The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-01-11 00:00:00

A DISCUSSION ON THE RIGHT OF
COLOUR.

In a discussion which took place in the Alabama
State Convention on the right of coloured people to
ride in street cars, Mr. M•Leod (black man) spoke as
follows :

On count ob myself, as bein* one of dat committee, I want
to say sumlin. flat committee decided on dat dar question
when I wartit present with them. An.l it is a sayin' oh good
wisdom fiat circumstances does alter cases. And dar will he,
ef die thing is not done passed, what is called by white folks
a tendency to make a distinction on 'count oh cullur, by
common carriers. An' dat aint rite, shoals' We cullud
folks don't 'sactly want soshul equality; hut suppose one oh
dis otirble del'gation should want de company oh a cullud
gelato/in in de same car with him, shy what would happen?
One oh dose conductors would just come 'long and kick him
out—abash! I hope di. Convention will just take a more
serious consideration oh die question, and just hab it riello
passed.

Mr. Green (also a black man, and better known on
the plantation from which he had been sent 1101 " Old
Jim Green") also made a speech. He mid :

I feel interested In li. question. I had travelled a little
on de cars myself, and it is a common thing, gen Imes, for
de round people to be put into a smoking car with drunker. Is
and low white folks If dese distingshuns is taken 'way,
and we are allowed to be 'mong decent white folks, we won't
never be subject to any sueh disgrace. Dist is my reason
wty I support dat dar document.

Mr. Gregory (negro) said :
We hab met beak fords express purpus of doing apiece of
work dat was badly done bob'. Nineteen-twentieths oh de
members of dis Convention hab been sent heah by cullud
men, and it will be a pretty story for dem to carry home to
dare constituwen, s—de men whom dey look to for dare
votes, and to put them in orlbs—de men who to-day is de
berry backbone and sinew oh ,le State of, Alabama— dat dey
hah legislated dose millud gen'imen out oh de berry purpus,
de berry idea, as may say, we hab met beak to do. De idea,
gen'lrnen, is rbliollous, as well as preposterous. Now sir, it is
de custom in de Old World dat cdllud people rides with de
whites iii the same cars, and all de thoroughfares dar is tilled
irrespective of collar, caste, or previous condition. And noone
Is hurt by it, shnah Every one feels as well when he gets out
a, when begot in. I want to know, sir, it de gen'lman from
Montgomery thinks dat he is polluted by sitting alongside
ob Finley, de culled gen'lmen from de same county. And
why loes he think that he would be any more polluted by
sitting in a railroad car or a steamboat alongside oh Finley ?
Cullud ladies is allowed to ride in white cars of dey liab a
white child in dare arms, and white ladies and gen'imen
doesn't feel hurt by it, and doesn't feel at all polluted or
disgraced. Ilow can a white member oh die Convention go
home to hi- back constituwents after liabbing voted to
deprive a blackman from enjoying all de rights dat • white
man is entitled to? how could he ask a black man to poll
• vote for him or to ratify a constitution which didn't give
cuihnl folks equality with de whites in all respecs ? The
berry thing would insult me, sir, to ask me to say dat I am
inferior to any white man. I doesn't feel flat way at all.
.Napoleon on his throne to day is not a better man than
me in my opinion. hut I cannot believe dat dar are
many white folks Man who will vote rigiuMr.Kelfel's amend-
ment.