5*4 THE NEW DEPABTUBE. 



ness of running their heads against a stone wall. If I were there, 

 I should depart ; and I think it well for them to do it ; and, since 

 they do it, I am not inclined to criticise the manner too severely, 

 nor to judge them too harshly. I have made a rule for some 

 time never to conjure up a bad motive for a good action. They 

 are where they ought not to be ; they propose to depart ; and I 

 think they shoiild. 



Our Ohio friends do not take quite so charitable a view of the 

 New Departure as I do. -They say there was a particularly rough 

 character once, who was noted for violating the 8abbath, among 

 other bad deeds. But finally he became converted, " got religion," 

 and joined the church. All right. One day, a gentleman came 

 along and asked a neighbor of his, " Do you see any great change 

 in IjTokes since he joined the church ? " " O yes, very great ; he used 

 to go out chopping Sunday mornings with his ax swung over his 

 shoulder ; now he carries it under his coat." [Laughter.] Gentlemen, 

 I am very glad that the Democratic party has taken off its shoulder 

 the ax which it has wielded so many years in deadly hostility to the 

 rights of the Colored race. I am glad even if it has put it under its 

 coat ; but I hope it will think better of it and put it back into the 

 wood-hovise, and meet the Blacks with open hands, saying, " We are 

 going to treat each of you just as you shall deserve to be treated, 

 no matter what is the color of your skin." I do believe they mean 

 this — the most of them. I believe they mean hereafter to wear 

 their Democracy somewhat more than skin-deep. At any rate, I 

 shall urge and encourage them to do so. 



Fellow-citizens : I Avould not make too much of this ISTew Depar- 

 ture. I do not imderstand these gentlemen even to profess any 

 penitence for their past warfare against the Equal Rights of Men. 

 I don't understand them even to promise that they will never renew 

 that warfare. I only understand them as pledged to this extent : 

 They admit that the three RepTiblican amendments to the Federal 

 Constitution are now a part of that Constitution, and, while they 

 shall remain there, they must be obeyed. That I understand to be 

 the extent of the New Departure ; and I deem it worth a great deal. 

 So long as they admit that these Amendments are in, I shall feel 

 ]iretty sure that they are not likely to get them out. I shall rest con- 

 tent that the rights of all men, being citizens of the United States, 

 are safe under the guaranties of the Federal Constitution. 



Twenty-five years ago, T stood at the polls of the XTXth Ward 



