Year: 1872




this soil of Kentucky, ] ask you, who
are my associates in the great Liberal
movement of the day, to bear testimony
with me to certain truths. First, is it
not true that we desire Government of
Just and equal laws, which shall extend
equal favor and equal protection to
every American citizen? Great ap-
plause, and cries of "That's so." Is
it not true that, while we demand re-
peal of all disfranchisemert, of all pro-
scriptions of Americans because of the
part they bore in the late struggle, We
desire that no man shall be disfran-
chised, that no man shall be prescribed,
but that every man shall stand ON an
equal platform with ourselves? Is not
that the fact? [Cries of Eyes, that's
SOL Is it not true that we have no ex-
pectations, no purposes, no understand
ing, that the rebel debt shall be paid,
or the rebel soldiers pensioned, or the
slaves, emancipated by the result of the
war, paid for. Is it not true that we
have no purpose or expectation or un-
der-tanding that any of these things
shall be done? Great applause, and
cries of "You are right"


Now, fellow-citlzens, / wish to call
your attention to one aspect OF this
struggle which has not yet been present
ed. There is no class of our citizens,
no part of the American people who
have so real and great an interest IN the
success of our movement as the colored
people of this country. for though they
know that we all admit that their rights
are perfectly secured by the Constitu-
tion, and that no one can go back OF
that, it is to their real interests that
those rights shall not be merely accord
ed, but that they shall be cheerfully ac-
corded; that there shall be no opposi-
ton, no objection to their enjoying just
the same political and civil rights that
we do. It is their interest more than
yours or mine that all contention con-
corning black men or white men shall
absolutely cease, that every individual
shall be judged and estimated according
to his worth, with no respect whatever
to color or condition. If our movement
succeeds, there is no party, there is no
considerable faction, really there is no
body left in the field opposing or OBJ
Getting or standing on q common p la :
form of American Nationality. Great
applause. / say, then, that 1t Is their
clear interest that our movement shall
be welcomed and ratified and approved
by the entire American people and yet
it is discouraging fact presented to
us that there rs no other class so gen
orally and SO bitterly opposing Us as
they are. There is no other class, as a
class, who insist SO thoroughly on mis-
apprehending and misrepresenting us.
/ say not this to excite prejudice against
them. They are ignorant, and their ig-
norance is not their own fault, though
it is their and our misfortune. They
are misled, and we are illuminated IN
their ears. Why, have been repeat
edly asked to contradict assertions that
I have been 4 negro trader. Even on
my way to this place, one quadroongirl.
after hearing me speak, said: IL would
like to stick knife into his heart. He
sold nv mother in Richmond, Va"
[Great applause. / can imagine no
reason why lies like that should be told.
I can imagine no reason why good men
and women should not everywhere dis
countenance and refuto then. 1t is, l
say. misfortune of the colored people.
misfortune of our people that they, as
a class, are steeled against us. They
will not hear Us. They do not believe
us. They are told that this movement
is contrivanee to get them enslaved
again, virtually if not absolutely, and
that all the pretensiOns of the Cincin-
natl platform and Baltimore indorse>
ment in favor of equal rights are frauds,
are lies. If this party succeeds, says
Mr.. Wendell Phillips, you must conceal
your property and take care OF your
arms. Now, fellow-citizens, I state
these facts here, not that would have
you think any worse of this misguided
people. / state them because l want
YOU Kentuckians to realize that igno-
rance is public peril; thatyou can not
well afford to have any part of your
people growing up in that dense unac-
auaintance with public order and public
affairs that they can be deceived and
misled IS this people sre. You want to
take care that they shall be educated,
SO that they shall be too wise, too well
informed. to be thus deceived and mis-
guided. Fellow-citizens, if our move
ment shall prevail, as trust it will pre-
vail, we will sweep away all this refuse
of lies in three months. We will say to
the colored men: We proffer you moth
ing except the protection of the laws,
the same for YOU as for Us. You have
your living to earn as well as we. You
will have to use all your abilities, all
your energies, all your facilities, and
make the most of them you can. The
laws do not favor you, but they will
thoroughly protect you, and in three
months if we succeed, the colored peo-
Die will be so disabused that the same
men can never deceivethem again-nev.
er again.


Bot suppose we fail, and we may fail
IA voice, "We are not going to faill''-
Our great danger is this /: If the color.
ed men did not believe that the power
was against us, that the money was
against rs if they did not realize that
the treasury, the army, the one hundred
thousand Office holders were all banded
against us, in force which they be


lieve we cannot overcome, they certainly


would not be SO universally hostile e


us. They think We can not succeed


and they want to be on the winning side


That is a part of it; but they are alst


deluded in regard to our purposes. W.


say we are not your enemies; we WI
not be your oppressors-we will not


though you have done us injustice. W.


v;Jy trv ss well "a we can. to have you