in fretting be-
| cause this or that white man has a better


time than you have, or more advantages,
\ and take Short cuts to what you may think
success, then you will be very sadly disap-
| pointed talk frankly and sincerely, rs
| one who has always been your friend. II
| you go to work patiently ana labor faith


fully; hNas soldiers you fight well, as
| preachers you preach well, as carpenters
| you shove your planes we'll and with all
your might and main; If you tillyour fields


as well, and put in as much cotton as you


can; If you work honestly for honest wages
| until you eau afford to hire laborers and
then pay them honest wages too-if you act


thus, the result will be glorious; you need
have no fears for your future. Now, about
| tile elective franchise, Mayor Delaney says
1 that he heard me in the Capitol of The