The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-06-06


ELECTROMAGNETIC tmonday was, as it has al
ways been, happy holiday for the colored peo-
pie Even in slavery days they were set free for
this one day, ut least, and enjoyed themselves as
only people free from cares and anxietes can do
The custom has been preserved in their freedom,
and Whitmonday continues to be the especial
holiday of the race throughout the South. Ear
ly in the morning the colored people began to
pour into Bel Air, on foot, on horseback and in
vehicles of every description, all in their best bib
and tucker, their destination being Major VIM
ii. Dallam's woods, near the town. BY eleven
O'Clock more than thousand had gathered A
procession was formed in the woods, and pre-
coded by a band of music, the Sons and Daughters
of Bcncyolcncc, numbering four societies, and
the Good Samaritans-undcr whose management
the meeting was held-marched through the
town. The marshals were mounted and decora-
ted with sashes, feathers ribbons, &c, while nll-
mcrous banners, one containing a portrait of
President Lincoln, were borne amid the ranks.
After hot and dusty march, they returned to
the woods, where addresses were made by Rev.
Samuel Brown, Rev. Is. H. Nugent, IL. ii.
Hughes and VIM. II. Williams, all colored The
speeches were delivered with great carncstness
and JUNCTION, generally Astounding in good advice
to the colorcd people, and intoxicating sobricty,
morality and industry. One of the speakers,
Mr.. Williams, cndcavorcd to arouse the pride of
his hearers, by dcscanting upon the nobility of
descent of the colorcd man. "The colored peo-
pie are not an inferior race" said he, "they are
of the royal race of Afrca-thc nation that re-
present. Adam was q colorcd man. for he was
made of clay. Now, who ever saw any white
clay? You see red clay, brown clay, black clay,
yellow clay, coffec-colored clay, but never white
clay. And the great warrior, Hannibal who led
his people to victory he was a colored man.
Look at Jerusalem; the foundations of the great
temple there were laid by Solomon, and he was
n black man."
1t was said that all negroes will steal. The
speaker denied it. He admitted that a negro
pcrshing with cold might take an armful OF
wood from woodpile; if starving and he found
the door of q corn house open he might take q
few ears of corn; if you left your coat hanging
on fence and he was naked he might put the
coat on his back; or if he were barefootcd and
saw a pair of shoes outside the door he might
put his feet in them. But that, continued the
speaker, is not stealing. The negro don't know
how to steal He must learn that from the
white man. You never hear of negro robbng
a bank. Why, look at Belknap, who tried tc
| steal the whole United States Treasury
The speaker argued that with education tn,
| negro race would be superior to the white man
| and urged his hearers to try and elevate them
| selves. Wealth, he said, would make them equa
to any one and if a colored man was worth two
| or three million dollars, his name would not bt
spelled with two g's (''niggcr," but he woult
| be called Mr.. So and So
Good order was preserved, and about sunset
the gathering was dispersed by a rain.