The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-23
Indignation Meeting Over the Abroga-
ton of the Civil Rights Act.
A Pertinent Discussion of the Legal nd
Political Aspects of the Question by
Senator Harrison and Others
The Speeches of Hons. j. w. Gordon,
S. j. Peelle and John Coburn.
Resolutions Expressing the Sentiment Of
ColOred People--LamenJable Absence
of Democratic Statesmen.

The Journal reporter assigned to the dnty of
reporting the meeting of colored citizens last
night, to consider the abrogatlon of the civil
rights act. wept bitter tears as he sharpened his
pencil, because he had not the pen and spelling
book of Petroleum V. Nasty to describe the
scene as those great Democrats, Hendricks, Nc
Donald and English, who had been invited,
should appear upon the stage. Nothing less, he
thought, would do the scene justice He expect
ed these gentlemen to come on like Nicodemus
In the "Specter Bridegroom" with yards of
Grape and pocket handkerchiefs wide as table
cloths, as chief mourners at the nntimely death
of the civil-rights act-a law they had done so
much to enact.
They didn't come. Mr.. Hendricks, courteous
| old soul, sent his regrets, while Mr. Mcdonald
and Mr.. English sent mlssives. However,
the meeting was largely attended and was de-
| cidedly successful.
Reverend Harris called the crowd to order,
and Reverend Jones prayed. Rev. ]. L. H.
| Sweres was then chosen president and Messrs.
Morgan, of Shelbyville Harris, jones' Hinton,
| Ebert, Cheatham and MahOrney vice presi-
dents. DR.. s. A. Ebert, W. D. Mccoy, l. E.
Christy and W. II. Furniss were appointed
committee on resolutions, and Edward Horn,
secretary.
The following letter from Hon. Thomas A..
Hendricks, who had been invited to address tbs
meeting, was read:
INDIANAPOLIS Oct. %.
Gentlemen-Your favor of the 10th inst, in
| yitlng me to attend a mass-meeting of colored
| citizens to be held this evening at the Second
Baptist Church of this city, was received this
morning, and in reply have to say thai my
gagements W ill necessarily prevent my attend
ance. Thanking You for the honor of the invi-
tation, Iremain very respectfully yours.
Messrs. Hinton, sweres, Mahorney, Committee.
A lengthy letter was received from Austin H.
Brown, who also regretted his inability to be
present. a e wrote that as representative of
the school board he "could not understand how
any one can imagine that this right, which is
guaranteed TO all children by the State constitu-
ton and tie laws, can be put in jeopardy ny the
setting aside of @ Congressional enactment
which embodied legislation on questions of priv
iege as to entering places of amusement, hotels,
railroad cars, steamboats,. etc. In Indiana the
right of colored children to equal education with
| those of white men was secured by constitu-
tional enactment over thirty years ago, and the
enforcement of this right, so far as the admis-
sion of colored children in white schools is con-
cerned, is in the hands of the colored people
| themselves" In conclusion he said that "the
right of colored children to enter any school IN
| bhiS City vi Cuudl boluls Will Wulto CuluIou Is
so firmly fixed that it can never be abridged or
| taken away"
| SENATOR HARRIsoN's SPEECH.
Senator Harrison being loudly called for, came
| forward and spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Fellow-citizens, Ladies and Gen.
tlemen:
1t has not been true during all the period OF
my residence in Indiana that you have been my
| fellow-citizeEs. 1t Is true. however, tonight.
| When, in 1854, came to Indiana to reside, the
| constitution then in force in this State and the
| laws of the United States, as explained in the
! bred Scott decision, did not recognize you as
citizens stand tonight and look into the face
dowed under the law and the constitution with
every right that I possess. tApplause.l
do not think there has been any revolution in
history more notable or significant than the rev.
olution which has taken place in this country
sipce 1860, as affecting the status of the cOlored
back to that time before the war, we see four
million of Africans who were slaves-absolutely
deprived of all natural and political rights in
| the eye Of the law mere things, not differing In
described them. from a horse or a
auction block, to be transferred by bills of sale,
| to be passed by testamentary expressions of
those who owned them to the children that
| came after them Voices, "Yes, yes; hit them
| againi"l talked to one here tonight who has
been the subject of those bills of sale. That was
the status OF the cOlored men in the slave States.
| What was 1t In many of the free States and here
| in Indiana2 We had the old thirteenth article of
our State constitution, adopted in 1850, which
absolutely made it illegal for colored
man to come into Indiana, which made it lille
gal for any man to hire a colored man who had
| come into the State, though he might be starv-
| ing and have willing hand to work and earn
| the bread he and his children needed, under the
penalty of going to jail for hiring him. recol-
| lect when that was your status here in Indiana,
| and there were convictions in this State against
| white men for hiring black men to work for
to our public schoolsi You know when your
| children were first admitted to
the schools. IA voice. AZ knOw."l
they do not recollect il. fLaughterl You have
| left the infants at home tonight the very
young ones. [Renewed laughter.l What IS
| which, more than State laws or constitutional
laws, is to be the agency of the elevation Of the
| black race, the free schools. Why, all that Is
said In this letter that has just been read from
Austin II. Brown is true as to the pres
End Indiana nu You have magnicen nIS'' con.
constructed and equipped school-houses, built
out of the public taxes of the State of Indiana,
in which your children may from day TO day
acquire the elements of an education which
shall fit them for the right exercise of that citi-
zensAip with which they are now endowed; and
in those schools you have colored men who, by
! their own intelligence and industry, have made
| themselves fit to preside over them, and dis
| pense the discipline and instruction which per-
tains to them with degree Of
skill and satisfaction that Is a
| credit your Great applause
| 1 notice to-day as walk down from my house
| in the morning young cOlored children, with
their books under their arms, gong TO the high
| school, entering there with the children of the
| white men, rich and poor. OF Indianapolis upon
| equal terms TO acquire the higher branches of
education. Applause1 When we recall the
| legal restraints which less than twenty-five
| years ago were upon you, and the weight of
| prejudice which kept you down and separated
you from your white fellow-citizens, we look
with wonder upon the condition of things to-
| day, and | here to rejoice with
you in it. Great applausel There has never
been proposition looking TO the striking off of
| shackle from the black mans wrist, or from
his mind or from his personal freedom which has
no. received my hearty endorsement and my
personal help--nOt one. lCheers.l ] am glad to
| know that you not wholly indebted to those
distinguished nioneers, those intrepid men who
faced this wall OF prejudice in your behalf, for