The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-06-15
TnE SUNDAY SCHOOL PsC4NIC.
The following relatiyetosthe Sunday
School Picnic we clip from tho last
Albany Journal.

Deen exclusively hetu Ht tue service OF both sexes
of the Caucasian, race. We are requested TO say
that when tho colorod part of tho procession en-
tered the hall, they were assigned seats about tho
fourth tier back from tho proscenium. When the
house was becoming crowded In rear, they re-
moved and were assigned q seat next the railing.
When tho crowd became dense, aud the aislcs were
filed with ladies and others who were standing,
on elderly eolored man sitting next the aisle, with
the instincts of a perfect gentleman, arose aud
rendered his scat at once, and motloncd 10 his
friends to do the same-which they oil did stimuli
tancously, and stood by tho railing OF leaning upon
it till the close of tho exercises. We believe this
to be the true state Of the case for, whatever the
enemies Of the colored people may say OF them.
they are seldom or never charged with a disregard
of good manners-ospeeially the class who form ed
n part of that excursion"
We have n word or two to say in
reply. Il Is admitted, blythe Journal.
that "colored men"-whom the Ore
CONAN calls "chiLdren"-did accom-
pany the Sabbath School excursion
from Salem. 1t Is admitted that they
formed 'part of the procession ~ it is
admitted that they ''entered the halls"
it is also admitted that they were
finally assigned a seat next the rail
ing" We say all this is admitted by
our Hneighbor. But he makes another
statement which We did not make,
viz: that "when the crowd became
dense, and the aisles were filed with
ladies and others who were standing,
an elderly colored man, sitting next
the AISLE" gave up his seat, and that
his sable brethren did likewise. We
did not see this part of the transac-
ton, and therefore shall not dispute
it /; but we are quite sure that they
did not do this until neal the close of
the proceedings. When we last saw
them they were still sitting-ytaking
their ease-while scores Of ladies, of
all ages, were compelled to stand. If
they finally gave up their seats, it on
" proves that they had o sense
and better breeding than the abolition
fools and fanatics from Salem who
placed them in the front seats of "the
proscenium."
But let us examine the Journal ar
ticle still farther. Sometimes a man
may commit n sin of omission; and
such an one is as heinous rs one of
commission. Our neighbor evidently
had all his caution brought into active
service when he penned the above
On one side of him there was a Scylla /;
on the other a Charybdis; and be.
tween the two a maelstrom to engulf
him in its vortex. He evidently does
not yet wish to be considered an advo-
cate of the Social Negro Equality
doctrines of his party. 1t would, he
thinks, be bad policy to advocate it
at present in Linn county, The time
may come. but until that time arrives
it should be deferred. Yet there is an
element here in his party who do be,
lieve in it, and they must be pFopitia-
ted. So our neighbor, while admitting
that the darkies did march in the
PROFESSIONALISM they did occupy
front seats-tries to smooth these ugly
facts over by claiming that one of
them, with the instincts of a perfect
gentleman" finally surrendered his
seat to fair white ladies. Amazing
~politeness! unheaYd Of coRdescension !
Chesterfield and Beau Brummel are
cast into the shade by the superior
eourtiy grace and etiquette of these
lovely sons of Ham! They have the
''instincts of perfect gentlemen" and
they leaned upon "the railing" so
gracefGlly-so bewitchingly-and their
persons were so Adonis-like-that we
wonder they did not capture the hearts
of some Of the white ladies then
present
Why did not the Journal denounce
the entire transaction? Why not do
nounce the social affront to Albany,
perpetrated by the Radical leaders of
Marion county? Why attempt to
palliate it? Simply because the fat
has gone forth, from the leading Rad
icals throughout the Union, that the
negro shall be placed upon ap equality
with the white man in every particu-
lar-legally, politically and socially.
We ask conservative Republicans il
they approve this doctrine. You may
possibly believe that the negro should
be free -but do you think he should
occupy the same social position with
yourself? Do you believe in the So
ciaI Equality plank of the Radical
party?
We say in conclusion that we cen
sure nc n in Albany. We do not,
in manner whatever, hold the Sheriff,
any marshal, or any committeeman of
Albany, responsible for the gross social
affront deliberately planned and per-
petrated by the Salem Radical wire
pullers. Under the circumstances our
community could not have done differ
emily from what they did without Gre
ating a disturbance, and without in
curing the charge of inhospitality.
sarMt &#s