Year: 1871

4 colored men have been found Sc
e competent to discharge the dutie.
, imposed upon them as office-hold
r ers.


l am not disposed to hold thai
: there is not yet even greater things
l to be done by the Republican party
T in recognition of our claims to
| official place. Indeed, 1 am of the


opinion that the Republican party
} owes it to itself, not less than to us


to see to it that some able and eff
J ticient colored man be called to fill
some very prominent and infuen-


tial Federal position. There is no


indisposition on the part of leading


Republicans to do this; nor is there


lack OF ability on the part of the


colored voters of the country to


furnish the man for such place.


Should considerations, which can


not be overcome, make it proper for


us to wait even logger for higher


official recognition, we must not


lose confidence in the Republican


party and its leaders. We must


not suffer any such selfish consider


atiOns rs this to determine our con-


duct. Our obligation to sustain


the Republican party is binding


upon MS as Americans no less than


as colored men.


Were ones duty to support a


party TO depend upon his securing


office or not III its day of power


not even the Republican party


could ever have secured the control


OF the Government. Considera-


tons of patriotism, considerations


OF duty ought and must determine


our action i'll this regard. While it
is true that the essential and funda-
mental ideas of freedom, enfran-
chisement, and suffrage have been
worked into the texture of our
national and State law, the work of
the Republican party is not COM
pleted. Nor are the purposes vet
to he compassed without interest to
tho colored voter.


The work of the Republican par
ty will not be completed till the
liberty and equal rights, the COM
mon privileges and immunities
which belong to us all, are secured
beyond possibility of reversal or !
overthrow.


Its work will not be done till State |,
and National laws are enacted guar
anteeing to all citizens, without re-
gard to color, by the imposition of
heavy penalties for their violation, |
common law rights; nor will it's
work be done till the law against |
ontrages pc cpetrated by the Kuklux
and the bill to enforce the fifteenth
amendment are duly executed.


In order to the enactment and |
execution of such laws, we must |
create through the Republican par
ty, and the instrumentalities fur
nished by it, healthy, regenerated
public sentiment; and to accomplish
this, education, thorough and broad
in regard to our rights and the duty
of our white fellow-citizens every-
where to recognize and respect them
is indispensable


Questions connected with the ma
tlonal currency, the national debt.
the levy and collection of taxes, the
tariff and civil service reform, not
to mention other matters of inter-
est which claim consideration, are
yet to be more fully and thoroughly
discussed and acted upon.


No political organization in our
country is so able to handle these
subjects as the Republican party,
and no citizen ought to be more
profoundly interested in their pro-
per solution and settlement than
the voter of African descent.


Baptized afresh in the spirit of
freedom, let us now, as in the past,
manly purposes with re-
gard to our duty. 1t is well for us
TO remember that our position is
one OF two-fOld character. We are
'colored men" newly emancipated;
We are no less american citizens"
With the usual responsibilities at |
-aching to us. As colored men. we
ire the subjects OF peculiar trials
and duties, as we are and have been
The subjects of peculiar, though not
altogether unnatural, predictions.
Accepting emancipation" as sig
nifying to us the right to, and the
enjoyment of manhood and individ-
lality; ''enfranchisement" as sig
'ifying duty to family no less than
% State ; the ballot as signifying
'he power to rise in social and Off
nal life as rapidly and to position
Is exalted as others, our duty to
cultivate virtue and intelligence as
he real basis of individual and ma
.ional elevation is apparent and
binding. emancipation, en-
ment, and the ballot-are
% us the c,ateria and measure of
iberty-are, indeed, liberty itself
Ind liberty is none other thing than
such opp ortunity to be and to do
Is that neither our countrymen nor
mankind may Justly hold us answer