Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-20
THE NEGRO AGITATORS.
Meeting Of the Stale Emig ration Con-
VentlOn.
Harangues and Resolutions Showing
the Temper of the Leaders.

Harangues and Resolutions Showing
the Temper Of the Leaders.
A Readable Chapter I'm the History Of
Cur COIOred Population.
Our readers doubtless well remember Ia,
recent period when the Kansas fever TsgeC
among the blacks of the rural districts o
Tennessee, and the well founded suspicion
that it was originated by the agents o
Western railroads drumming up passenger
custom for their routes. The State Emf
grafton Convention, held in this city yes
terday at Liberty Hall, is easily cOnnecteJ
with that sensation, though il was the re
suit Of something more than notion o.
the most ignorant grades Of the cOlOreC
population The movement is now con
trOlled by the more sagaclOus of that race
The convention was temporarily organ
ganized at y o'clock by the election Of w
A. SiZemOre as chairman. The hail was
densely crOWded-nOt with delegates, but
mainly with the Cedar street politicians
and vagTaDts, all apparently interested in
the movement. The DAY slipped by al
most before our reporter was satisfied, in
any measure, of the sincerity Of the lead
eTs, or could Judge of the real drift q
sentiment in the crowd; notwithstanding
he heard a somewhat tipsy delegate from
Robertson comfy say al the outset that
"this meeting meant 10 fOOlishuess-it was
a GRAVEYARD BUSINESS
A Committee on Credentials was APP
pointed, consisting nOminally Of three
frOmlEast Tennessee, three from West and
five from Middle Tennessee, for neither
East nor West Tennessee was represented.
While the COMMITTEES was out, Sam Low
cry, a member of the Nashville Bar, was
called upon by vote, and responded in a
speech which covered many live topics,
which was received with enthusiastic ap-
plause at intervals, and which was admitted
to be a temperate effort for the speaker.
REMARKS OF THE NEGRO LAWYER.
He said the convention was called TO
consider one Of the most m0mentOus ques-
tiOns ever presented to the cOlored people
Of Tennessee. 1t was whether they should
make Tennessee their heme, or 90 some
where else, and when and how. He loved
this State, its people, and particularly
those Of his own race. But they had lived
under oppression until their State
could not compare with those
BLOOMING SOUTHERN STATES
Louisiana, South Carolina, and MisSis-
sippi, where they could find genial homes.
The colOred people Of Tennessee had APP
pealed 10 the Christianity and philanthropy
Of the whites, and failed to get a Tecogni-
tiOn Of their humanity. He Lad begun 70
think the manhood of his race gone forever,
but this meeting afforded proof 10 the con-
trary. They had by some maneuver, OF
both the Democratic and Republican parties
Of the State, been deprived of their pOllti-
cal heritage Of liberty. While thus bound
down by DemOcTaticTule, their Republican
friends were proposing TO shake hands with
the Democratic party across the bloody
chasm. He did not like this evidence OF
tTeacheTy and desertion. 1t went against
the grain with him that the blacks should
be compelled to take back seats Onthe Fed
eral decoration day.
THE VAGRANT ACT.
He cited the Vagrant act passed by the
last General Assembly as al engine Of dis
eliminating oppression against the cOlOred
people. He said the peuitentiary, jails and
wOTk-hOuseS would get all the negroes IN
der the system which excluded them from
sitting on iuries in both Federal and State
courts. If a negro stole ginger cake he
went 10 the penitentiaTy, while a white
banks with impanity. The jury underlsy
their civil liberty.
WANT TO BE COLORED ISRAELITES.
Ia view Of this state Of affairs, unless
there was q change, the colOred people
owed il to themselves to follow the ex-
ample Of the Israelites who were in
Egyptian bondage. They should 60 out Of
the State, but 60 provided. They should
take along COW, doctor, school teacher
and a little money.
He had some complaint to make at the
manner in which the meetings under
MeSsrs.
WHITE AND BLISS
al the Exposition were conducted. He
had nothing 10 say against the Evalgelists
themselves, but did object TO the practice
Of the Southern ushers who insisted that
the blacks shoUld occupy seats to them
selves. He heard that everybody was in
yited. that there were seats for all, and,
thinking he was was one Of 'a!l' he went
down, but met q Southern dCOr-keeper,
who told him where the darkeys were to
sit, and 50 disguised him that he did not
stay TO the nesting.
lie was in favor Of giving the whites a
certain length Of time to reform, and in
case this failed, he would advise
SYSTEMATIC DEPOPULAIIOS.
And if the blacks left the State, he pre-
diCted that its lands would either soon be
occupied Uy Germans and Irish or would
grow up in weeds as, high as that ceiling.
He closed with advice to the blacks to re-
spect each other and educate their children,
and with an allusiOn 10 the murder Of Of
ficeT Frazier. This, he said, might not
have occurred if under the Constitution
ministerial officers were required by the
Legislature TO read a warrant in all cases
Of arrests.
We have given an outline Of LOwery's
haTangUe to show what the notions Of the
are: for he evidently aimed 10
reflect the popular sentiment, and that he
was attested by frequent bolster
Gus applause and approving outlaws.
The committee on credentials reported
great difficulty in asceTtaining who were
delegates, and a recess was taken TO give
time for this work.
Upon the assembling Of the convention
the chairman, SizemOro, made remarks ex-
planning the
OBJECT OF THE MEETING.
Il was TO discuss political affairs and con-
slider whether the blacks should emigrate
from the State. He undertook to picture
the condition Of the race, and then asked
whether they ought to leave. Loud re-
Spouse Of 'NO, no, nO."l It was a case Of
either emigration or starvation. The
negroes would steal before they would
starye. He believed that God intended
they should get out Of this country.
WHO COMPOSED THE CONVENTION.
While the chair was talking, in came the
Committee on Credentials and reported
the following accredited delegations:
From DavidsOn-Benjamin Singleton,
II ". Williams, George Brown, r. d.
Campbell, William Butler, B. III. Holmes,
l. f. Aellen, S. II. Robinson, Charles Max
well, a. W. Mcconnell, J. l.. Brown,
Allen Butler, H. \. Napier, Milton Shane,
p. \. Ewing, y. Anderson, WIN. Thomp-
son, Robert Page, George Primm, Willis
MCLellen, J. Crowley, ID. L. LaPsley, II. G.
Scales, VIM. Etherly, w. A. Sizsmore,
Benjamin East, Alexander Petis, Val
Drain, Samuel Lowry, Wallace Shelby,
VIM. Dismukes, Drew Tanning, VIM.
Greer, DR.. J. c, Halacre.
Robertson County-E. j. Conrad, Albert
Carr, John Shields, Benz Adams, W. J.
Kelley, Eph. Taylor, Monroe Washington,
Isaac Gaines and Ed. Hiram McKissick.
Cheatham County,. Winters, ]. Cup
ton, II. Person and VIM. Starkes.
Sumner COunty-C. N. johnson, II. c.
Turner and Thos. Allison.