Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-09-26
Emancipation Celebration.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Tenn.
Sept. 22nd, 1879.


citizens, according to previous an>
nouncement, assembled in Dan
bridge from all parts Of the county,
to celebrate the seventeenth ami
versary Of their emancipation.
Early in the day the vast concourse
of colored citizens, under Chief
Marshal Henry Bradford, and
number Of assistant marshals, were
marched through the principal
streets of the town and out to
grove, where a suitable stand had
been erected for the occasion. At
eleven o'clock the meeting was
called to order by the Chief Mar
shall, and prayer was offered by Rev.
W. H. Lyle, after which DR.. J.
Nat. Lyle Was introduced as
one of the orators of the day, who
delivered a historical address on
Slavery in America, holding the
audience for forty FIVE minutes.
D. FL. Meek, Esq, was next in,
troduced and delivered a very elo>
quent and sound address on the
freedom Of the colored race and
their duties as citizens of a repub-
lican government, urging them to
educate themselves and their child,
rem and raise themselves to a
higher standard Of civilization, and
to inculcate honesty in their
children. Mr.. Meek got of some
very nice anecdotes, which were
heartily cheered by the audience.
Rev. J. r. Birchfeld being in
troduced announced himself as
being an abolitionist from his birth
and was always in sympathy with
the colored race, and recommended
that they observe this as q great
National day for the race.
Some Of the colored speakers who
had been invited, and were ex55
pected, did not appear, but the
Marshal called out and introduced
Pat Hodge, an cid colored man y
> years old, who delivered a very
sensible and at the same time
comic address. He claimed to have
witnessed the darkest days o
b slavery, when his race was bought
Y and sold like hogs, cattle and other
l., stock, but he did not blame tn.
J. white man for wanting to live easy
g and held no malice toward thu
i white race, advising the colore(
= race to live honestly, send thei
It children to school and Sunda,
: school, SO as to elevate the race a
y. fast as possible in moral scale.
- The Chief Marshal, Henry Brad
ford, then addressed the meetin,
and thanked the citizens, boil
n white and colored, for their goo
n behavior and kind attention, an
i. nouncing that ample arrangement
e. had been made to feed the entir
n assembly, and invited all to meet a
long table they had prepare
lie close by in the grove and partake G
ID their Inequalities. The table bein
,e too small large number were com
d PEELED to assemble in crowds aroun
s. in the grove to be accommodated
y After the meeting closed and din
Of ner was over, we noticed the crow
is gathering around and in a fe'
re moments began to trip the ligh
le fantastic, but as soon as the Mar.
i. shall discovered it, he repaired t
ID the place and broke up tie dance i
~ ~ very quiet manner. We notice
,e quite a number of prominent Cit
D. zens of the county were present
- and all seemed to agree that for til
j. first meeting Of the kind, it was
% decided success. The music for tn
&c occasion was furnished by the Lead
y vile (colored) band. We under
ID stand that our colored fellow cit
E zens intend to observe the 22n
)" of September, 1880. Some Of gu
le Democratic friends looked upon thi
Is meeting with distrust, and we be
i Il lieve ourselves that it was a NOV
r in the right direction for the sue
rs cess of the Republican party i
,s 1880. The colored vote will b
er solid Republican in old Jefferson
le the curses and sneers of the Demo
:. Gratis to the contrary notwithstand
e ing. j. D. COLE.
j.