Year: 1872

dButttltnt.


MIR. Greeley's Speech at Louisville.


Citizens of Louisville, standing on
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 a government
of just and equal laws, which shall ex-
tend equal favor and equal protection
to every American citizen? Applause
and cries of "That's sor"] Is it not
true that while we demand the repeal
of all disfranchisement, of all proscrip-
ton of all Americans because of the
part they bore in our late struggle,
that we desire that no man shall be
disfranchised, that no man shall be
prescribed, but that every man shall
stand on an equal platform with our
selves? Is not that fact? I Cries of
eyes, that's sop Is it not true that
we have no expectations, no purpose,
no understanding that the rebel debt
shall be paid, o1rebel soldiers pension
ed, or the slaves emancipated by the
result of the war paid for? Is it not
true that we have no purpose, or ex-
peetation, or understanding that any
OF those things shall be done? APP
plause, and cries of EsYou are right." y


Now, fellow-eitizens, | wish to call
your attention to an aspect of this
struggle which has not yet been pre-
sented. There is no class Of our citi-
zens, no part of the American people,
who have so real and great an interest
in the success of our government as the
colored people of this country. Though
they know that we all admit their rights
are perfectly secured by the constitu-
tlon, and that no one can 60 back, that
it is still their real interest that their
rights shall not be only accorded, but
that they should be fully accorded j;
that there shall be no opposition, 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 concern
ing black men or white men shall alb
solutely cease; that every individual
shall be judged and estimated accord
ing to his worth, with no respect what
ever to color or condition.


Ii our government succeeds there is
no party, there is no considerable fac
tion, there is really nobody left in the
field opposing or objecting to their
standing on the common platform of
American nationality. Applause. I
say then that it is their clear interest
that our government shall be welcom-
ed and ratified and approved by the
entire American people, and yet it is a
very discouraging fact presented to us
that there is no other class so general
ly and SO bitterly opposing us as they
are. There is no other class, as class,
who insist SO thoroughly or misappre-
hendingly in misrepresenting us. I
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.


| have been repeatedly asked to con-
tradict assertions that I have been a
negro trader. Even on my way to this
place, one quadroon girl on hearing
me speak, said: sI would like to stick
a knife into his heart. He sold nv
mother into Richmond, Virginia.
| Laughter. 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 refute them.


1t ISL say, the misfortune of the
colored people-a misfortune of our
people-that they as class are steel
ed against us. They will not hear us,
they do not believe us. They are told
that this movement is contrivance
to get them enslaved again, virtually,
it not absolutely, and that all the pre-
tensions Of the Cincinnati platform and
the Baltimore endorsement in favor of
equal rights are frauds, are lies. eff
this party succeeds" says Mr.. Wendell
Phillips, ''yoQ must conceal your pro-
perty and take care of your wives"


Now, fellow citizens, I state these
facts here, not that l would have you
think any worse of these misguided
people. | state them because / want
you Kentuckians to realize that igno-
rance is public peril-that you cannot
well afford to have part of your people
growing up in the dense unacquain-
tance with public mem and public af-
fairs-that they can be deceived and
misled as this people are. You must
take care that they shall be educated
so that they shall be too wise, two well
informed to be thus misinformed and
misguided.


Fellow citizens, if our movement
should 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 no
thing 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 faculties, and
make the most of them you can. The
1owr 10 not fovor Uo11 hut fhau vii