Evening star., 1869-12-10
The National Labor Ceuveution oe
COl0re0 Men.


The resolution of Mr.. T. j. Hayes, of N. c..
asking Congress to recognize the independence
OF Cuba, WIS passed.
Prof. a, VI. Green submitted the following:
That a. s,eg1ton ,s yi. q Se Si Which the
wait on. Hon. S. J. Bowen, Mayor OF Xsshin gtoii.
hs able and earnest address of %eirome to this Tolls
and tor the sympatywith the objects Of this Conve-
MIR. Lewis H. Douglass thought that as the
Mayor had already been thanked by this Con-
vention, this resolution smacked somewhat of
toadyism. and the resolution was laid on the
| table.
Mr.. Rapicr, OF Alabama, from the Homestead
| Committee, submitted q report which looked
towards organization of permanent bureau
| for the purpose of securing homesteads to col
| ored people. Adopted.
Mr.. Aaron II. Powell, editor of the Aati-
4 Sidrery Standard, y. Y, submitted paper de-
4 failing the condition OF the laboring people in
| his State. He contended that what was needed
4 there most was the power behind the throne
| the elective franchise-and recommended the
4 Convention to appeal to Congress to give the
poor laboring classes of the South lands belong
| ing to the Government for their use, as il had
for this purpose. We find to-day all their estates
again in the possession of these rebels. He held
the National Government responsible for this
state of affairs. Northern capital will not go
South because there was no security there for IL.
| southern freed labor must be protected by Gov
ernment. The beginning is here being made.
together and preserve self-control. The colored
! people were improving i'm this respect.
The resolution offered by Mr.. J. A. Warren, of
| Cleveland, Ohio, .'that we include the use OF
tobacco among the great wastes of our resources.
and recommend to all workingmen to practice
economy in this as well as in the of liquors.,
was adopted.
| A committee of one from each State and Ter
ritory delegation was selected by the respective
delegations for the purpose of reporting officer
for the Convention. who subsequently submitted
following President
| Of Maryland Vice President, George T. Down
ing, Of Rhode Island; Secretary. William U.
Saunders, of Nevada; Assistant Secretary, L.
ii. Douglass, of District of Columbia; Treas
urer, Collins Crusor, of Georgetown, ID. c. Ex-
eeutiye Committee-lsaac c. Wears, Pennsylva-
mia; Anthony Bowen, District of Columbia:
John ii. Butler, Maryland; Mrs. VI. A. 5. Carey,
Michigan; j. Booker Hutchins, North Carolina
Hon. c. III. Hamilton, Florida; j. Sella Martin,
Massaehusetts, and George Myers, Maryland.
Considerable debate arose on the announce
ment OF the names read, some expressing them
selves dissatisfied. Mr.. Douglass offered to re-
sign his place as assistant secretary, for the pur
pose OF giving it to some southern man.
The report was finally adopted, and the Con-
ventiOn adjourned.
Ersni,g iSession.-The Convention reassembled
at O'Clock.
AIR. q: " nttters, of the District of Columbia,
Resoired, That the Hon. s. J. Bowen, Mayor of
Washington, has, in acknowledging, the rights of
Kindly eXtenaed municipal Welcome to this oonven
tion in moet eloquent address: therefore
ident and Vice PRESIDENT Of this Convention. % NM be sp
pointed to wait upon the Mayor and ack nowledge
nobly espoused the cause Of humanity and equality
throughout this country;
Senator Sumner, who was expected to adj
dress the Convention, having sent his excuses
for not appearing
Hon. j. II. Rainey, of S. c., was introduced,
and said that he represented constituency that
could not boast of so much intelligence as this
Convention. He regretted that the course pur-
sued here is not of that character that his con-
stituency had expected; that he would not be able
to return home and tell them then of some sys-
TEN which had been devised by this Convention
whereby some of their wants would be satisfied.
They are desirous of knowing from the acts of
this Convention what can be done to give them
justice; they wanted land so that they would
not be obliged to build up another southern
aristocracy. He hoped this Convention would
not break up until some plan was devised
whereby they could obtain justice, and some
action taken that would compel Congress to
take notice of the subject.
Bishop Campbell, OF n J., was introduced,
and said he confessed and plead guilty to the
fact that he belonged to that class of men called
preachers; had been one about thirty years, even
when slavery held sway all over the South,
and when even III the North it was dangerous
to agitate the subject. The cOlored preachers
in those days had to contrive all sorts OF ways
to set the people to thinking Oh this subject
Occasionally they could slip in a word i'm their
sermons. He was sorry TO learn that preachers
were unpopular in this Labor Convention. He
4thsr afs Se ent seeT AL the
the men here who had rubbed their backs
against college wall were avoided; he was
not one of them, but they could not afford
to be separated from the working classes
They should make common cause against COM
mon enemy. Oppression was their enemy. He
had just returned from among the old rebels OF
the South. The poor white families there were
even III a worse condition than the black. The
power that has crushed the black man had not
spared the white. If colored men would work
together with more earnestness, Georgia would
IA voice.-'How about yirginia''l Bishop
Campbell.-'why, the negroes let the rebels
Pull the wool over their eyes there" Laugh
where they are; what if our Moses should get
into the White House again? Where would our
race be? Under our gallant Vicksburg general
devil out of them yet if the colored men will at
the same time stand by the party that has done
30 much for them. He owed the people who
wanted them reconstructed and the devil whip
Ped out of them. A rebel had old him that they
were now overcome but not subdued.
Mr.. Lowry, OF Tennessee, was invited to sing
"JOhn Browns body" which he did, and the
entire audience joined in the chorus.
Mr.. j. X. Rourk, of North Carolina, was next
introduced and addressed the meeting.
Mr.. Lowry, of Tennessee, gave an Interesting
account OF the political affairs of that State,
saying that what the colOred people wanted most
Bishop j. w. Loguen, Of New York, was next
introduced. He said he could go back to his
State rejoicing that he had seen much intelii-
gence cOngregated was here. He was not an
eloquent speaker, but an eloquent worker as
thousands of his color could testify who had
passed over the underground railroad i'm the days
of slavery. He was co-wOrker with old John
Brown, had eat, slept and prayed with
him, but was not at Harper's Ferry with him.
He gave very interesting account of his
u's) escape from slavery when a youth, of his
connection with the underground railroad with
which he had been an active agent. Of his
knowledge of John Brown years ago,
and finally Of his return back again to his native
State-Tennessee-just after the war was over
and the many incidents of his journey there, of
his finding his old mistress alive, and the
changed condition of things there since he had
left.
He kept the attention of the audience for
nearly an hour, reciting the remarkable expert
ence Of his life, detailing very graphically the
manner and language of the cOlOred prople of
the South in the old times, and the Overbearing
and proud style of their masters and mistresses
Mr.. John Watson, of Ohio, also spoke, giving
somewhat similar experience.
Hon. Charles Ii. Porter, of Virginia addressed
the meeting, and after his remarks the COnven-
ton adjourned.
FIFTH DAY.
The Convention was called TO order this
morning by Rev. j. Sella Martin, vice presi-
dent, who opened the meeting with prayer.
On motion af Mr. Harris, the name Of j. B.
Hutchins was stricken from the Executive Com
mittee, and that Of Mr.. &. M. MADISON inserted