Wilmington daily gazette., 1872-08-06
Summer W. Grant.
MASS MEETING OF CoroRED PKoPLE TO CoNsrp.
ER SENATOR SuMNEk's LETTER.

MASS lEkTINa OF CotoRED PKoPLE TO CoNsID-
ER SENATOR SuANER's LETTER.
A number Of colored people assembled at the
CITY He'll isst sveningtn pursuance TO publish
ed call inviting them TO meet there TOR the consid-
GRAFTON Of Senator Summers late letter Of advice
10 the colorsd people Of the country. The Hall
was crowded during the evening, about two. thirds
Of the audience however, being white Republi-
cans, who. notwithstandine their advocacy OF the
equality of ell men," confined themselves to the
right side Of the Hall, and forced Sambo II the
left. Some few blacks were scattered among the
whites. and Uice rersa, but the division was mark
ed and general. Probably our Radical brethren
received surfeit of promscuous citing at the late
ratification meeting at Institute Hail. but certain
it is that all. as If by common consent wheeled to
the right upon entering the Hail.
This meeting was called for mass meeting Of
the negroes. and notwithstanding the preponder
ance OF the whites. Sambo almost entirely ignored
them at first, being determined TO prove that he
| conld run the machine" Several prominent
white Republicans lowered about the leading
darks, evidently fishing for invitations to ''hep
'em out" They were not extended, however,
though about this time. H. F. Picksls, Esq ard
DIR. Cameron took seats upon the rostrum and
loined enthusiastically in starting the applause
from time to time.
About quarter past eight O'Clock, the Grant
and Wilson Club, accompanied by the Mount
Vernon COrnet Band, and bearing banners of
various descriptions, entered the room, the
band playing lively air.
Soon as the stir OccasiOned by their entrance
had ceased, deep silence ensued, and all in
terested assumed an air of eager expectancy,
probably trying to decide in their minds who
would be appointed Chairman. The whites
gazed anxiously towards the darks, while the
darks looked tr1umphantly towards the ros-
trum. The Commercial reporter took his seat
at the table, at what little space was left by
those who had appropriated it for seats, while
a grinling little dark arrayed in a check shirt
and a dirty duster, hOvered over his chair, like
a guardian angel.
At this juncture, Rev. r. Il. Stewart, of
the Bethel African Church, arose and moved
the meeting be organized by the appointment
of Daniel b. Anderson to the chair, which
was carried. A!lOOk of blank dismay overcast
the white cOuntenances. But some hope re
mained. Surely they would be remembered
in the list of Vice Presidents and Secre-
taries; and their cOuntenances frightened.
But, ''alas for the vanity of human expecta
tionS," the chairman evidently wisely con-
sidered such officers as useless appendages to
public meeting, and without giving any one
an opportunity to make motion for their
pose of the meeting, and introduced the first
speaker, Rev. Mr.. Tanner, Of Philadelphia,
editor of the Christana Recorder.
MIR. Tanner, q young. intelligent looking
mulattO, spoke, for about half an hour, Civ
brief review of the present political situa-
VioH, anu nusioiuk nOu 0CcCPtouCc VI tuc
advice contained in Mr.. Summers letter, in
writing which he considered that that gen.
tleman exhibited the pure spirit of the
worst form Of demagOgue.' During the
| course OF his remarks, tile speaker took Oc-
casiOn to assert that the negroes were far bet
ter American citizens than ninetenths Of the
whites. because every negro could trace his
American ancestry back four generations,
while not one white ma could trace his back
| to the second generation. (This remark was
received with very bad grace, and ill-cOn-
cealed disgust, by many white Republicans,
of foreign birth and extraction, who were
presently At the close of his really interest
ing remarks. the speaker was loudly cheered
| Rev. T. g.. Stewart, pastor Of Bethel
African Church, was the next speaker, who
introduced resolutions, expressing regret at
the tone Of the letter written by Mr. Sum-
ner and pledging their support to Grant and
Wilson, and spoke In favor Of their adoption.
The resolutions were adopted and the speaker
loudly applauded.
The next speaker was q Mr.. Hunter, OF
Georgia, formerly of South Carolina, VIII c
delivered short speech, containing about
the same advice as the remarks OF the
others.
| Evidently relenting In their determination
to make this thorough negro meeting, and
refuse to allow the whites to take prominent
part In It, no other negroes speakers wert
presented, but H. +. Pickles, Esq, was al
lowed to address the meeting. Mr.. Pickel.
exhOrted his cOl0red brethern to stand firm
and lend all assistance in their power to wres
the government of the State from the hand.
of the Democrats. At the conclusion of his re
marks, the meeting adjourned.