The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-09-20
The Last Disguise Cast Aside.

who still doubts that the Radicals are
determined to force Summers universal
negro suffrage and negro equality bill
through at the next session of Congress,
to him especially do we commend pc
rusal of the account Of the equal
Rights Meeting" at Wilmington, Dela,
ware, as reported at length in Forney's
Press of yesterday. The assemblage is
said to have been large, and the special
reporter of the Press eXhausts the vo-
vocabulary in describing the exciting
scenes of the occasion. We make the
following extracts:
Especial Correspondence of the Press
WILMINGTON, September A.
The largest political meeting ever
held in the State of Delaware assembled
yesterday at Wilmington, to demand
the recOgpitiOu bykdaC, OUer oil the cO2DltJy
of the entire equality Of dU american citi-
zens In all ciUU and political riglttS, 10ih-
0ad regard to color, and to appoint dele
gates to Convention of the Border
States, to be held at Baltimore on the
18th instant, to solicit the pdssaqe by
Congress of the Sumner kelley bill estdb-
fishing impartial suffrage throughout
the aChole Union.
The vast assemblage convened in and
overhoWed the large hall Of the Will
mington Institute, and was called to
order at twelve o'clock.
After the appointment of a long list
CT officers, part negroes and part white
men, the Press goes on to say:
A list of hundred delegates to the
coming Convention at Baltimore was
then read by Samuel Bancroft, Jr., Esq,
and unanimously adopted, q third o.
the delegateS chosen being cO{Ored men,
about sjr BnndJ'ed Of aOh0m acere present
at the meeting.
The following resolutions as read by
Mr.. Harrington, were received with
the greatest enthusiasm, and adopted
by acclamatiOn, the whole audience riS-
ing to their feet:
! ReSoLUed, That the theory of our gov
ernment, the claims Of impartial JUS
tice, the equal rights of citizens, and the
loyalty and faithful services OF the col
Ored people, demand that the right o.
Suffrage shall be extended to them IN com
mon aCjth all other loyal citizens and lCt
respectfully petition Congress to confer
and secure this right at the earliest 20ossi-
6le period, by such legislation as they
may deem right and appropriate.
ReSOtUed, That ia the State Of Deld
lUdre there does not erit q Republican
form of government because Of the ercto
sion of q Ldrge number Of her cOIOred citi.
zenS from participation IN the e4OynaeH
and exercise Of political rights, and be.
cause of the gross inequality of repre-
sentatiOn in the Legislature, whereby
less than one halfOf the citizens wield
the power of the State. We hereby
call upon Congress to assure to us the
guarantees of the Constitution OF the
United States in every particular.
ReSOLUe,l, That tCe demand the recOg1li
ton 6y Idl0 Of the entire equality Of dU Il
nlericdn citizens, lCthOlH regard TO color
in all civil and political rights anC
privileges, and the protection and en-
couragement of the Government to en-
able every man to occupy whatevel
position his virtues and intelligence
may qualify him to hold.
John Andrew Jackson Cresswell, O
Maryland, an eX-United States Senator
made long and exceedingly Radica
speech, demanding that the Sumner
Kelley bill be passed at the very begin
ming of the next Session of Congress
He took the ground that no State which
refused the negroes vote or the righ
to hold office could be said to have {
republican form of government, anC
expressed the firm conviction that th'
next Congress would at once pass law
abolishing every distinction betWeel
the races in every State Of the Union
A prominent Radical Congressman
from Pennsylvania followed the blus
tering ngeX-Senator from Maryland. w
give the Press, report Of how he was re
ceived and what he said:
The colored band of Wilmington thel
plaved "Hail to the Chief" when tn
president, amidst perfect storm 0
enthusiasm, introduced Hon. William
d. Kelley, member of Congress from
Philadelphia, the colored portion of th
] audience especially rising to their fee
| and giving nine cheers for the Judge
whom, since his Southern tour, the.
seem to consider their especial spOkes
man in the halls Of Congress.
The Judge said he could Othelp think
ing how rapidly the world does NOV
and how good old John Browns sou
is leading it on. He hoped that som
one of the distinguished delegates jus
appointed TO attend the Border States
Convention would bear to it a messag
from him, viz: that he endorsed ever
word of the admirable resolutions re
ported by his friend General Harring
ton. He saw early in the war shat
was the duty Of the Government to ia
ly all of its citizens around its flag, an
to allow all to peril their lives in its dC
fence. From the beginning of our grea
conflict he saw that an imperilled cOur
try needed the aid of four millions of il
most robust citizens, and felt that tn
Almighty would not allow victory, t
perch upon our banners till we at las
did justice to our American citizens
African descent. And now we need til
political power of these four millions {
people, as we needed their mllltar
power before. Without their aid W
cannot reconstruct single loyal Stat
in the South. Some timea state govern
mentmust be organized there. We cal
notsendWhitem menthere becauset theyC
not want to &C, andifthey did tt ey woul
haadly be welcomed by thelf viii
brethren. But in all those States the
are brave and true men, who q
through the war perilled their lives
gallantly serving their country in the
humble way. But is said these blat
heroes are ignorant. How many OF Il