Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-08-24
COLoRED CITIZENS MEETING
Held Yesterday, at the Greenlaw Opera.
house, for the Purpose OF Express
ing Views on the Situation
and What Should be Done.
Resolutions in Favor OF Going into
Camp During the Prevalence Of Yell
IOw-Fever Adopted after COnsid-
cradle Opposition - Commit
tees Appointed TO Con-
slider Matters.

At three o'clock yesterday afternoon some
| four hundred colored people assembled at tn,
| Greenlaw Operahouse, pursuant to cal
made in the city papers, inviting the coloreC
citizens to assemble and consider measure,
with view to take action In assisting the
| white citizens In protecting life and property
Edward Shaw was called on to preside ovel
the meeting. He stated briefly the objects OIL
| the meeting.
Rev. DR.. Slater opened the meeting with
prayer.
On the stage large number of white and
! colored citizens appeared. A committee was
] appointed to consider and devise means TO
assist in protecting property.
Mayor Flippin addressed the meeting IN a
! short speech, and stated that all acts of law
lessness would be promptly suppressed. He
read the following resolutions:
RESOLVED, That it is the sense of the board
of health, and we consider it of the most
urgent importance, that this city be depopu-
lated at once, or as nearly as can be consist
ent with a sense of public safety and the well
fare of those who are or may be stricken with
the fever.
ResolUed, That the people in the unaffected
districts, as well as IN the infected portions
of the city, be urged to leave at once; that
those who are well but unemployed should
for the time seek employment elsewhere, and
that those who are sick and destitute be sent
to suitable camps to be prepared for that pur-
pose.
ResOlued, That all those in similar circum-
| stances, whether white or black, receive at
the hands of the municipal authorities and
the relief organization similar treatment In
this our day of distress.
S. H. Scott, colored, advocated the adop.
ton of the resolutions. Great noise and con-
fusion prevailed when the vote was taken.
about half the colored people voting AYE,
| the other half mo-" The resolutions were
declared IN he lost nv the chairman
Ex-Mayor John League made speech in
dorsing the resolutions, and said if the
board of health said the people ought to
leave the city, the people should get away.
etc.
The vote was taken over again, and an
other scene of confusion prevailed. The res
olutions were again lost by an overwhelm
ing mo"
DR.. d. ID. Saunders. president of the board
of health. attempted to reason with the COL
ored people, stating the danger they would
be In should they remain in the city during
the epidemic, from which they had no ex-
emption. He showed the safety of camp
life, and the protection from the dread dis
ease the colored people would have ont in the
country.
Colonel Casey Young made an address,
reasoning and counseling with the people,
and enforcing his arguments with facts.
Loud calls we're made for Attorney General
wright, VINO delivered strong, practlcal
speech, which was well received.
Chairman Shaw again put the resolutions
before the meeting, and they were declared
carried.
The following report and series of resou-
tons were presented and adopted by the
meeting:
Having been appointed committee to
draft resolutions expressive of the views of
the colored citizens of Memphis as to the
best means of providing for the relief of the
suffering poor of our city, with a view to the
suppression of the epidemic so fearfully
scourglng us;
ResoIred, That we offer our services to pro-
tect the property of all, and the lives of those
remaining in the city, with the assurance that
we will not shrink from any danger that may
be incurred In carrying out this object.
Therefore, for the purpose of preventing the
spread of the dreadful pestilence now so ter
ribly devastating our hearthstones, we earn
estly recommend that the offer of the citizens
relief association to remove those who are not
able to leave to place of safety, furnishing
them with comfortable shelter and abundant
and wholesome subsistence, be unhesitatingly
and unanimously accepted by all classes of
our citizens.
Resolred, That we have unqualified conf
dence in Chief-of-Police Athy, who merits
our gratitude for his recognition of our race,
for selecting from among the colored people
an equal number of special policemen.
ReSoiUed, That we will render him every
assistance in our power to guard and protect
the property left to the care of the city au
thorlties.
R. II. MCAIN,
]. A. THOMPSON,
Y. q. HAYES,