Year: 1876

though narrow minded bigots, the lat


ter as mercenary knaves who had en-
listed under their coIors for the plum,
der, after abolitionism had become


popular and all powerful in the north


Mr.. Stenger of Pennsylvania. IN hil


speech on the Frcedmans Saving.


bank fraud expresses the same idea Sc


forcibly that We give the following ex.


tract from it. The speech was made


on the 21st June last in the House Of
Representatives


just here it becomes a duty and a
necessity to draw a line between two


classes of men with whom the freed


men were brought into contact, both


composed of their so-called natu-


raj protectors. The one was animated


by true philanthropy which sought


earnestly, honestly, and faithfully to


protect the interests and promote the


welfare of the freedmen. The efforts


of such men to elevate a race Just re-


leased from bondage appealed to the


noblest sentiments of tile human heart


and elected the warmest sympathy


from and commanded the highest ad-


miration of all good citizens through
7out the Union. They were enthusias-


tically devoted to the cause ofthe freed


men, because they loved liberty FIR It's


own sake. They were irreconcilably


hostile to all distinctions OF caste, aud


hence had never let slip an opprtunity


to strike blow at slavery as it existed


in America. Their motives have long
been misjudged because of the bitter
ness which attended and followed the
'irrepressible conflict" The passions
excited by the war were too violent to
admit, imme diately upon its close, of
justice being done TO many who Waged
an unceasing and unrelenting crusade
against the peculiar Institutions of the
South. But, sir, | am gratifed to be
able to say in my place upon this floor,
In this year which closes the first cen
tury of our nations existence, that,
from my association with many Repre-
sentatives of the southern people in
this body, am satisfied that they not
only rejoice over the fact that slavery
is dead and buried beyond the hope of
resurrection. but they are ready and
willing to do justice to the memories
of men who, in aiming their deadly
blows at its life, were animated by Il
sincere regard for the welfare Of the
bondmen. They can appreciate the
marvellous beauty of the picture drawn
by the poet wherin he represents Abou
Ben Adhem awakening from "a deep
dream of peace and seeing, within
the moonlight in hisroom, IAN angel
writing in a book of gold" the names
of those who loved the Lord"


4And is mine - said Abou. "Nay, not so,'
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But eheerily stiIl: and said,''I pray the,
Write me as one who loves his feilow-men."
The angel wrote, and vanished. The next


night


1t came again, with great wakenina light,
And show the names whom love of God
And, 10 ! Ben Adhem's name led all the


rest.


Some there were, Mr.. Chairman, in
that fierce struggle between brethren,
amid whose agonizing throes was born
the liberty of the slave, who loom up
grandly now. in the light of subsequent
events, as who hated slavery simply
because it contravene1 their sense of
Justice and right between man and |
man, and who sought its destruction |
for no other reason than that they
loved their fellow mem who are held /
in bondage. And toward that class,
the men of the South, so far as | can
ascertain, sentertaia no animosity to-
day.


But there is another class, sir, which /
has been governed by a mock philan-
thropy.. Their conduct has been mark
ed by the vilest hypocrisy. They have |
made broad their phylacteries, prayed |
upon street-corbers, and thanked their
God that they are as other men are.
They have stolen the livery of heaven
to serve the devil in. They have gone
to the freedmen with words of promise |
and hope and encouragement upon
their lips, but with consuming greed |
and avarice in their hearts. They |
have borne these helpless and ignor-
ant people profers of help, while their
minds were busily engaged in schemes !
to rob them. They have solicited /
their confidence as friends, while they
have been devising ways aud means to
plumber them Of their hard earnings. |
They have assumed the garb of teach
ers, while their only mission has been
to learn how to steal from them. They
have gone with the teachings of Christ
in their mouths, while their chief am
bition has been to be of the class of
political carpet baggers, abhorred of
all decent men, or of the class of
whom Christ drove
from the Temple. To-
ward this class, sir, the good people Of
the North as well, entertain an un-
compromising and undying hatred.
They can extend no charity toward
such human vuitures. whose only pur
pose was to cover and devour.


l regret to say that into the clutches
of this latter class did the uneducated,
but coniding freedmen fall.
say confding because their is no race
of men on earth which gives itself up
with such perfect confidence to the
leadership of those whom it trusts.
There is no race that loves with more
ardent affection. The man who has
been slave holder knows and appre
ciates we'll the intensity of the love ofhis
faithful servant for the children COM
mited to his care. We of the North,
Mr.. Chairman, have seen and, / trust
appreciated the love Of the colored
people for our own children. And
these designing men who sought their
own enrichment through the impov-
erishment of the colored man, were
not slow to estimate the advantage Of
securing his childlike confidence.


Of the first class which l have de-
scribed was Charles Sumner. | know,
sir. that the lamp of his life ceased to
burn at time when the cOntumely of
the party, whose standard he had so
often helped to bear to victory, was his
portion; but that was owing to the fact
that he would not permit a change to
come over the spirit of his dream of
pure republican government; because
be would not lend himself to the pros
ecution Of pure republican govern
ment. because he would not lend him
self to the prosecution of scheme OF
personal aggrandizement on which the
Administration had set its heart; be-
cause he would not crook the preg-
nant hinges Of the knee that thrift


might follow fawning. l know that,
owing to misrepresentation, the same
spirit of vindictiveness that ousted


him from the high position which he
filled with so much grace and honor
and dignity in the Senate has also


alienated for a time from him the af-


feetions of the colored people whom he