... And In Thinking Of My Life,

...there Are At The Present Moment Many Colored Men In The Confederate Army...as Real Soldiers, Having Muskets On Their Shoulders, And Bullets In Their Pockets, Ready To Shoot Down Loyal Troops, And Do All That Soldiers May Do To Destroy The Federal Government...there Were Such Soldiers At Manassas And They Are Probably There Still.

What, To The American Slave, Is Your Fourth Of July? I Answer: A Day That Reveals To Him, More Than All Other Days Of The Year, The Gross Injustices And Cruelty To Which He Is The Constant Victim. To Him Your Celebration Is A Sham.

The 4th Of July Is The First Great Fact In Your Nation's History — The Very Ring-bolt In The Chain Of Your Yet Undeveloped Destiny. Pride And Patriotism, Not Less Than Gratitude, Prompt You To Celebrate And To Hold It In Perpetual Remembrance. I Have Said That The Declaration Of Independence Is The Ring-bolt To The Chain Of Your Nation's Destiny; So, Indeed, I Regard It. The Principles Contained In That Instrument Are Saving Principles. Stand By Those Principles, Be True To Them On All Occasions, In All Places, Against All Foes, And At Whatever Cost.

Allow Us The Dignity To Fight For Our Own Freedom

Where Justice Is Denied, Where Poverty Is Enforced, Where Ignorance Prevails, And Where Any One Class Is Made To Feel That Society Is An Organized Conspiracy To Oppress, Rob And Degrade Them, Neither Persons Nor Property Will Be Safe.