The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-10-17
COLORED EDUCATIONAL CONVENTION.

|
On motion, the minutes of the previous
session were approved.
On motion, a letter from B. r. Moore, Esq.,,
was read by J. E. O'Hara, which was receiv-
! ed, adopted and ordered to be published
| with the minutes e
Dr.. Brown, Chairman of the Business Com
mittee, having been called away, on account
of his family being sick, the duty of Chair
man devolved on Rev. George A. Rue
On motion, Mr. Ballard was appointed on
the Business Committee. ll
Ex-Gov. w. w. Holden was announced.
]. R. Caswell then invited him to address
the Convention. He was introduced to the
audience by James H. Harris
| Gov. Holden spoke with much plainness and
feeling. He told them that if two years ago
any one had predicted that the colored peo-
| pie would be free, holding Convention like
] this, and would be visited and addressed by
the Governor of the State on their duties
and responsibilities as new people, that
person would have been regarded as want
ing in sanity. He said this to impress upon
| them due sense of their situation. If their
liberty had been assured them in so short
time, with protection by law to their persons
and property, they might we'll look forw ard
| with hope to the future He was glad the
Governor of the State had visited them and
made them speech. 1t would do good
here, and do good among the Northern
people. E .f.
Gov. H. said the father of his country,
| GEORGE WASHINGTON, by his last will and
testament emancipated his slaves; and that
| ABRAHAM LINCOLN, the saviour of his coun-
| try, by the force of circumstances which
must have been shaped by Divine Provi-
| dence, had put his hand to document which
| had liberated four millions of slaves It
would be useless for those who formerly
| owned this race to repine. He believed but
! few did repine. 1t was submitted to as an
event which no human foresight could have
averted. He thought the general good feel
ing between the two races in this State
should be cultivated and strengthened
This was the home of the black man as we'll
as of the white. The two races should mu-
tually sustain each other The black man
needed the knowledge the white man had of
the arts and sciences, and of history and
government. He was also dependent on
the white man for lands and houses
The white race needed the black as aids in
cultivating and improving the country. They
might also be needed to defend the country
against foreign foes. They would be thu
main reliance in some portions of the State
In producing the great staples. The first
care OF the black people should be to pro-
cure homes, no matter how cheap or small
To do this they must be industrious, temper
ate and economical Labor was the first
great consideration. They had no time to
waste at public gatherings should not
congregate in the towns in greater numbers
than might be necessary for business; and
they should avoid all temptations to idleness
and dissipation. The first thing was to get
homes, and the next was while they still la
bored to improve and add to their posses
sions, to educate their children. Education
was good for all races and colors. .Knowl-
edge was power" As general rule, people
were virtuous and useful in proportion as
they were educated, and vicious and useless
in the world when sunk deep in ignorance
Knowledge, like the sun, was for all He
believed thecolored race was capable of much
greater mental improvement than they had
thus far reached. Their memories were GER
tainly very good This might be the result,
to some extent, of their condition of slavery,
in which the memory had been developed by
their habit, as they could not write, of
charging their minds with facts and events.
He had observed that the colored child was
apt to learn. But memory was merely the
common laborer who brought and piled up
the materials; judgment was the builder.
Gov. II. in conclusion, said the true inter
est of the colored race was to cultivate the
/ friendship of the whites and the whites
would also find their true interests in doing
justice to the blacks and in cultivating their
friendship. The colored people were entitled
to all their civil rights, and would have them.
The common government would see to that,
if necessary but he did not believe that such
necessity would arise. He hoped it would
not. South Carolina had just passed law
doing full justice to the colored people in this
respect. No one thought of or proposed
social equality between the two races So
ciety would always take care of itself He
urged the colored people to keep out of poll
tics. 1t was < WEAKNESS 20 the flesh " among
the white people. They had not yet demon
strated their capacity for self-governmeut
and would not, until the Union was restored
and our liberties consolidated on the everlas-
ting rock of Truth and Justice Gov. II.
was not ashamed nor afraid to say, while he
was true to his own race, and looked for
ward with confidence to the mighty destiny
they would accomplish for themselves on this
continent, that he was at the same time the
friend of the colored race He wished them
well. He trusted they would continue to i'm
prove in knowledge and virtue; that they
would abide in peace among the whites, con-
tributing their full share to the stock of ad-
yancement. prosperity, and happiness; and
that they would yet be a people in the earth.
The colored people would always find him
friend and well-wisher, without the slightest
regard to what might be said of him by Of
hce-seekers or demagogues. He had lived
long enough, and seen enough of the world
to know, thar the only true rule was to try to
do right, In all things and under all circum-
stances, without regard to consequences.
/ MIR. j. B. Good of Craven responded.
warmly approving of what Gov. H. had
said. 's Rss' -
Mr.. Bowman of Cumberland next address
ed the Convention, stating that he entertain
ed no party feeling. Also, the Rev. A. Bass,
Messrss j. s. Leary, A. Patcher and others
spoke in appreciation of what ex-Goy. Hol-
den had said :
On motion, a vote of thanks was rendered
to the Ex-Governor, who arose and thanked
the Convention for the manner in which he
was received. -
On motion, a committee were appointed
consisting of Messrs j. R. Caswell Of Wake,
j. H. Good of Craven, w. D. Newsom of
Herttord, James Bowman of Cumberland
and j. 8. Porter of Davidson. 81
The Business Committee, through their
Chairman, Rev. George A.. Rue. reported an
address to the citizens of North Carolina.
On motion, it was adopted.
Mr. Taa RI Horr;,