Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-16
FISK UNIVERSITY.
Celebration of Tire Ratification OF
D the Fifteenth Amendments.
Resolutions, speeches. etc.

70 AS.oAsss SP ocSsASss Stcs
| -11z5 II h
The colored people of Nashville and
sprinkle of white persons, assembled al
the Howard Chapel of the Fisk University
last night. The Chapel was crowded Il
Overlooking, and the very best OF order
prevailed. The meeting was called 10 or
der and organized by the appointment Of
j j Cary as Chairman, and Ii S Bennett
as Secrstary.T The exercises commenced
| by singing and reading of the Holy Scrip
lures. George White read the Amend
ment and the Proclamation ratifying the
same and declaring universal suffrage.
The song ''God made all nature free, was
then sung. A Committee of three consist
ing of John Ogden, Nelson Walker and
William Butler, was appointed ON resolu-
tions. Addresses were delivered and es-
says read by pupils of the school that cre-
ated much applause. The Committee re-
ported the following resolutions which
were unanimously adopted.
Whereas, The ancient slave power has
in the providence of God, been broken
in the rebellion that was intended to per-
| petuate it, and the oppressed millions of
American slaves have been emancipated
| by the glorious proclamation of the Ia
mented Abraham Lincoln; and
Whereas, The President and Congress
of the United States moved by the same
divine spirit of progress, have taken up
the matter where the proclamation Of
emancipation left it, and clothed the for
mer slaves with all the rights and privile-
ges Of citizens by the passage and ratifca-
ton Of the Fifteenth Amendment to the
Cd 1F L. Al
fore,
Resolved, l. That we not only recog-
nize in this, tie greGtest act Of the age, the
hand of God, but we, here in this public
manner, tender Him, the Great Ruler of
the Universe, the Lord of Lords, and
King of Kings, our Deliverer, the De-
fender of the poor against their oppressors,
our devout thanks and everlasting praise.
Praise God from whom all blessings
flow, was sung here, congregation rising
Resolved, 2. That we recognize in the
arduous labor and sublime sufferings of
such cid line Abolitionists as Elijah p.
Lovejoy, John Brown, Wendell Phillips,
William Lloyd Garrison, James G.. Birney,
Gerritt Smith, Henry Ward Beeeher and
others, the pioneers in this great work of
emancipation and Acknowledgement, and
that what we are now enjoying is but the
first ripe fruit borne from the seeds of their
early planting.
Resolved 8. That the thirty ninth and
fortieth Congress of the United States are
entitled to the lasting gratitude not only of
our hitherto oppressed people, but CT all
the people of every race, condition and
color, for their un1Inching devotion to the
cause of popular liberty, and for this their
browning act of patriotic zeal in shifting
down a great and powerful wrong, likely TO
exist IN some of the States of this Union in
the shape of civil and political prescrip-
lions on account of race and former condi-
ton of servitude.
Resolved, 1. That we recognize in the
| recent proclamation of our Chief Magis-
| trate, Gen. U. S. Grant, the manly fervor
of the true soldier, statesman and philan-
| throplst, and that we, as representatives OF
| the two principal races alluded to, here ac-
| cept his fatherly counsel and pledge our
selves to profit by it.
Resolved, ,. That in the education of all
the people North and South, irrespective
| OF race or previous condition of servitude
| exists the true secret of harmoniZing an
| tagonizing elements and conflicting inter
ests of the whole people; and that we re-
cognize as prime agencies in our own State
IN this great work the worthy efforts of our
late State Superintendent of Public Instruc-
ton, Gen. John Eaton, Jr, and in Con-
gress, those of our firm and fast friend Col
William +. Prosser.
Resolved, 6. That in view of the bless
| ings of civil and religious freedom, and the
unabridged rights and privileges of Ameri-
| can citizens recently conferred upon US in
the land of our former bondage, but now
the land of our choice, we here pledge our
willing and answering obedience to the
laws Of the same; our unfinching devotion
to the cause of popular liberty, and our
| unfalteriDg purpose to become educated
| and stamp with the lie the base SANDERS
of our enemies, that, we are incapable of
| anything like ripe scholarship; that we will
hencefOrward devote ourselves to the peace
able pursuits of labor-to the development
of the rich resources Of our native State
to the building up of its material wealth
and prosperity, and to the happiness of the
| people and ALL the people.
praise God from whom all blessings
| flow and the Anthem ''BlesS the Lord, Oh
my Soul, were then sung.
Judge Lawrence then briefly addressed
the assembly. He spoke highly of the
blessings of human liberty and eulogized
John Brown, whose spirit he felt was with
them in the celebration of this great event.
| He said that the meeting was in the spirit
| of liberty, peace and progress, and that as
brothers we were all together He was
| glad that the letters were broken. He did
not think it proper that the celebration be
confined to colored people alone. 1t was
source of pride to all and We were all alike
interested. The Fourth of July was
formerly celebrated with pain, but it was
now free alike to all. The speaker closed
his remarks amid loud applause.
The next speaker was Randall Brown who
spoke at some length to the delectation of
his hearers. Rev. Daniel Matthews (colored)
also spoke and gave his hearers good adj
vice, telling them not to be too much eIated
with their new honOrs, but by industry
and good conduct, prove themselves
worthy of the boon conferred. A telegram
was read from Major Enos Hopkins, from
Cincinnati, who was expected to have been
one of the speakers, regretting his inability
to be present. Mr.. Hunt, of the Savings
Bank, spoke at some length upon the merits
| of the occasion. After his remarks, the
| following resolution was read and unani-
mously adopted:
Resolved, That this meeting tender its
thanks to the American Auti-Slavery Socie-
ty that holds its jubilee and final meeting
on the 10Th inst, in Boston, and that we
now take up the matter where they have
laid it down, and carry forward the work
they SO nobly begun, and conducted to its
present state of Advancement
Another song was sung, when the crowd
dispersed. The jubilee was over and peace
reigned in Warsaw. Sound the hewgag
Excellent improvements.