Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1879-04-26
THE COLORED CONVENTION,

For several days, in the city of New
Orleans, a convention of colored people
has been in session, in the African Bap-
tist Church. The convention is by no
means representative body, as its lnem-
bers are from 70 particular section and
represent no special interests. So far,
advices inform US this body has done
nothing but listen to violent and incen-
| diary speeches from the colored Repub1i-
can orators, who, it has been our expert =
ence, never fail to let: the opportunity
pass by unimprived, to SANDER and de-
base the people of Louisiana. The de-
alterations of this assembly of venomous
spirits and Ignorant waits should, we
think, serve as q warning to the over
Jealous supporters of negro rights, 1--WE
should say supremacy, for the one is faith
er to the other). To this class in West
Feliciana we call attention to the follow
ing extract from an able article on this
subject which we clip from tho N. O.
| PicGyune.
The purpose of the body under consd-
| Grafton is, of course, to discuss the expe-
| diency of q general African exodus
| Northwest The address presented
yesterday by the committee especially
selected for the work appeared to favor
the contemplated hegi1a; though is adj
Yocacy of tho project was not a together
outspohen. Tho arguments advanced
by the committee were altogcth er of q
political character. Boiled down to their
ultimate residuum, they amount to
about this: Tle colorcd people Of tho
South ought to leave it, because til ey
can no longer control it.
| It is true that the address asserted the
majority of the negro race over the white
! in Louisiana but that itself is u politi-
| cal issue. 1t is true that violence and
intimidation in every shape were alleg-
cd; but always in reference to elections
! and political affairs. Mr.. Murrel, OF
Madison, who seems to be the eagle
| orator of the gathering, affirmed without
contradiction that the colored politicians
| alone had suffered, ana they alone had
been driven from home.
We are not now going into the merits
| of the threadbare question of intim;da-
ton and violence. It is our object only
to bring out in strong relief the fact
that, from their own showing, the would
| be leaders Of the proposed exodus are
actuated solely by political motives
Protection in industry and the enjoy
ment of educational advantages and re-
ligious liberty are facts conceded. There
is no agricultural peasantry in all the
wide world so highly blessed in those
particulars. But these men arc not con-
! tent with prosperity; they insist upon
dominion. They have been taught to
| expect as much by an ambitious and
reckless party, which has called them it's
wards and which has made them it's
tools.
Upon this latter point we might as
well join issue once for all. The whole
country might as we'll understand the
fixed determination of tho white people
of Louisiana upon this subject now as
ever. Black supremacy will not be toll
Grated here. The experiment has been
! tried, and the record of its failure is the
foulest and boodiest chapter in the his
tory of the State. Here in this very as
semby VIC find tho clcarest- headed.
iirmest-perved and every way ablcst col
ored men in Louisiana, if not in the
South, openly charging, on tho floor,
nineteen distinguished statesmen and
fcllowcitizens Of his own race with an
attempt to oEtort q bribe from him upon
q certain historical OCCASION. Take that
as n sample of the lot, and tell us what
II r>f t,,, NJ.
people threatened with return of such
an clement to power. But the conclu-
sion, so far as the white people of the
State are concerned, has passed beyond
the region of debatc-it is on the list of
fixed and stubborn facts. They are not
going to have any moro of that sort of
thing, and that is all there is about it.
1t is not to be denied that these colorcd
people are useful laborers, or that under
certain conditions they might become
good neighbors; but they are not yet
prepared to govern us and we are not
prepared to submit to their government.
The very charges against the whites en-
bodied in the address to which we have
referred are SO many admissions of the
teebleness and incapacity of the blacks.
These people clamor for manhood suf-
frage, and yet, while they claim vast
majority, they whine for Federal protec-
ton, and propose to assert their man
mood by running away from tho State
| Tho war has been over some fourteen
| years now, and the black people of the
country have advanced SO far as that!