The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-11-27
ersning State yoas1ntlat.
MONDAY EVENING, NOV. q, ISL.
A Voice from the coIOred People OF Norfolk
Nirginia.
No tlls Editor 81 ihe siaie J0urilil

OF tins CIV anu YOUR dOlO SlSNbs 40 III ~
nonent of the rights of the whole people,
has attracted the attention of the people
generally. and our race particularly, in re-
Iation TO the rights of the people, irrespec-
tive of race, color, or condition to as
semble for any purpose effecting their inter-
est. The perversion of our purposes by
our enemies, in the late attempt to hold
meeting of coincidence, and the utter mabil-
itv of our people to obtain justice through
the columns of the two prominent. papers
here. creates the necessity of setting our
selves right through some medium. we
have chosen the columns OF your paper,
that the real facts of the case may be given
to the world, and justice may be done to
all. ~ |
On the evening of Saturday, November
18th. the Conservatives Of the city of Ports
mouth. aided by large number from this
city. held a mass meeting and procession IN
honor of their late victory, and during the
time one Of our best ard ablest men was
cruelty and shamefully murdered, and two 4
others seriously wounded.
After this Infamous outrage band OF
these outlaws crossed over from Ports
mouth to this city, passed up Church street
to where J. +. Dezendorf lived, Yelling,
whooping, cursing, and calling said Dozen
dorf d---m Radical, nigger-.loyying son-of
a-b--h, frightening his family by the irs-
quent firing of pistols, &C., DC. SAID De-
zendorf was the defeated candidate TO the
Assembly on the Republican ticket. ~
They next visited Joseph Il. Wilson's
house. smashed in his ,rindo,cs, shot their
pistols off. clyi,lq, "achere is the Niger, ace
haze got one. and ace acii hare another,
SC ~ The police, whose duty it was to
see that the peace was Kept, declare that
they were merely shooting aarefractory
dog. ~ S. ,s,sfs
We, sir, have not forgotten the massacre
Of our people just one year ago, when Secre-
tary Robson and others We're addressing
meeting on the Courthouse Green. Low
nine black loyal men went down to bloody
death at the hands of these same iiends. 1t
is still fresh in our memories. We cannot
forget that there never has been an investi-
CATION. from the poacers that 6e,of that horrid
slaughter. We, as colored people, became
naturally anxious, and desired to ask our
Conservative fiiends,o when and where
the slaughter of our people should cease.
We desired to enter before high Heaven,
before g friend and foc," our earnest and
solemn protest against our being shot down
like dogs we desired to devise some prac-
teal way to give our sympathy to the sui-
fering mother of our murdered friend; we
desired to invoke the protection OF Heavens
God! The mayor yielding to the demands
of the leaders Of the Conservative party is
sues proclamation insisting that the color
ed people lin view Of the excited tone of our
enemies) stay away from. said meeting.
We have nothing to do with the question
about said proclamation being 'smanda-
tory1 or g advisory we. simply took il
f0r oroptad h1y the tome of S1l0
proclamation, that the right, deal
to every American citizen, wa'
denied to us that the confession stoot
out in bold relief; chat the civil arm of the
city government was too great to protect
that the lash of prescription was too strong
for the mayor, and we, as citizens, for tho
sake of peace, for the sake of sparing oul
ewes the sad spectacle of another court
house tragedy, because we love order ane
respect law, as simple lovers of good gov
eminent, allowed our greatest and dcares
rights to be denied us, and let our Conser
vative friends place a paddock on oul
mouths. We have been misjudged, mis-
represented, and we simply ask for justice
We do not claim that we are the sum ant
substance of our race here, but we do sa,
that it is the universal opinion Q
our people in both cities, and free
ly expressed at that, that the letters Q
Wilson, Mullen, and two others, to tn
Democratic journals of this city, were a
outrage on manhood, and a peryersion Q
their views. Nay more, they declare, i.e.
the people, that it looks like a bid of som
kind for the future; further, that the pee
pie will not forget in time to scorn thes
men who, for some cause or other, hav
placed them in a false light. Take Wi
sons case for minute, after assisting
circulate the outrage that was put upo
him. he allows statement to go the round
of the press, "that the police were onl
firing at dogn oMcoafradicted. Agai
our clergy are accused of melting the eolore
people through their churches, by tellin
the women and children to stay home
there was going to be riot, &C., &c.
Now, Mr.. Editor, the facts are simpl
these: Our Conservative friends had
splendid and huge mass meeting. in Port
mouth on the 1lth, and their political allie
on this side proposed to get up one ON MOI
day night and invite Democracy in gener
on the Portsmouth side. This was we
known in both cities. Inview of the scene
of riot and bloodshed on Saturday nigh
our cIa,ov who are of n truth The leaders