Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-11-05
COiored Labor COnrentiOn in
GeOr0id. 10

lng> OF tnlS convention, hctu III ssc Si'y
of Macon, the 10th of October. 1t appears
to US to he the most promising move,
since the war, for that disturbed State.
Last winter \ iew, co!ored men, fairly
elected to tie Legislature. who had. in
their tolerance, admitted white rebels TO
seats TO whichthey were ques,ionably en-
titled. were ousted from their own seats
bv the ,ipers which thes had warmed I'M
TO life. Discussions arose among republt'
cans. violence ran wild, and the prospect
for good government and law and order
was anything but promising. But now
We see Convention OF colored men mum.
beriug too handNcd and hirty-tro, with
but one white delegate, deliberiting in
Convention with the utmost propriety,
and good sense. According to the tcsti.
monv of the Atlanta Constitution, demo-
cratic, The proceedings we've very well
conducted. The order WAS excellent the
members kept their seals, the presiding
officer seemed to know parliamentary
law very well, and was impartial. The
truth is. we have seen dclibcrativc bodies
of white men conducted worse.
jeff Long, a straw-colored. sharp
l,-oking. well dressed negro, seemed the
ruling spirit"
BY the reports Of the Committees, ii is
evident that the Convention WAS compos-
ed OF sensible and able men. and none but
colored men were on Committees 1t is
said that neatly all were well dressed,
and that they represented the colorcd men
of the whule State
III. report OF the Committee On Edu.
cation j, 81 credilablc and readable. We
give it entire 1t i the work at Il colarcd
mau. who VA. slave till the close OF the
wal. He i, the President of the Young
Mems Christian Association of Macon,
aud shows what christianity and culture
can do for the black man. II is rs lol-
lows:
The mind Of man is that part which,
more ,han amy other, indicates the near
rotation tina, he >u>taius toward God, the
eroa, source oral knowledge. The past
history ct man has dc, clopcd the fact that
The minds capable of a very high degree
of cultivation. Indeed, the limit 10 which
the human mind i, confined has never.
and, perhaps, never can be aSccrtaincd
by man himself Our Creator. in his own
wise prov idcncc. hats ordained that while
man IS primarily dependent on him for
every thing, even the breath lie inhalcS.
still there j. much that he may do FOR
himself which win. in very large degree
enhance his happiness or misery while
he lives upon the earth Thee i no du-
IS required oruan that yields such m
abundant harye>; of true happiness As the
cultivation 9th mind. Thi, cu,livating
the mind is called education No cduc;,-
ted people can oe ensIarcd; no educated
people can be- robbed of their labor; no
educated people can bc kept in Il helpless
condition, hut willri'c with united voice
and assert their manhood
Your committee beg leave to say that
in their opinion many, il not all ofthe
Disadvantages under which the colorcd
people of Georgia arc today Ilboring,
.iows oat ut their great )e.titu,ion in hi,
respect We know lha, many of them
are doing ever thing in their power TO
acquire "a, education themselves, and to
educate their childlc en- still with the lights
before us We think that much more might
be done, and viii, Ne believe, bc dome, il
our p"np'c can be made to understand the
vast Importance OF this subject to them
selves anil their pos,crily
We have the honor. therefore, To re-
commend tai the members Of this Conyen-
ton, and the people OF Georgia, that in
the future more attention he given 10 this
subject, and that in every ncighborhood
the head. of families. and others interest
eel in the educ alton and elevation ol the
colored race. unite themselves together
for the purpose at establishing schools Tor
themselves and children. The we'll known
maxim, ''Uuited we stand, divided we
fall, holds good with It's in the work of
education. We must work together so
that the strong may help the weak anil
all prosper together. We recommend
that such arrangement be made by this
Convention rs they may deem necessary
to assist the people in securing teachers,
and that 4 committee be appointed to me-
mOrialize the General As ;enbiy of this
State, at its next session. To- at once pass
the necessary laws 10 carry into effect
that part of the Constitution of Georgia
which provides that there shall he pub
lie school law. We would further rG-
commend to Our people to employ no one
To teach ;h,ir children unless they be OF
good moral character, believing Is we do
that it would greatly retard their eleva
ton, morally, TO do so.
Nm. j. WHITE. Chain man.
There is but little To fear in the politics
of the Southern States, where the colored
people are Intelligent enough TO take their
affairs into their own hands us well as
they have done in this case in Georgia.
The Convention indicated the course
of Capt Bryant. against whom some re-
publcans had made charges while he was
chairman of the State Committee.