New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-04-06
DISTRICT MATTERS.


this District assembled on the 29th ult., at Lin
coin Hall, in this city. Frederick Douglass
was chosen permanent chairman. After
series Of resolutions embodying the principles
of the party had been acted upon and other
routine business transacted the Convention
proceeded to balIotsfor Delegate to Congress,
with the following result. The contest was
between General n p Chapman and Frederick
Douglass, editor Of the New national ERA:
For n. p. Chipman-Messrs L. s. Emery,
j. W. Harry. ID. L. Newett o. Wilcox, =.
Coakley, q. p. Fisher, Sandy Alexander, nj.
J. Quigley. Lloyd Mudd, w. A. Freeman, II.
&. Smart. VIM Beckett, C.. r. Fisher, W. A.
Cook, w. +. Mott. James Brooks, w. II.
Gaines, Marshall Brown. James Kelly. A. h.
Browne. DIR. j. ii. Thompson. DIR. G. c. Cox,
d. w. Bliss, j. A. Jenefer. John NJ. Norris,
James Madison, John Barker, ;. 5. Baker, A.
Bowen, w. +. Kennsgh. j. Il. X. Plant NJ.
Duffy. John Wallace, WIN. Bush: Charles
Wallace &. w. Smith, i. &. Cate, VIM. Simp-
son, Peter Campbell, Aaron Russell, And.
Gleason, w. L. Cswan, w. I'll. Smith, Simon
Wolf, j. w. Mcknight, S. II. Williams, p. H.
Reinhardt, Perry Carson, Joseph Williams
w. H. Taliaferro, w. r. Hunt, j. johnson,
y. H. Barron, p. b. Dowell, p. Quirk Jr.,
Daniel Lynch, A. b. Tinnsy, j. S. Ballinger
J. T. johnson, III. Better, George III. Mercy
nolds. Nj. Sinner, NJ Bradshaw, =. l.. Ven
able, H. Browning, Il. Il. Cross, Jr., and J. +.
Herrell-67.
For Frederick Douglass-Dr. W. 6. Green,
Lewis H. Douglass, w. R. Arnold, G. q.
Whiting, O. S. b. Wall, j. H. Cook, Ale Pope.
William Barker, Logan Williams, Collins Cru
sor g. +. Mosby, q. w. CASTELAR,, H. d. Pey-
ton. III. Timber, b. F. Grant, Jos. Anderson,
Ed. Crusor, Samuel Pierre, James III. Smith,
Rev. G. w. Denison, C. H. Peters, c. b.
Purvis, j. w. Curry M. F. Kelly, G. H. Bos
ton, L. G. Connolly, James Coleman, Sidney
Mcfarland, Allan Coffin, Marcellus West, w.
s. Morse, Jesse Chinn, A. NJ Green, j. A. d.
Green, j. E. Doughty, n. q. Ordway, and f.
S. Atknson-37.
For f. A. Boswell-Messrs George III. New
man, r. w. Tompkins, r. j. Collins, and Thos.
Thompson
Frederick Douglass of the First, and James
Wills of the Eighteenth District, did not vote.
After the announcement of the result it was,
on motion of Joseph Williams, of the Seventh
Ward, unanimously agreed that President
Grant be requested to appoint Frederick Doug
lass to the position of Secretary Qf the District
which will be vacated by the election of Gene
raj Chapman to Congress.
Remarks Of Frederick Douglass.
Gentlemen If the Convention: 1t seems
proper under the circumstances that the man
you have honored by your votes to preside over
you on this occasion should say word or two
at parting TO this convention. And, first, let
me express my surprse-my profound sur
prlse-that any considerable number of the
electors of the District of Columbia should re-
gard me a. a suitable candidate to represent
this District, this capital, in the Congress of
the nation. j say felt surprised, bordering on
TO a shock, that any considerable number of tho
citizens here should have regarded me as a suit
able candidate. When the matter was suggested
to me that | should be candidate / at first
revolted, and thought that it was hardly proper
to allow my friends TO use my name. /, how
ever, at last consented, and ] must express to
you and to them my profound gratitude for
the mark of respect for the tender sentiments
which have been expressed on both sides to-
wards me, and towards my history. While l
am for making no distinction, ] am one of
those who believe that whenever and wherever
there is an office to be had, and a white appli-
cant equally eligible, and equally available TO
obtain 1t that while l am in favor of no dis
tinctions on account of color, remembering
the stripes, remembering the two hundred and
fifty years of bondage III this land, through
which the cOlored man has been dragged, re-
membering that two hundred and fifty years
he has not had the right TO learn 10
read the name of the God that made
him, and that every man in the land has been
at liberty to kick him, and to disregard bis
rights, he having no rights which white man
was bound to respect say, in view of that
history, and the history Of stripes. Of tears and
of blood for the black mans track through
this country for two hundred years may be
traced, as O'Connell said of 'Old Ireland long
ago, like q wounded man through the crowd,
by the bleed ITSELF say whenever the black
man and the white men equally eligible, equal
II available, equally qualified for an office, pre-
sen. themselves for that Office, the black man,
at this junctnre Of our affairs, should be pre-
ferred. That is my conviction. While | say
this, know the only way to make the princi-
pie victorious in Legislation in this country
the only way to have right views crystalized
into law, organized into statute, and to be
made the rule of life and the republic the only
way in which that can be done is through a
party, and through party that is able to elect
Its candidate. Applause. That is the way
every measure has TO be carried. Amy man
can have little party. | can have little
party you can have little party but it will
be inefficient and impractcable. But what We
want is q true party, Cries of That's it!''l
and not only true party, but strong party,
That's SOL! and applause large party :;
party able to elect its candidates, applause.
and, when they are elected, those candidates
carrying out the great principles they were
elected on. Applause. Believing this, and
believing that at this hour-the dark hour of
Ku-Kluxism, Of war to the knife against the
black man-believing at this hour that
q defeat of the Republican party in the
District of Columbia would be the greatest
calamity that could befall our people through
out the States, Applause | stand here and
now, and believed express the feeling Of every
man who stood up here and voted for mel say
1 stand here and affirm that whatever any other
man will do to make the candidate which you
have now honored with this nomination vic
torious at the polls, / am ready to do. Ap-
plause. OF course / would have felt a little
better II 1t had been me, laughter, for am
human aud If the gentlemen here could have
th,ught that they could have carried me into
the Capitol believe il would have been good
answer 10 those men who, the other night,
when 1 was returning from a mission for this
Government from 1T. Domingo, hungry, travel
stained. tired. and wanting food very much,
aud presented at tn door OF the cabin for
dinner, was told could not come in A voice,
g We will mark them. had two lips with
good appetite, ready 10 take dinner, and be-
hsved myself Ike gentleman as well a.
knew bow, and yet could not come In. There
fore believe if you had sent me up to that
Capitol 1t would have been good rebuke to
thein. But the next best thing is to elect
Chipman, and see that he teaches these fellows
5000 manners. Applause. Now, whatever
yoe want me to do tell me, and am going right
@n AID elect Chapman. Loud applause.
srsssh Of General Chapman.
mr.. PREsfphSr AND GEsrypyYS op rur H.,
.hsfioS 1t wouiS be an uppardonshle a..
talon on my part no. In co.,.ao =. -'