Year: 1867

briefly to the language ofthis address. At
ter addressing themselves to the white pe0-
Pile, they speak as follows;


ITO the cOlored portion four population
we say. in good faith that we are their real
friends We have lived together in the
same community, and understand each
other better than those who are unused to
this ASSOCIATION ofinterests That which is
for oHr9good is for yours. That which
benefits us benefits you,


Now in determining this question how
you are going To cast your votes in the fu-
ture, ask yourselves who have been your
friends in the past? ApplHse.l Who
wasit that gave YOU your liberty? y voice
= The Republican party" and applause. ]
Who was il that gave you the right OF suf-
frage? 1.-THE Radicals" On the other
hand, who was il that enslaved you for gen
erations that bought YOU and sold You, that
separated husband and wife, parent and
child? 1.-The Democratic party" When
YOU have answered these questi0nyou will
know how TO vote. [Cries of'Yes,' Yes, .
and enthusiastic applause.


Again. further on the course of this adj
dress they use the following language;


1--WE hope that you will not allow your
selves To be deceived by their false philan-
thropy. lmcaning the Radicals.


I'VE have no interests which are in or
position to yours. We favor your moral
and intellectual culture. and stand ready To
aid voru according to oar means and power,
in the attainment of those means necessary
for the well being of all men,


When was 1t. and how was it, that they
aided YOU in moral and intellectual culture?
When was it that they used their means or
employed their property for the purpose of
giving you education: Shouts of ''never.
never.'l In the slave States they showed
their great desire for your intellectual and
moral culture by prohibiting YOU by law
from learning 10 read or write; by making
il criminal ofense. and in some states IA
Pcniientiary offense To teach a colOred
man. woman or child 10 read or write.
lT~Thats so.'l You must live in peace, on
terms of kindness and justice with these
people: bnt when YOU come to bestow
power. be sure to bestOw it on your loyal
friends. Cries of"We will, we will, and
great applause. If those who have not
been your friends. and who have not been
loyal ask Won for your votes. you must tell
them TO show their faith 10y their works
and YOU must give them time to establish
to your entire satisfaction the SINCERITY of
their repentance. IApplausc. III


Vow. will tell YOU where y&3r true in
/ tercs!s lie. end YOU understand this perhaps
f Just as well rs | do-first. in cGltivating a
+ love and absolute devotion to the Union of
these States. 1t was the Union that gave
YOU liberty. and the Union alone can PFC
serve It, You must encourage and pro
iect immigration from the North. and from
+ Europe. you must encourage all men to
come among YOU; to take up their resi-
dcnce with YOU. They must have absolute
and perfect protection for life, liberty and
property. Above all you must encourage
education. If this generation is able TO do
nothing but to educate their children and
prepare them for their duties in life. il will
Lave done well. The intelligence. the edu-
caticn ofvour children must stand TO them
in place OF capital. in the place OF position,
in the place of worldly advantages. In the
Southern States your late masters own
nearly al the property; hut tic colored
people. by industry, by intelligence and by
enterprise must win for themselves 4 large
portion ofthat property hereafter


i / remarked in the beginning that there
4 was a mysterious providence in all the
events OF this war. Starting out 10 estab-
+ lish slavery and make il perpetual. and with
f the declaration that slavery was To be the
corner stone of the new confederation. it
has resulted in universal liberty and the
acknowledgement of those great truths of
F the Declaration of Independence-that all
men are equal and endowed by their Crea-
tor with certain inalienable rights. and that
among these are life, liberty. and the pur-
suit of happiness. \ war for slavery led to
war against slavery. The attempt TO
make slavery immortal gave it its mortal
wound. The continued disloyalty of the
late rebels after the war was over, led to the
necessity for raising up new loyal pOpu-
f lation that should sustain the Government.
The rejection ofthe constitutional amend
mcnt offered in 1866 as a basis of settlement
to .he rebel States led to universal suffrage
in 1867. lGreat applause


And now the great example which has
been set hy the Congress of the nation in
establishing universal suffrage in the late
rebel States must prevail with all the North
ern States where universal suffrage does
not vet exist When the Congress OF the
nation has given suffrage TO the colored
men Of the plantations. il cannot be refused
TO the far better educated and moSe intelli-
gent colored men of the Northern States.
When the Representatives of the Northern
States have by their votes conferred suffrage
upon the colored men of the Southern
States and of this district. they cannot
deny il TO the small number ofcolored men
in their own midst. The question of uni
versal suffrage in the Northern States,
therefore, can scarcely be considered an
open one Ii will be settled in favor of
equal rights and of equal suffrage in very
short time. Ihave no doubt, IN all the States
of the North. Applause


Let me say TO the cOlored men Of the
District of Columbia that they occupy q
: favored position. They occupy respOn-
: sible position 10 their brethren on the
: plantations. Bear in mind that you
are far better educated here, as a mass. and
that your opportunities of learning are far
superior to those of your brethren on the
plantations. You must labor for their ed
ucation and enlightenment. You must
send your agents among them to Instruct
them in their duties, and to prevent them
from falling prey TO the men who but re-
Gently owned and oppressed them. Ap-
plause. | have no doubt that you intend
to do your duty by them L am glad TO
see the enthusiasm that prevails among the
coiored men of this district and other por-
tiOns of the country. 1t is an augury OF
good results in the future.


do not desire to continue the bitterness
of feeling that now prevails between the
loyal people and those who have been dis
loyal; would that all the wounds Of the
Republic were healed up; but bear in mind
that you are not called upon, neither here
nor anywhere in the South. to show your
{ willingness to forgive the injuries of the
past by elevating your old oppressors to
office. Applause.1 You can show your
willingness to forgive the wrongs that you
have suffered for generations in other ways
and by other means than again elevating
| them to rule over you. ['We won't dc
it,


have already spoken longer that L ex-
) pected to. wish had an address pre-
l pared that was worthy the occasion. The
: great event that you celebrate, your eman-
cipation, must ever be the greatest event
| of your lives, and the dearest to you and