Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-28
EMIGRATION MEETING.
An Adjourned Meeting of the co,ore.,


/ EcODAcs
An adjourned meeting of colored people
was held at the Courthouse last night,
Randall Brown in the chair, and John
Shelton acting as secretary. The object Of
the meeting, which was to take into con-
sideration the propriety of emigrating
to the Western Territories, was stated
by the chairman in a few remarks
Some misunderstanding prevailed among
some Of the negroes as to who were the
proper persons to participate in the meet
| ing. The chairman remarked that only
the friends of the movement were
expected to take part in the
deliberations of the meeting, whereupon
a long discussion followed only portion
of which we were able to hear, 81 there
I was go much confusion and noise in the
hall. Several times there were three or
| four persons trying to speak st che time,
thus causing confusion and ascension to
| prevail in the meeting. After a long
AID continued furore the assembly
was brought to order and a
motion was made and carried to make it
| public meeting. The only speeches that
had any points In them whatever, were
made By an old colored man named
Young and George Carter, the latter op-
posing bitterly the proposition to emigrate
to the West, and rather favoring eoncsD-
trati1n in the South.
| David Watkins offered some resolu-
tiens Disappearing all efforts to induce
any citizen belonging to the lsboring
class to leave the State in the crisis Of
reconstruction and representation, adj
Vislng the colored people to acquire hon.
estly the means Of purchasing for
themselves homes in Tennessee, and
rear their families in virtue, industry,
economy and morality.
After some long speeches had been
made, Randall Brown arose and said that
the reason be was at first not in favor of
making the meeting public, was that he
saw Daniel Watkins in the crowd, and he
was opposed to such men as he walking the
streets living off his people. He had been
Informed by Nelson Walker that Watkins
went North last year to collect some
money for the education Of colored chill
dren in Tennessee, and that he did collect
81 100, of which amount ne only delivered
$500 over TO Peter Lowry, the agent. He
has been there again this year collecting
money for the education Of the poor chill
dren, but has not even made a
report to Peter Lowry or any
body else, and hiss the money in his pock-
ct. The Sunday schools in the North
send money here, and he puts it in his
own pocket. The reason Daniel Watkins
was opposed to the movement Ws5 because
the eolored people were in pen here, and
he wanted them to stay here so that he
could go North and collect money.
On motion the resolutions were laid
upon the table.
Daniel Wadins said, as his character
had been assailed, he wanted to put him.
self Alright before the people. The noise
was SO great that we could not hear all he
said. He remarked that he had been
living in the State for thirty-four years and
his character had never been assaulted
be ore; that he had never been in the peni-
Tertiary for stealing mules, and that he had
never bit any body's lip for saying thsthe
had, (alluding to Randall Browo.) At this
iuncture of his remarks, Brown started to-
wards Watkins and an alteration would
most likely have ensued, had it not ben
for the interference of other parties.
Young, Jr.. who had been trying to de-
uV6E HIS sou spoeCu AOI oSfoldA uOu4Si
then jumped up and spouted forth in an
elegant and fOwery (O speech.
A resolution was then adopted to orr
ganize an emigration society,
Randall Brown offered a resolution
providing for the appointment of a COM
mittee to wait upon the authorities at
Washington and let them know that
there are 10000 cOlored people in the
State Of Tennessee who wish to emigrate
to the southwestern territories; and that
the committee wait upon George Pea
body and ask him to aid them in the
work; and that the proceedings of the
meeting be published in the Washington
Chronicle snd New York Herald. The
resolution was adopted AMI the meeting
adjourned.