A freeman in a political
sense, is a citizen of unrestricted rights in the state, being eligible
to the highest position known to their civil code. They are the
preferred persons in whom may be invested the highest privileges, and to
whom may be entrusted fundamentally the most sacred rights of the
country; because, having made the greatest investments, they necessarily
have the greatest interests; and consequently, are the safest hands into
which to place so high and sacred a trust. Their interest being the
country's, and the interest of the country being the interest of the
people; therefore, the protection of their own interests necessarily
protects the interests of the whole country and people. It is this
simple but great principle of primitive rights, that forms the
fundamental basis of citizenship in all free countries, and it is upon
this principle, that the rights of the colored man in this country to
citizenship are fixed.
The object of this volume is, to enlighten the minds of a large class of
readers upon a subject with which they are unacquainted, expressed in
comprehensible language, therefore we have studiously avoided using
political and legal phrases, that would serve more to perplex than
inform them.
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