Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-10-01

lid attllioii W
W.. ~ : The right of every representative
u and that the merits of the question
a3 We are here from all sections
L. 1-,;on-from the North, the South,
% Cas-. and the West And there ought
- - that largeness of heart and soul as
- .llow every gentleman who has q
w. ~ this floor to rise and express his
c,,.nion= on the instructions he has
"A from the constituents who have
A,,, here. I, myself, am under the
g sion that We can do no better than
.l.Lr,te the Fourth OF July, the day
.eb,,b were declared the great prin-
- rn5u which tins government is laid.
~, : 4 Williams, the president Of
Invention. said that. as the only
crescent from Nebraska, he was
- 70 give his voice for the thir-
~ ~, March. the anniversary of the
.,nl,a,ion 0; the fifteenth amendment.
". G-orse B. Wedley Mr.. President
~ bsrs assembled here as representa-
s.,m the different States of the
lin q national convention. / think
Ia, v,s grand one, when the citi-
ofVabr.ska selected the city Of st.
,n;- O.. the most appropriate place in
a.. invention could he held.
wh, could have inspired Nebraska with
;l.,2 Vas it because this is the
-. If the nation geographically, or
:, hoo,use St. Louis is built upon the
.,,, hank of the mightiest stream on
,.,,;n.nt whose turbulent waters
~, fine shores of thousand of miles of
mas. fertile land in the world-a city
Itch i destined TO be the brightest and
.n,nulous in the world, and at no
r..n. 1,y the seat of empire, where all
a. eue,tions of public welfare and ma
ANAL poiicv shall be discussed. 1t is IN
5.sl an appropriate place to assemble,and
s.Fpg as do. that deep interest in the
.-.lfre Of my race, allow me to suggest to
Oh. o.ptlemen of this convention the i'm
,.,.,nca Of cal,n deliberation and Just
l.r,,jop. NJ President, when L offered
Eli. ra,olution: that we, the colored peo-
,l.,ftbe nation. shall celebrate the fourth
: div Of July in commemoration of the at
,,nme,,t of orr citizenship, l promised j
r,rll ,iye this convention some reasons
why this is the most appropriate day to
commemorate the disenthrallment and
sn,ranchisement of orr race. My first
reason for setting apart the Fourth of
Julv * tl,at we could celebrate it in CON-
mon with all the people of this nation.
Wa ind in reading American history, that
on March the fifth, ITO, six years pre-
yous to the signing of the declaration of
indapendence. the citizens of Boston
made an attack on the British troops, in
which Chrispus Attacks, a colored man
was killed. who was the first martyr that
I'll in defence of American liberty and in
dependence. All the subsequent events
v,ra hut links in the chain of events
which was eventually to place all the citi-
2ns of the United States upon the same
political plane of equality-the agitation
Of the slavery question, the murder of
Ioyejoy. the repeal of the Missouri COM
rromise the subsequent difficulties in
Kansas. the hanging of John Brown, the
election Of Abraham Lincoln, the arning
ofth- south, the assault on Fort Sumter,
III PROCLAMATION of emancipation, and
Ne massage of the thirteenth, fourteenth
md fifteenth amendments. l am for set
tngapaft the Fourth of July, because the
principles laid down i'll the great American
lnona Charta assured us of our citizenship
Fhe spirit of those principles which were
ST forth by the people on tlat day nevel
.ased working until the citizens were
made free and equal. l am for it, because
is the great national Holiday on which
the whole people of the republic send
9th the Grand and glorious NJ them o.
dom in remembrance of the day or
H., the nation was born. i am for i,
-, em an American citizen, l am fol
-, siieye it is our indispensable
-, H.. Us American citizens to
a., ,,..,.,l,:,,, ,,.;.,; onr power to obliter
'' everything within ,rks us as a distin.
re every line that M 10
7r,lel people, and to ''"o'' 'A1 ple,
,io,s which have been
a,al,. Us on account of our /, "''1 ~
gyArl condition.
VII. T. Johnson, of st. Louis,
I',ithe thirtieth of August, when Gen
'LiJ1hn c. Fremont ISSUED his pro-
o-nation in the city ofSt. Louis, declaring
Ia all property, real and personal, of all
persons in the State of Missouri who were
mams against the United States should
Boz ronhScated to the United States, and
t-u slaves, if any they have, shall be
drr,ed free men" 1t was, he said, the
ms blow that the institution of slavery
ie.ryei. and one from which it never
recovered lapplausel and it was in August
When Great Britain manumitted her slaves.
Alfred Cortes, of Indiana, then made q
u" remarks in which he strongly urged
NIl5 apart the thirticth of August rs
we anniversary of the PRONUNCIATION of the
"'ehth amendment of President Grant.
TIE convention adjourned until Tues