New-York tribune., 1868-02-13
ARKANSAS.
SPEECH OF COLORED DELEGATE ~ THE
ARKANSAS CONVENTION.

\
ARKANSAS CONVENTION.
Among the speeches recently made in the
Constitutional Convention OF Arkansas find one by
W. II. Gray negro, aud but recently slave We give
tome extracts;
Now, ssr having stood by the Government and !he
cid flag times OF trouble when the Republic tembitu
with the throes OF ciy war; from center TO
from base 10 cope Sa tn - a9S % IsoT aS o t
body but receive at the hands OF the people OF Aran
nights, as aligned by the Reecpsrdeton acts of Congress
here Sir those rights of citizenship engraed
in tie organic law Of this stste. The gentlemen from
White does not seem to reeognlze he Tact tSt tae pres
ton United states, guaranteeing 10 each state
republican form of government. The gentleman from
s4 %Ai'' The ''is et IAf Is nfS SSut T s have sSe H
sIsed those rights under The constitution i9 all
that time honored instrumentthe Federal Consiitn-
not denied the right of suffrage under the sate
ws account M Of color ~ Il seem rs aSun a fGe meg gentle ns
g lgasI not as hsys On Asn es OnSd 1ne ss 81 6r
mSm oens W VIM ,H9 FOR eyer esro vote registered in
this duplicate it with the vote Of white man
with do not deny Il but % We are not 2 iso
lated If these % $ mea can Vp IN see & NO " dd
sy that the SOOd people pie q M hs state met N n
their condition and prospects and asked simply for
the most remote recognition Of their rights but II was
ynheeded I then said that had an unshaken eontl-
arnee in the eventual justice Ct the American since
then we have crossed the RubeOn as s nstiop, toI,
republican form Of % me must r sSd pS at
We have not these qualifications; they are qualities
that are at least susceptible Of Improvement m mt Ia
Hume, yaDdals and other tribes were laying waste the
snatiDs sad havoc Of your ancestral esatesOur con
diton would compare fayoa6y with that Of LngSno ~
the Island BY the iesoSs Of Cesar when The
Sn Of the people MAS e o better r Nnd ssan S h Si h
scd civilized along the eaRSs R Sa t9s
barSsrGSs rus STATE SesG much OS SeGw s dy te NaR
Dodona and Worshiped the from which they fci
The civilization of tho century Is the products
Intelligence and power and prestige Of great govern
ent men pretend 70 believe mat they are oi
this vast country win rule oooc9 81 @ ntsgea g ANTE
orig TO WORK on the prejudice masses produce
outrage and boodshed; and IL possible, what they pre-
;ssr 50 long We are best minds the
sections whose ceamng swords were seen flashing on
many skirmish line aia in the smoke Of battle. The
s dseon nays a II dssn
Ssnee hssSy ss fsSy
Jcneys Coua aord TO trust my dearest rights III the
Of my rgts and al the same time profess my best
friends, beg respectfully TO decline such frlendship
than slavery, system that strips US Of every
60 the tender merciee Of mob law.
extract and shall be satisfied with the
showing which this speech makes of the capabilities OF
colored man just redeemed from the Slavery
called upon 70 represent his in the exercise Of OF
the highest functions Of Republican citizenship:
characters the pages Of American hlstory-em
DlaZoned it as upon n sgnbOard, and hung IT on the
brows Rocky Mountains This Is the asylum foi
oppressed Of all nations and all people, This is
eordng to the original contract drawn BY those pa
frfotc men Of the Revolution. and believe they
honest when they declared tnat An men are created
equal" believe the hand OF angel guided the per
that those words, and that they were recorded
Heaven. God intends you shall keep the original con
The acting In bad faith by the chldrel OF thos'
good men, has cost the country million lyes-the Howe
intends 20 demand Its fulhimen now ana plant my
npon the Declaration OF Independence and the Coisu
con, defined by the trainers of those documents ant
expounded by the leading OF that period and CLAIM
that they secure rRhte, IL honestly and faithfully
executed Settle once and forever the question o
human rights giving equality before tbs law Then
and not TIL then, viii peace 10 borders. Unit
limits will imm grafton hov to g State that eonn
ues Oppress and crush the laboer Arkansas has re(
ft for years and she s stin comparatively
est With extent Of territory sufficient for nempre
sfretching from Missouri the north to Louisiana
the South from the Cherokee Territory th
where her eastern front looks out the Fathe
Of Waters with internal streams sufficiently nayigab,
the of empire 70 the sea. Tdrt)
years State and not railroad With the name
81 INSTRUMENTATION, except that employed In by
gone Not respectable school house, and her pr
neval forests stu keeping silent guard along her water
and wiyf because her soil was desecTaied b,
fury his affairs and sacrificed his human victims
God has removed the idol and shattered the alfars an
those that opposed It. like tine devotees that cast them
oelyes before the HindoD car OF Juggernant, VIII d
crnshed beneath tho progress OF the age.
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