The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-01-06
CELEBRATION OF THE ANNIVER-
sARY OF EMANCIPATION.
Procession and Mass Meeting
New Years Day.

New Years Day.
In accordance with previous an
nouncement there was a large mass
meeting held in this town last Mon
day, New Years Day, for the purpose
of celebrating the anniversary of the
issuance of the Proclamation of Eman-
cipation by President Lincoln.
About IL o'clock NJ. a procession
headed by martial music and dis
playing several flags and banners,
commenced marching about town,
regardless of the muddy condition of
the streets, and after two hours tramp
ing filed into the NJ. E. Church, on
Houmas street, filling the church to its
utmost capacity and crowding many
persons out. The meeting was called
to order by Mr.. Pierre Landry, who
announced the first steps OF organiza-
ton to be the election of president,
four vice-presidents and secretary.
The following persons were chosen :
Mr.. Pierre Landry, president; Messrs.
Robert Noel, Edward Cantey, Joseph
Burbridge and VIM. Brown, vice.
presidents; Mr.. L. E. Bentley, secre-
tary.
The Rev. Mr.. Bryan, pastor of the
M. E. Church, offered a feeling prayer,
after which the president delivered a
short address, referring to the object
of the meeting, and concluded by in
Producing the secretary, who read the
Emancipation Proclamation to the
audience, being frequently interrupted
by applause.
After the reading, the president in
troduced Mr.. w. F. Hebert as the first
speaker. The address of Mr.. Hebert
was full of good, sound sense, well
delivered, and was well received by
the audience.
Mr.. Henry Clay was the next speak
er, and his effort to please the au-
dience met with fair success.
But it was reserved for the presi-
dent of the meeting to make the most
eloquent and telling speech of the oc-
casion. He referred to the promulga-
ton of the Act of Emancipation by
that great and good man Abraham
Lincoln, in a manner that brought re-
peated bursts of applause from his in
terested hearers. The speaker ex-
pressed himself thankful that the
meeting had been a success-that his
race had not forgotten the great act
that had made them free citizens of
this glorious country. He spoke of
the Republican party as the safeguard
of their liberties, and entreated them
to stand by that party through good
and evil report if they valued freedom
and the maintenance of their rights of
citizenship. He characterized Cover
nor Warmoth as the natural leader OF
the Republican party of the State and
expressed a determination to support
the State. administration to the last.
In conclusion, the speaker remarked
that there was only one white man in
the assemblage, but surmised that
when the next election was nearer at
hand there would be numbers of them
attending such meetings for the pur-
pose of currying political favor and
securing Office. He accorded all due
honor to the one white man, whose
presence, he said might be regarded as
good proof of his sincerity in the cause
of Republicanism, which means equal
rights to all men.
The secretary, being thus directly
alluded to, rose and thanked the pres
ident for the compliment paid him,
and expressed qualification that it had
fallen to his lot to participate in the
celebration andg read to so large an
audience that grand measure which had
released four millions of human be-
ngs from the bonds of slavery. He
hoped to be with them on many flu
ture occasions of a like nature.
A few, additional remarks were
made by the president, who an
nounced that the exercises would
close by the singing of hymn, after
which all present were free to adjourn
to the room adjoining and help them
selves to the edibles which had been
prepared for their consideration.
The whole audience joined enthusi-
astically in singing the well-known
hymn, g What a Happy New Year."
at the close of. which the meeting
adjourned amid the greatest good
feeling.
The effects produced by this meet
ing will be most beneficial. The col
e I.