Whitelaw Reid

Feel rather that, under God, your salvation must come of yourselves.

You need not feel much anxiety about what people say of you.

And while your enemies scatter these predictions, many who are not your enemies fear their fulfillment.

The answer to that question, men and women of color, is with you.

All men are now looking to see whether the prophecies of the enemies of that race will be fulfilled or falsified.

A great race, numbering four millions of souls, has been suddenly enfranchised.

But over all, and through all, the just cause will surely come out triumphant in the end; for a just God is on the throne, and He wills the triumph of justice.

Multitudes of martyrs have perished in this war; the noblest of them all fell but lately by an assassin’s hand; but our great cause has thus far triumphed.

It is a true saying, that, “he who walketh uprightly walketh surely.” The man or the nation that joins hands with justice and truth, and relies steadfastly on God’s providence, is sure to issue from every trial safely and triumphantly.

In my judgment, the safety of nations, as well as of individuals, stands in justice.

I believe the right of the black man to freedom, and security for freedom, as a result of the war, to be incontestible.

And since we all know that natural rights can not be made secure except through political rights, shall not the ballot—the freeman’s weapon in peace—replace the bayonet—the freeman’s weapon in war?