Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-09-29

In the diseased imagination Of the A,neri-
cans IMAM IN firm belief. We are here to
$500; SEQ 70 III thnt men of our color, accused of
or,tne, ,t, shail have a fair trial; that all these
outrageous lynchings be stopped Our busi-
ness Is to organize for our rights and for
Inc redress OF our wrongs. Some say that
we should not hold this convention for it
1 n,enaces the Republican party. Parties are
uaoe LOT men, and not men for parties. NV
nat was made for my head not my head
Tor my hat If parties. do right stand by
nrimn; tmfm; ;ra 6nt when they do not uphold their
iihciPles lald down in their platforms, down
with them Follow no party blindlv We
nave learned how to talk, and let US speak
lor ourselves about civil rights. Every
man is the sole proprietor and lord of his
own house, but when any place is opened
Tor the public everybody recognized as a
citizen by the law has right to enter This
does not make men equal; talent and intel
ligehce are always triumphant When
speak to an intelligent man five minutes I
forget all about color. Now about politi-
cal equality. 81 never was a politician l
began my career as a pleader for the ag-
grandizement of my race, and / am not
afraid to tell what l think about all kinds
OF equality. This stamping out of the black
Republicans of the South has been done in
the face of the Republican party. This
convention should implore Congress for a
restoration of justice, and for the abolition
of this most detestable state of affairs.
Make the Constitution practically what it
is theoretically, and there win he an end to
all this filth of the ballot-box, and to all
injustice of color line. The New York
Et""'Hg Post makes Il great mistake when
but twenty years ont of bond
age" These office-holders are
afraid of our aspirations. We do
aspire, and will continue to do 81. We
have heard the voice of Jacob and felt the
hand of Esau. We shall never cease to be
a despised and excluded class long as
We are shut out from political preferment.
All can not ignore the fact that to this is to
be attributed the degradation of our race.
Elevate one of our class to the Nice-Prcsl-
dency or to a position in the Cabinet and
our equality shall have been established.
We are not prepared yet, but let us as
pire to those positions which we can hli.
We hold il self-evident that Il nation made
up of all varieties should not be governed
by one class. Where there is n ruling class
there is a subject class, and when the day
comes when this Nation is governed by one
class it ceases to be Government of the
people, for the people and by the people"
The above is but Il bare outline of a long
and eloquent address, spoken with an
earncstness which showed the faith of the
speaker in the destiny of his people The
applause was generous enough to suit tn,
most eXacting.
At the conclusion, delegates from Louis
lana moved that the address be adopted as
the address of the Convention and sent 10
Congress-. Several amendments were
moved and rejected, and the original
motion was almost unanimously adopted.
Then came scene of confusion. On mo-
ton TO appoint n committee On VI
ganixation, South Carolina and Louisiana
fought each other almost i'll an unpariia-
mentary way. For hours the dispute went
on, a ceasclCsS stream of valuelesS talk.
Holland, of Washington, presided in Doug
lass stead, and vainIy sought to bring or
der out of chaos. Finally, a call of States
was had and the Committee on OrganIza-
ton appointed by States. 1t resulted, after
another long delay, i'll the selection of the
following Eice-Presidents: Geo. Washing
ton, Alabama: $. j. Hollingsworth,, Arkan-
saS j. B. McGmnis, Delaware; w. {. Chase,
District of Columbia: w. a. PicdGcr,
Georgia; w. T. Scott, Illinois; Rev. DR.. ).
Nercr, Indiana: Alfred Fairfax, Kansas;
Henry Scraf, Kentucky: T. 5. Martinez,
Louisiana; y. V. Cooper, Maryland; W. k
chusetts; c. II. Tandy, Missouri; 4. q.
Sterret, Minnesota: Congressman j. +.
O'Hara, North Carolina: Sam. j. Tousen,
Ohio: II. Price Williams. Penn ylvania;
II. l.. Shrewsbury. South Carolina: w. H.
Young, Tennessee; Mack Henson, Texas;
West Virginia: J. w. Birney, Wisconsin.
Secretary, j. NJ. Gregory: Assistants, Il.
Y. Holland, y. :. Richardson, q. II. Clark
and w. G.. Robinson.
Committees on civil rights. education,
resolutions, and an address wcfe appointed,
to report tomorrow, and the Convention
took Il recess.
At the evening session the Convention
listened to iinpassioned spY'chcS from
Prof. ID. y. Straker, of South Carolina,
and Frederick Douglass, on matters of gem
eral interest to the coloIcd race. Douglass
gave interesting details Of events during
the discussion of the Presidential question
prior to the Inauguration of Hayes. No
business attempted, beyond the ac-
ceptance of an invitation to attend the Ex-
general management.
Adjourned to meet at 10 a. IN. tomorrow.