The daily gazette., 1881-03-30
THAT INDIGNATION MEETING.
HOW THE SEeRoES ALMOST FOUGHT
WHILE ARRAIGNINe THE GRAND
JURY.


WHILE ARRAIGNIEG THE GRAND
JURY.
The negro "inaignation meeting"
called for the City hall, last evening,did
not pan out as we'll as was expected,
either In numbers or results. II was
after eight o'clock before enough had
assembled TO eject an organina.i0p, but
finally the meeting was started with
Rev. B. T. Moore, The Baptist preacher,
In the Chair, and >. V. u. Carly Secre-
tary.
At first there was considerable dis
cussion over the mode of procedure, in
volving the raising of an astonishing
number OF parliamentary points Of order.
Finally, tile reaJing of that portion OF
tbe Grand Jury's report charging the
| negroes with gross immortality was or
dered to be read, and Jim Anderson pro-
eeeded 10 comply with great unctlon,
raising his eyes Significantly from time
to time, at few white people gathered
on the steps in the rear of the Hall.
| This reading he followed with the read
| ing of the report of the committee ap-
| pointed TO consider and reply TO these
charges, as follows:
WHEREAS, A grand jury OF New Cas-
tie couuly,n the State ai Delaware, has,
under cover of the court, seen 6t 10
psblicly SANDER the negro community
resident therein, by referring specially
10 them as class living regardless of
the obligations of marriage as defined by
law and custom.
WHEREAs,S such unqualified assertions
as ale contained in their report,is gross
| ~ oh tt, ~ . L..
negro community, void of the semb ance
of truth, as upon an unbiased examina-
tion Is evident to any one who desires TO
properly represent existing facts; and.
| WHRREAs, The means resorted 10 by
said grand jury to arrive at said nnprin-
cipled conclusion, are exceptionally bad
as folio s. ~. By taking the worst ele
ment Of Negro society as q standard by
which to guage he masses. (2). BY select
ing from among the community the
negroes asa specimen class, thereby
shielding themselves, the white element,
in morality, and by injudiciously assert
ing it TO exist to much greater extent
among the negroes than ameng Them
selves, Notwithstanding that numerous
Iewd houses exist, in whose p rtals nc
negro treads, an allusiou to which the
grand Jury, much TO their shame, in oui
opinion, did not refer, although 10 ua
known TO exist in open violation Of the
law, both Judicial and moral. FhereforG
be it HE
Resolved, That we, the negro citiAeni
Of the city OF Wilmington, do hereby
J denonnce, In unm assured terms, the
effort OF tile SAID grand jHry TO under
rule our moral staudiDg by such nnman
iy, unchristian, uutru hful aud SANDER
Gus assertions, believing, IS We do, thai
they premediatedly attempted TO max,
us sbjrcls uf ridlcule in The community
in which we resi1e.
Revolved, That inasmuch as a body
of gem lemen, styled the grand jury, ,hay,
seen fit to use he name OF the eminent
intimate and the intelligence OF th
lanented Clayton, that we heartily gym
pathize with The public, because minds
In some respects, similar, were not seleC
ted To pass upon a matter of such import
ance, as they attempted, aud we sugges
, that before they the grand jury, can ear
, favorable comparison with his [Clayton
5 acts, they must learn to divert thei
D deliberations of that strictly partiza
! spirit SO apparent IN their report, know
1 by many as tue grand jury. Great efol
: 20 make us appear before this commune t
k as subjects of rldicale, rather than th
negroes to whom they directly refer.
Resolved, That thu mingling of soeii
and political matteLs In presentmei
I, accompanied by appeals to the aniDm'
J. passions of men, is unDecomlng a gran
= inquest, having for Its object the meri
improvement Of man.
4. AL and IA
y resolutions of this character would &
- through "A meeting of negroes with
!. rush, but they did not, as few oppo'
" log spirits were present and raised
- SPIRITED DISCUSSION over the matte
~ though, OF course the resolutions wai
finally adopted. 81
Afterwards u general debate ensue,
A Il. Henry. Peer .. Bake, James
Anderson aud others taking grounds
favor of tha aotion fakan by the NEE
lug, r. M. Brooks and George A,nderso
he against II. Tue latter defended lh
i Grand Jury. He said that body bass
~ It's cluhlons upon their observatiot
e OF the class Of colorsd people prougl
IA before them. These people were genel
l. ally lawless and immoral, "aud as Ion
g as you folks" he said, take up ft
,e them, you make yourselves their aide
. aud abettors, aud the Gruud Jury
- therefore jnsn fled IN thinking you a
10 al! aliks.S Mr.. Anderson urged u
re decent colared people to cut loose fro
ne the bad element OF their race, wkos
r long as they were admitted tpto Il
al churches and good society would bri,
~ discredit upon the whole people. t
also strongly iniimated that some
those IN the hall we're only resentil
tue charges. of the Grand Jury bscau
er they were striding little too close
re home.
el These pointed and sensibis remar
,y were greeted with mingled applause a
~ hlsses. aud for little while IL looked
p- n a row, was immihoDt. Quiet W
aY sonn restored; however, and after 4