Year: 1867

Suppose these men were in power now,
what kind of juries would you have to try
you2 / know very well the kind of juries you
would have. Do you think you would sit on |
the juries yourselves9 (Cries of no, nor 4


Now the Republican party, in the alnpli- I
tude of the meaning of this great measure,
means that liberty in its broadest and most /
beautiful sense shall be enjoyed down here,
and that justice and lmpartiality shall be
characteristic of the administration of law
here. We are in favor of having you sit on
juries when it comes your turn to do so.-
That is, let the lots be drawn out of the bag,
and let the names of black men and white
men be put into it without discrimination ON
account of color. loud applause.)


Suppose your judges werefn power now,
and a black man was brought into court and
white man was brought ihto court at the
same timc2 / suppose few men might he
found occasionally who would be ready to do
Justice, but will venture to say, and my ex-
perience in the South since the close of the
rebellion justifes me in saying so, that they
and far between. daughter and cheers.)
Do you expect then that they would give
you schools for the education of your chill
dren2 (No, no) ss,a


THE schools you have at present are in
many cases the same as those which estab
iished in Louisiana. If they are such good
ltrien ds of yours, why is this country now
cursed with the presence of the spirit of
wickedness which will not allow your
schools to stand in safety 2 The old spirit
of slavery is not yet dead. Chats SOY
And you must be careful that the little life
left in it is crushed by your uniting and
standing together in one solid phalanx.


Do these people who now profess such
extreme friendship for you, thank Congress
because it has given you the right of suf
frage2 No; they say they accept the meas
ure, and that is all. They don't welcome it.
There is long difference between welcom-
ing and accepting, for accepting means,
in other words, that they can't see any other
way to get out of it. (Cheers.) 1t
means more than this. 1t means We accept
it, but we do not want it. And they will
have to accept it, for it means something
else 1t means we will have to accept it or
accept the confiscation of our property
We will put them on trial for about ten
years or so. and if in that time. we find they
have become willing to accept the measure
cheerfully, we will admit them into the
church. daughter and cheers.) Did you
hear any OF them express their regret when
that fearful event which plunged the land
into unutterable woe-the death of the mar
tyred Lincoln-took place (No, no. y
Do they take his portrait and hang it in
their parlorsl If they are SO tond of your
freedom and of you, why don't they honor
the memory of the great and good man, who
said like Moses of old, in the presence of
Pharoah Thus saith the Lord, Let
these people CO." loud appause.)


Now look to the future. What you want
is equal and imperisllable freedom. You
want it in all its fullness, beauty and bles-
sedness. You don't want it, if it costs the
life of any one. Ono no.O You don't pro-
pose to trample any one to death. (No, no.)
You simply want to stand up before God in
the light of day, free and untrammelled
men, as honest and good men, (yes, yes,)
and to feel that you enjoy the same rights as
other men, and you don't wish to be abused
or prosecuted, or ostracised because you pos
sess these rights. Chats so. that's so.)
This is your right, as well as it is the right
of any other man. What you want is very
simple, and if were in your place, would
have it, even if the very Heavens were to fall
on my head. (Cheers.) By this, l mean
that would on no consideration allow my
self to be humbugged by certain men, who
are now trying to exhibit a certain kind of
love for you. 1 have no doubt, whatever,
that some of them were very kind masters,
but then, they were masters after all; some
of them may have been very good men, but
they were shareholders, nevertheless. Pro-
longed cheering) You want another thing !;
and would have you give due considers
tion to the great question now before you !;
you want to have granted to your children
the same rights which are granted to the
children of white people. You want tax
imposed by the Legislature of your State
! ON property for the education of your chill
| dren. as we'll as for the education of white
children. You want men in your Legisla-


ture who will do this If your Legislature
is composed of men who have up to this time
denied you education, do you think you
| will have such tax as that2 (No, no)
You want justice in the courts hereafter.
You don't want the courts to be so admin
istered that when you walk into them, both
the judges and jurors will look and sneer at
| you, because as have heard them say, in


Louisiana, a niger is brought into court. y
| (Cheers.) You want court of justice, and
| not court of mockery-not court where
| justice is reduced to mockery. You want
the opportunity of coming in like American
citizens coming in before any judge and
claiming justice. That is your right. Zap
| plause.)
In the future you want no cruel or barba-
rious torture for crimes that have been conf
mitted by white men, White men Offend
ing would not be punished as you would be


under the law. Your backs must hereafter


be free from the seourge and the lash, and


when punishment does come to you, you


want it to come in the same ratio in which


it comes to the white man, for the same Of
fense. To bring about this result, you must


be careful that the officers of the law are


men worthy to be trusted-worthy of your


votes. You want, also, on election days, to


be protected by the authorities-you want


authorities who will protect you in the en-
| joyment of your franchise. When you 60
| up tn vote, YOU don't want mob to trample
you under foot. And remember, you have
| got great future before you, and the whole
future depends upon your first vote. 1t is in
your hands to guard yourselves and your
| rights in the future, and be careful that you
do it. (Cheers) 4


| 1 like that noble sentiment given to US by


Andy johnson. in the first place, in SO many
words, and that is, Loyal men must rule.''
There is meaning in that. He has given


us another sentiment which is, that traitors


must take back seat in the work of recon-
struction," and then, as 1 said before. when


we have good reason to believe that they are


worthy and fit for it, we will take them back
into the church. Cloud applause.)


| I have spoken of the Republican party,