Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-11
BAD BLOOD.
The Indignation Meeting Of Memphis
NegrOes-Over Thirty s.Benevolent''
Societies That Claim the Right 10
Drill with Firearms.

Drill with Firearms.
Memphis Appeal, June 9.
There was a large mass-meeting of
negroes in front of the Pole-bearers'
Hall, on Second street, near Washing
ton, last night, to hear the explanation
proposed in relation to the reports
concerning mobs and riots. There
was quite a sprinkling of white
persons in the crowd, which seemed to
increase at every thump of the drum,
and the street in front of the building
was a perfect jam, The meeting or
ganized by calling H. n. Rankin,
negro lawyer, to the chair, who stated
that resolutions would be offered ''to
show to the white people that we, the
colored people, as property owners and
citizens, are interested in the welfare
of Memphis, and also have an interest
at stake" Ed Shaw, the negro wharf
master, was the leading orator and
made the following allnsion to the
Memphis Ledger and the Register:
| have noticed in the newspapers
that the negroes were drilling in Chel-
sea and in other places of the city.
Now, have watched the colored PEG.
pie ever since thesereportsc commenced,
and have failed to see or hear anything
of it. If the evening paper and one of
the morning papers are so much inter-
ested In the prosperity of Memphis,
why do they publish such incendiary
articles: Do these men. who thus write
own any property in memphis, or are
they trying to get up a riot for the
destruction of property: Ihave taken
the trouble to find out whether or not
they own any property in Memphis. 1t
is only the thieves, black and white,
who desire riots, and try TO induce
such. 1t is not the right-minded,
sober, thinking citizen who incites to
riotOus proceedings. Cries of Hit
him again, Shaw" The newspapers
have little to do when they seek to get
up riots; for riots, rest assured, are not
for the purpose of numbering the negro,
but for the purpose of plumber and
robbery.
Thos. Swan, President of the Pole
bears, followed, giving at length his
explanation OF the robberies and plum
dering committed at the national
cemetery on decoration day, and said
he protected the vendors there. The
Pole bearers didn't believe in robbing
and plundering; there was a clause in
their constitution making such I'M
worthy of membership. Gentlemen,
the time will come when old Africa will
have justice done her, let all the
,,,.o-1,,,., e h 1r,,.l1 aa,,o ~,
Cheers.
The constitution of the Pole. bearers
was then read and Ed Shaw resumed
the stand to say: We have in Mem
phis thirty-one societies for similar be-
nevolent purposes. Such organizations
were doing a great deal of good, ann
should be encouraged by the tax-pay-
ers and white people. Last year they
spent between thirty-fve hundred and
four thousand dollars in burying their
dead, and as much for doctors bills
The white people were not so fighting as
they appeared, or they wouldn't skeer
so quick, as there was nothing to
skeer at. 1t was like the cry of Hell
broke loose in Georgia" So some of
the people had concluded that hell was
broke loose in Chelsea, because the col
ored people had held a prayer-meeting
there. He had not seen anything of it,
and hoped he would not.
Thomas Swan corroborated the above
statements, and hoped there had been
no extra drilling since the civil rights
bill had come up. The card in the AU-
| Glanche explained where the arms had
been obtained. The arms had been out
only three times, and then only for pa
rade-not for the injury Of anybody.
There was no harm in colOred people
parading with arms. There were mill
tary companies here before the war, and
the colOred people were not frightened
thereby. He did not see, then, why
white men were now skeered when they
saw the arms of the Pole-Bearers. He
referred to the burning of the negro
school houses, and said that the "Odd
Fellows, knights of Templars and
King of Pythias," all carried weapons
on parade and they also had right to
do so. The account published IN the
appeal about his extorting money was
false. He went to the paper that said
colored barber Informed them of in
tended incendiarism by the colored
people, and asked the name Of the in
formant. They told him he was not a
proper person to get the name, although
he was fit person to rob men at the
cemetery on decoration day.
The meeting then adjourned.