Year: 1865

FIeedmen--A rev words OF F0Ou
Advice. ..HH .."Hl'H.r


On the 10th inst. the First Colored


Regiment OF the District of Columbia
marched to tho White House from
their quarters In Washington, and
were received by the President who
addressed them IL will be seen
that President johnson insists that
worth, and not color, shall be made
the test. Of citizenship. The Presi.
dent spoke as follows


AIY FRIENDS: My object in pre-.
senting myself before you on this oc


casion Is SIMPLY to thank YOU, men,
bers of one of the colored regiments
which has been in the service of the
country tJ sustain and carry its ban
ner and triumphantly in every part
of this broad land. / repeat that /
appear before you on the present oc-
casion merely to tender you my
thanks for the compliment you have
paid me on your return home to again
be associated with your friends and
your relations and those you held
Imost sacred and dear. I repeat,
have but little to say, it being unnsu.
al in this Government and in most
other Governments to have colored


troops engaged in their service
You have goue forth, as events have
shown, and served with patience and
endurance in the cause of your coun-
try. This is your country as well as
anybody else's country. [Cheers.
This is the country in which you ex-
lpect to live and in which you should
expect to do something byyour exam
lple in civil life, as you have done in
the field. This country is founded
upon the principles Of equality, and at
the same time the standard by which
persons are to be estimated is accor-
ding to their merit and their worth;
and you have observed, no doubt,
that tor him who does his duty faith
fully and honestly there is always a
Just public judgment that will appre-
ciate ard measure out his proper re-
ward. | know that there is much
well calculated in this Government,
and since tle late rebellion com
menced, to excite the white against
the black and the black sgainst the
white man There are things you
should all understand ard at the
same time prepare yourselves for
what Is before you. Upon the ret1rn
Of peace and the surrender Of the
enemies Of the country, it should be
the duty of every patriot end every
one who calls himself q Christian TO
remember that with the termination
of the war dis resentments should
cease, that angry feelings should sub
side, and that every man should be-
come calm and tranquil, and be pre-
ipared for what is before him. This
is another part ofyour mission. You
have been engaged i'll the effort to
sustain your country in the past but
the future is more important to you
than the period in which YOU have
just been engaged One great ques.
tion has been settled in this Govern
mcnt and that is the question of
slavery. The institution of slavery
made war against the United States,
and the United States has lifted It's
strong arms in vindication of the
Government, and on lifting that arm
and appealing to the God Of battles,
in has been decided that the institu-
tion OF slavery must 20 down
Cheers. This has been done, and
the Goddess of Liberty, in bearing
witness over many of our battle
fields since the struggle commenced,
has made her ioitiest-fight, an, pro


claimed that true liberty has been
established upon more permanent
and enduring basis than before
{Applause. But this is not all; and
as you have paid me the compliment
to call upon me, 1 shall take the priv
ilege OF saying one or two words as
am before you. repeat that it is
NOT all, Now when the sword is re-
turned to the scabbard, when your
arms are reversed and the olive
branch of peace is extended, as l re-
marked before, resentment and re
venge should subside. Then what
is to follow2 You do understand,
no doubt, and if yon do not, you can


not understand too soon, that simple
liberty does not mean the privilege
, of going into the battle, field, or into
the service Of the country rs u sol
dier, IL means other things as we'll;
and now when you have laid down
your arms there are other objects oi


equal Importance before you, Now
q that the Government has triumphant,


ly passed through this mighty rebel
: lion, after the most gigantic battles
: the world ever saw, the problem IL
before you, aud it is best that you


should understand IT. and therefore
: I speak simply and plainly, Will


you now, when you have returned
2 from the army Of the United States
4 and taken the position of the citizen;
}. when you have returned to the ave-
cations of peace, will you give ev-
|, idenee To the world that you are ca
pable and competent to govern your
: seivesS That is what you will have
to do, Liberty ia not q mere idea,
q mere vagary, 1t is an idea, or il


is q reality; and when you come te