Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-08-06
THE COLORED CONVENTION.
Interesting Days Proceedings.
Speeches, Resolutions, Sc, sc.

Ia accordance with call issued some
weeks since, the Northwestern Colored
Emigration Society, convened mt Dun
bars Hall in this city, on the I'd inst.
The attendance, though not large, was
very satisfactory in its proportions. Be
sides the coiored gentlemen who spoke,
were Messrs Corr, COCHRAN and WISE,
of this city.
Throughout the whole of the proceed
incs laudable desire Cor mental and so
cial advancement was manifested by the
members of the association, and an I'M
wavering purpose expressed to fight for
the great objects in view with all the lie
gitimate weapons which could he effectu-
ally welded.
The convention was called to order at
10 A. NJ. by Mr.. J. B. Books of this
city. A prayer by Rev. JAS. COCHRAN
was followed by music by the band.
Mr.. A. J. OvERALLs, of Hastings, was
then elected TO the chair, and at once in
troducel Mr.. Cochran, who made a
short and pithy speech which we regret
being unable TO hear.
After more music by the band, Mr.. J.
B. Brooks, a leading spirit among his
people, was introduced and addressed
the meeting as follows:
| FELLOW CITIZENS: 1t is with great reluc-
/ lance that L lse to address you on this o.
/ casion. The coma emoration of the day re-
yeals more happiness to the Philippians than
| all the DAYS in the year. This first of August
| that has so long been celebrated by so many
thousands OF cOlored people in this country,
! and also in Hayti A great many think our
emancipation far eclipses the emancipation of
/ Hayti But fail I o see it i'm that light. Yet
! our emancipation cost great deal OF blood
on both sides and was very miraculous. Yet
/ if YOU carefully study the history of emanci-
| patton in the West Indies, and also the his
| Iory of the past Rebellion, and he or she
viii say at once that the emancipation of
Hayti stands ahead of all emancipations that
| that have ever taken place among the colOred
| people. While our emancipation was partial
The emancipation of the West India Islands
was universal. The day that Gen. Touissant
| l. Overture rode triumphantly into Gays af
/ ter long struggle for freedOm-dashing IN
pieces the armies of the English and the
/ French-surrounded by hundreds of noble
warriors, and greeted on all sides with enthu-
siastis Joy. II e had conquered his enemies.
| Now he goes to work TO establish order aud
peace, and to encourage industry and educa-
| ton. 4 noble man lac was. You talk about
/ smart men, where is his competitor Bona
| parte himself was baffied and put to flight by
him. He was the Cromwell of the blacks
And the beauty of it is, all this was accom-
| plished by negro slave,
My friends there are great many of our
white citizens that are preiudiced against the
black man. II any colored man shows signs
of smartness, and aspircs TO be man among
men, the cry is started at once that the negro
is getting above his business. Gentlemen,
such talk and such news are like slavery it
must die beneath the hammer of Justice.
can say, without fear of contradiction,
that the first glimmering of civilization came
from the dark-skinned race of the world
Explorers of the world. as they have pene-
trated to the elevated planes of interior Afri-
ca have found there the traces of an aborigi-
nal and peculiar civilization, they have found
villages entirely excluded from all contact
with outside civilization, where The metals
have been mined and wOked by cunning ar
titcers from an immemorial age. The reve-
lations of history and the investigations of
science show that the first dawning of civili-
cation was found amid the Hametic or negro
race. The very first step toward civilization
is TO teach the individual the relation he sus-
tains to God and himself. There he learns
the truths that are written that man shall
live by the sweat of his brow There he
learns that man shall eat bread until he returns
to the dust. This the Ethiopian well under
stood before the Anglo Saxon knew what
civilization was. From the account of Capt
Grants exploring Africa We learn that along
the shores of lakes Victoria and Nyanza, he
found among the African tribes, a parchment
written in Hebrew. There they perform all
the ceremonies of worship according to the
custom of the ancient Jews. What is this but
a knowledge OF the great God who rules the
universe
l have somewhat depressed from the point
in order to draw your minds out on the facts
that are recorded in history. This great war
rior of the blacks, after all his hard fighting,
/ was at last taken by craft, and died an exile
in the cells of France, of starvation. Some
of you may ask How is this when France.
England and Spain, all fought with him and
could not take him ? My reply is this He
was like great many of his race, and we are
like him. We are easy to believe everything
N AhN INpHlC " tcii uSs I1G was
! capture by the soft and lying words of Gen
( Brunei. All, listen at the words of the Hero
Is he was about o set sail for France As
he gazed upon the mountains of Hayti-
Where he had fought so many hard battle
/ whore he had seen so many of his fellow ser
wants whipped and mangled by the slave
master. Where he had been successful in
battle those places would be seen no more by
his eyes. His thoughts flew at lightning
speed up TO the God of heaven ard it was
then he repeated those prophetic words "The
justice of heaven will aVenge my cause |"
/ And his cause was avenged. As the boat was
/ about to start, he exclaimed They have
/ only feled the trunk of the tree of freedom
of the blacks Branches will sprout, for the
roots are numerous and deep" Oh, noble
| man rest thou until the prophecy is fulfilled
which says " Ethiopia shall again stretch
| forth her hands,
am thankful TO know that Hayti stands
to-day rs free and independent republic,
recognized as such by the civilized world.
Its PEOPLE are making rapid strides in educa-
ton and also in agricultural pursuits.
From such noble acts and unfiinching
courage of the blacks, were the means OBJ
tanned for setting on fire the hearts of those
white people who believed that the black
man did possess rights which white men were
bound to respect. Those noble men, actuated
by the grand principle laid down by our
Lord, IS Do unto others as you would that
others shoHld do unto you" were wickedly