Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-03-25
THAT coLoRED MEETING.



About one hundred and fifty negroes
half men and half women and children
assembled at Toncray church, corner O
Main and Overton streets, Tuesday
night. Their object was to take into
consideration the state of the country
particularly Shelby county. Their
speakers we're s. B. Beaumont, once
chief of the ex-Metropolitan Police
Thomas A. Hamilton, of Confederate
fame and plain Mr.. Ed Shaw, negro
with no fame at all and not likely to
make much by keeping company with
Radical politicians and being pulled by
the nose whithersoever they wish. 1t
may be proper to premise the statement
that the property on which this church is
built was donated for religious uses alone.
1t has been sadly sacrilegiously per-
yerted, and the heirs of the donor could,
no doubt recover the property If they
we're so disposed.
Mr.. S. b. Beaumont was the first
speaker. OF course we can only give
some of his points in our limited space.
He first went for Major Strange, and
grew pathetic as he recounted the lying
reports of the Fort Pillow massacre, and
denounced Strange as a bloody assassin
of loyal colored people In reference to
the present city government he had
good deal to say, in his peculiar sneer-
ing and denunciatory style. He pic
tured the Mayor as a church-goer, who
carries his fnely-bound prayer4book with
sanctimonious air and bows his head in
apparent worship, and reads his part
from the book with ameek voice, yet who
visited the dungeon of the station-house
where a noble colored man was hung up
by the thumbs, and when appealed TO
for mercy by the victim Of the rebel Irish
police, he turned away with hess reluet-
ance than he would have done from a
dog. He had seen rebel Irish police mis-
treat some of the colored people. Why,
the other day he saw them using new
instrument of torture with which rebels
had been so familiar in former days
the raw-hide lash. Some innocent, I'M
offending colored people were standing
in the street. they were approached and
driven off by the police, who applied the
lash to them unsparingly. He was very
sweet on Sears. Mclean and Taft. As
for the rest of the ticket it was hard
dose to swallow; but for the sake of these
three it would have to be done this time
I. A. Hamilton next appeared. he
spoke in his well known oily style, more
for effect on his sable auditors than any
practical result. He alluded to the his
tory of the Abolition party, the downfall
of slavery his correspondence with Ben.
Butler and Brownlow, to the wreck OF
matter in general and the crash of worlds
in particular. His audience applauded
him whenever he got so high they could
not understand him, which was rather
often. He delved into constitutional
questions, and there had it all
his own way. He boosted that
he was in Washington when Senator
Revels took his seat, and he hoped that
soon he would see not only colored SEN
ators and Congressmen, but cotored po-
lice here in Memphis Frantic APP
plause. Finally, he put on one of his
blandest love-making smiles, and turned
to the female portion of his fellow-citi-
zens, and actually addressed them as
my dear sisters" He appealed to them
to 20 home and see to it that their has
bands and brothers left their drays on
election day to vote the straight Radical
ticket. He was opposed to any conces-
sions, and where they could not vote for
loyal man they should not vote at all.
Measures have been inaugurated, he said,
for the reconstruction of Tennessee,
which he hoped would soon be put in sue
cessful operation He wanted the State
put back in the hands of the loyal.
Ed. Shaw, the colored person who
formerly drew salary as County Com
missioner, spoke his usual piece. 1t is
one that Barbour Lewis got up for him
some years ago. He committed IT to
memory and has been shooting it off
ever since, whenever he can get two or
three negroes together. 1t was the most
harmless speech made. These are merely
some Of the points made by these Radical
orators. 1t shows that going out of
power has not changed their hearts or
Modified their spiteful natures.
KosKoo.-This medicine is rapidly
gaining the confidence of the people, and
the numerous testimonials of its virtues,