Thus time passed on, while the entire colored race all over the land took the deepest interest in the war, calling upon the war department, or sending to the President, whenever there was occasion for the same. A Conference of the Zion A. M. E. Church, at the commencement of the war, sat in Baltimore, at which time a notice was sent forth throughout the nation that ten new cadets, for some military reason or other, were to be brought forward. The Conference here stepped forward, and did the right thing. They drew up a most respectful and patriotic address upon the subject to the President, and asked that three cadets out of those ten should be men of color. The address was then sealed up, and sent to McKinley. At Baltimore, also, under the leadership of Dr. Bryant, a regiment of colored men was organized and drilled in good earnest. At first many of these young volunteers were awkward enough, but we are all awkward in the beginning. So they persevered, and in the course of time became quite proficient; and I have no doubt, had the war lasted, and they had gone to the front, and met the Spaniards in the open field, that they would have whipped them hip and thigh, as other colored troops did later on. The spirit of all our people was most excellent; we were determined to see ourselves righted, and there were none but a few old soreheads that stood in our way. [Illustration: _COLORED SOLDIERS AND MUSICIANS_] While we are getting ready to give the Dons a proper knock-down on his own ground, it may not be amiss to notice the most unusual display of American flags—the "Stars and Stripes"—that was made here all over our beautiful city of Buffalo, where we still reside. At first we thought that "The Queen City of the Lakes," as our city is called, was simply ultra-patriotic, and wanted to be ahead of all our neighbors, but soon all eyes were opened wide at our grand mistake, for we learned that there was hardly a city, town, village or hamlet in the Union where the self-same grand array of "Star-Spangled Banners" did not obtain. It was flags, flags, flags, from one end of the nation to the other—nothing but flags! I think I am safe in saying that in any moderate-sized city of the Union there were ten thousand flags flying at least. And these national emblems of faith, loyalty and love were all sizes, from the smallest to the largest. And not alone upon the broad street did the banners fly, but in all the smaller streets and alleys—away up the narrow and crooked alleys, where the poorer families of both races were found, these self-same beautiful banners fluttered to the breeze, and plainly said, "We are here in defense of our native country! No more oppressive Dons for us! Freedom for Cuba, and for all the world. ’Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, O Long May it Wave!"