Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-04-24
First WAR; Rspsblican Cluh.

Ciup wa neIo last night At the Naefonol Tne0-
gieal (colored) Institute building, corne: Of
Nv nty IS SQnd and streets; Carter St-war',
c. l. re-, tbe chair, and William H. Ltwis
acting as secretary. In opeuinS the m eting
about BENZ opened ed and With iSs view Of no
| ing thorough canvass Of the wart, and ,raus-
acting business properly, Gen. Howari had
tenderd the hall in which the Meeting was
| then heing held az permanent pisce Of Is :
sembling. He then proceeded to address the
club upon the past conduct of the R-publicaus
of the First Ward, which had leceived thu very
| high compliment from Gen. Howard that they
| bad the best organized club in the District Let
! this high character sill attach TO it AMI let
there be strict watch kept that no lrious
| If there were dis orgaiizers he hoped they
W. uld soon meet with political death.
| Before the adoption Of the min utes a motion
was made by Chas. Syphax, that harpa ftar the
| SECRETARY r, frain from making any report of
| the remarks made during the meetings which
| may be held, and that so much of the proceed
lngs OF the last me ting as did not pertain to
actual business De stricken out. The secretary
| disclaimed having elaborated his report of the
prOcet dIDgs OF the last meeting from any SIMS
ter motive, but had merely done so because be-
understood II to be the wish of majority of the
cItiDfns OF the ward that he should. John f.
Cook, coioTed, thought the secretary had don .
perfectly right. There was no newspaper re-
porter present al the last me ting of the CLUB.
aud therefore 1t was proper, on the part of the
S. cTetarys TO let the absentees know what was
at that tune said and done. The motion of Mr..
ed. A motion of Vim. Syphax, colored, that
all Republicans of the First Ward, whether
members Of the club or not be invited 10 par
ucipate In the meeting, excited considerable
discussion; after which the motion was laid
on the table, and subsequently, an invitation
was extended to all present who wished to do
so TO come forward and sign the roll
William Syphax desired to ask some expla-
nation OF the President with regard to a certain
preamble and resolutions which had been cir
culated about the city, and which purported
10 nave been unanimously adOptad al a
meeting of the First Ward Republican Club
Here the creates. confusion ensued, and over
hall the house joined in the most boisterous in
corruption. The Secretary got the floor, and
persistentiy demanded to be heard. Mr. Sy-
pbax and the Secretary both held the floor till
compelled by the President to sit down. who
afterwards administered a rebuke 10 his assis
tant, and remarked that be could rot permit
the secretary to act as President also One
mem m per moved that the Secretary be requested
to resign, and another moved that he be i'm
peached. lLaughter] John +. Cook, colored
from the Campaign Committee, submitted a
number of names TO act as q block committee to
secure the attendance of voters at the polls on
election day; approved. Mr.. Syphax again
arose and renewed his inQu with reference
70 the long resolutions said to have been passed
at meeting OF the club. He wished to know
at what meeting was these resolutions adopted
ard by whose authority were they printed
The Chair replied that he could not say by
meeting held at Bethany Church the resolu-
tons In question were read and rushed through
at railroad speed Mr. Henderson, colored was
present at that meeting, and did not see any
railroad there.
Considerable confusion followed, which was
Kept up for some time, till fiaaily, by dint OF
perseverance, the Chair restored partial order;
Wben, on motion, William Syphax was given
ten minutes in which to make his remarks
Mr.. Syphax having been granted ten nutes,
then read that resolution of the series which
instructed the representatives of the two boards
OF the City Councils to disregard all applica-
tions for appointments from the First Ward
unless the person applying presents a recon-
mendation from the First Ward Republican
Club, winch recommendation shall be accom-.
panied with resolution passed by majority
OF the club then assembled, declaring such per.
son the choice of the First Ward for such posi-
uon as may De named IN the recommendation"
To that portion of the resolution which in.
strueted the two boards to disregard all appIi.
catons unless recommended by the club, he
utterly dissented. 1t was an attempt to make
slaves of men whose positions should give
them an honorable character, and deg aiding to
every instinct OF independence and republican
noer y. While IN favor of just and eQ ual dis
ulbutIon OF all public positions among the peo-
PIE, yet he was opposed to exacting from repre-
sentauVes In dNance any pledges TO disregard
tne opinions and wishes Of those who did not
happen 10 be members OF the club. 1t was well
known that he had been an earnest advocate of
obtaining from Congress the right of suffrage
ior the colored people; but still it had
never been his Intention or belief thai this
privilege won Id also give them the right to so
lar trammel the action of their representatives
as TO compel them TO disregard the wishes of
others who had bestowed their suffrage unon
him. The Republicans Of this ward were not
prepared TO recognize the fe w men who COM
posed this CLUB as their political masters: and
IN his opinion any man who would be willing
10 accept position at the hands of the people
under such restrictions as were proposed in
the resolutions could never be elected from
the ward. In conclusion, Mr.. Syphax de-
nounced the principle laid down in the reso.
H. II as tyrannical and disorganiZinp in its
haracter, and the assertion that the resolutions
mad been adopted unanimously was absolutely
laIse, for the meeting was an insignificant one
ana there We're loud demonstrations against
Their passage. No such doctrines would ever
receive the sanction Of the citizens of Washing
Ton. Robert Peyton, eolored, wished to know
II II was not the privilege of the club TO PASS
such resolutions. He believed it was. and
tneTe Wire not more than two or three men
kicking against the principle. Rob't Thomp-
son, coiored, considered himself as The party
Specially addressed by Mr.. Syphax. and per
mission being given, proceeded to reply. As
regards the questions which had been pro-
pounded, he would say that the printing bad
no' 0esp ordered by the club but it was no
falsehOed that they had been adopted by the
organization. There had been SO much talk as
TO the character of the resolutions that in order
to have them understood, it was thought best to
have Them printed. The printing had been
PAID for without stealing the money rud not a
cent had been collected from thos who CD.
posed them. He then proceeded to sustain the
resolutions, and defended them from the charge
position TO the principle laid down that tde
colored man should have hts share OF public
benefits, and believed the whole secret of the
opposition was that they thought it was too
much assumption for negroes to attempt to as
sert who shall hold Office. 1t had been limited
that sumo Of the disaffected would go to the
Democratic party if the resolutions were in
sisted on. Well, let them 60; but he would ask
what would be gained thereby In that event
all that would be said by the Democrats would
be that they were intelligent negroes Let them
90 to the people. Andrew johnson went to the
people, and in few days he would be sunk
into the deepest degradation. Voclferous ap-
plause followed Mr.. Thompson's remarks, and
simultaneous Herewith the President, who had
been annoyed by the Secretary leaning over
him, exclaimed, SGet outt' which was re-
sponded to by one of the audience, al move
that the President get out" VIM Syphax
again obtained the fcor, and amid loud cries
of ''order," est down." &c, was heard to
say that the resolutions bore a falsehood on
tbeg Zee, and only emanated from the new
corners In the city. The chair appealed to the
audience not TO disgrace themselves, as there
werT white gentlemen and reporters present.
y0ce.-"We don't care if there are white
gentlemen here" Mr.. John f. Cook asserted
that the resolutions about which there was so
much fuss had been loudly adopted. William
Syphax.-"lts not so, and you'll be remem-
bered for your conduct" Soon after Mr..
Syphax started to leave the hall, but on reach.
lug the seat of Cook, an excited wrangle en-
sued, which caused quite a commo,ion IN the
room. At this juncture Henry Heimburg, for
the twentieth time, essayed to speak, but there
was a general disin clination to hear him: