The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-07
ne.sr. cannon. of jackson County, Marsh

land. having arrived were uuiy fo0eu III .
delegates in this Convention ana TOOK tnei
| seats as such. ss
Gov W. w. HOLDEN rose and addresses
tbe meeting at considerable length. HI
said:
Mn PRESIDENT With your permission viii
take leave to make a few personal observations
The Convention will bear witness that nave no
occupied much time hitherto upon questions
of a personal character; and will not now De
tain them longer than l can help. L lind, sir
that certain vile secessionists and rebels nave
put in circulation an anonymous pamphlcl, tnt
main object of which is to injure me In tile es
timation of nv colored friends here and through
out North Carolina. refer, sir, to pamphlet
issued from press in this City, containing VIVA,
suppose were my sentiments in 1909, In REGARD
to slaves and free persons of color;-eight years
ago, sir 1t is probable an te % Sars not
they find it, do doubt, in the nile OF the ota'a
ard newspaper The views refer to as contained
in the article which is re-publlshed IN the
pamphlet were my views then, in the then con
dition of the country Most certainly, sir, in
this new era, with freedom secured, as result OF
the Union army, to the cOlOred people OF this
and all the other States, they are no longer my
views and my colOred friends know that as far
as am concerned l heartily welcome them to
the freedom which the Union arms have Sc
cured for them. 1 pretend, sir, not to be
either consistent or infallible. He who is consis-
tent during the entire portion of his public life,
and who prides himself on it, is consistent for
the most part in the mistakes OF the past. !
know am not consistent but I know
this,-and I believe my friends of both races
would conccde it to mel am both bold and
honest. 1 have no objection to everybody in
the State reading the pamphlet in question,
and forming on it-lookiug at the country
as it was at that time-their own opinion
One of the views enunciated then, was this
"With this view, as we have just said, we
would recur to primitive times, and would
have the servant and the master worship togeth-
en- around the same family altar and at the same
Church. This is to a considerable extent the
custom in this State but of late, the slaves have
been allowed to assemble in separate churches,
under the care OIL direction of two or three white
persons, and thus carry on their own worship"
| then maintained that the black man and the
white man were alike responsible to the common
Father of us all, and that the slave himself-not
merely the negro not merely the freedman. but
the SaUe-was entitled to sit side by side with
his master and to approach the communion table
under the same circumstances on tn. same floor,
and beneath the same roof. asserted at that day
absolute equality in matters spiritual and in the
presence the one All Seeing and AllJudging
God, between the master and his slave. And
now sir how is it in this new day, when these
enfranc Used laves, these freedmen, the
equals before the law and the equals at the ballot
box and the equals in the jury box. and the
equals in regard to office holding. of the very
gentlemen who assail me ?-how is it, sir, between
these enfrancaised people and those persons who
put out these anonymous prints for the purpose
of iniuring me? Sir, the Editors of the newspaper
at whose office this article first printed and
published, would not merely hesitate lorg
while. but they would scorn to sit on the same
floor and worship the same Gnd with the enfra, |
chised coo-ed people whom see here to-day. |
And tell you further sir, that one of the Editors |
of that very journal during the rebellion, served
in this city cOlored congregation, and depended |
for his bread largely upon the contributions of |
that colored congregation and as soon as the
Federal forces reached Raj Ugh, he like false
shepherd fed and deserted th,m. and the colored |
me of this City know it to be so.
Ny newly enlranchised friends will bear witness
hat was the first public man ~ North Carolina
to declare-as did III the African Church of this
City on tie first day of January, ls67-tor general
qegro suffrage (Appausej
Some five months ago in this city, meeting of
,oored people was held in Capitol Square, and
was addressed by Governor Worth. The people
leald him patiently and respectfully and of er
le had finished Republican spell er was cal ed
lpOn also to address the assembly At the con.
usion of his observations being anxious to |
inow the effect of the Governors speech. he
aled upon the audlence-compo>ed for the most
,art of coored peOple-tO Indicate how they stood
pon the political questions of the day, and it WAS
Ound b. show of hands, thst they all belonged
o the Republican party of North Carolina. ZAP
tause.)
Very soon after that the Capitol Square
7as filled with placards, reading, keep off the
rass!'' Oaughter) This same rebel Governor,
nd these same rebel authorities, who hold their
laces by sufferance and as think, by the mis-
laced federation of Congress,-why, sir, this
anne Governor, in one of his messages, gravely
roposed as the best solution of this question
etween the colored and white races in this State,
nat the entire colored race in North Carolina be
ispersed abroad through the country-driven
ON their homes and sent all through the United
tates. And, sir, that Executive in the patron
nd friend of these gentleman who sneakingly
nd anonymously assai me. | go further and
Ii,c Ex-ant tit-,.TN
letter which he published to the people of this
tate addressed to them probably under an admo-
tion from Gen. SickleS, that they should regis
r their names and put themselves in condition
take advantage OF the reconstruction laws
that very same letter, sir, he gravely and Sc
ously submitted to the people of the State the
Tentative of determination in this State either
the white or black race! Now, sir, he admit
d the possibility that if the white race was not
the black would be- and if
lie black not externinated the white
ould be, and very kindly concluded that if this
as not to be the result, the two races should en-
,ayor to live together in peace and harmony
say that any man who, at this time of dav,
avely suggests the probability or the possibility
war OF races in this country, is unworthy to
even the temporary lead of loyal people
1 have gone far enough in reference tn this
onymous pamphlet, but 1 will say cir that since
DIV. Worth and his followers, including Cows
ance and Grah1m and Others, who in my juds-
emit are less emit led to confidence than som. Of
e original secessionists,-1 say as long as these
ntlemen supposed that there was even a faint
pc of their being able to control and use for
cir own benefit the colored vote of this State,
ev were " hale fellows well met with the col
ed people; but finding that the colored people
ew who their friends were and stuck to the great
,tional Republican party-as soon Is this was
certained, and it Was known that these gentle.
N could not get or make thing out of them pa-
rds appeared, in Capitol Square, .sDon't walk
the grass!" Qaughter.)
New, Sir, l will read you few extracts from a
'rning paper published in this city containing
eport of yesterdays proceedings of this BODY,
de by gentleman who by the courtesy of this
INVENTION, occupies seat on that platform Sir,
der ordinary circumstances. regard for the
otession would prevent me referring to matters of
is kind, but the report is grossly libelous, that
eel it my duty to read it to the meeting.
' The backs and albinos in Council" "The
colored gentlemen rather noisy; "The Rev.
ode, molasses complexioned indi vidual, open.
the meeting with prayer &C., &c. L make
motion IN regard to it. simply pronounce it an
ultlng libel upon this Convention. (Hear,
ar.)
A Delegated move that the Reporter be re-
ested to leave the house.
Mr.. Hoden-I hope the gentleman will with
aw his motion. 1 hope the freedom of the press
II be maintained BY this Convention to the very
'ermost. Let the gentleman report about US
at he pleases, fer We know th no matter what
may say-no matter what any libeler may saw,
cannot do other than exalt and magnify the re-
tation of this body.
esteem it as my best and highest credentials
the favor of the loyal, honest aid virtuous peo
OF this State, that such persons do as all me-
Lefty them, sir, politically, morally and person .
y. can afford to say that a man and a :
htleman, when take cOlpred friend by the
MT band and call him politically and ciylllv