Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-09-26
And Aims Of That Body--A Large Crowd
in Attendance to Hear the
Speech.


a light to feel clated. White and black
had come to hear the most celebrated col
cred man in the world. Leading lawyers,
merchants doctors and military men of
the white race sat on the platform and On
the outskirts ofthe hall. 1t was a scene TO
enthuse, and Douglass felt it. He had 4
message to send to the country and he sent
it in excellent form. Referring to the old.
days when the
SPECTRE OF SLAVERY HAUNTED THE LAND,
he passed quickly to those better and
brighter days which brought freedom, ed
ucation, enfranchisement. Referring to
the causes leading to the convention, he
said: "No reasonable man will ever object
to white men holding national conven-
ton when they are in our condition and
we in theirs. Examples are plentifullv
abundant where whites have hated blacks,
border men the Indians, the negro the
Chinese and rice rersd. We must move
as people toward the goal of prosperity
and education. Now that we are free we
must, like freemen, take the reins in our
own hands and compel the world to re-
ceive us as their equals. This city, metro.
politan in size, cosmopolitan in ideas, still
is not free and liberal enough in opinions !
to receive us as equals in public buildings
and hotels. This is why we are now sit
! ting in national convention. We have |
/ been given numerous platforms, but we |
are still in the same condition. What we |
want is not words,
IDLE EPITHETS, IN OUR PRAISE,
! but actions. We have never been helped, |
| but assistance comes from all sides to help |
! us in our downward course. If we come |
| as cart-drivers, or servants, we are secured, |
! but when we come as scholars, or states
| men, the coor-ine is raised. The colored |
man is an oppressed and abject race in
| the United States. Trades unions refuse |
him admission, mechanics refuse him as
an apprentice, and even when he dies the |
same old contempt follows him. He is |
spurned from the gates and compelled to |
seek a resting-place of his own. If he ap-
plies for admission to college, or aspires to
education and profession, the race line is
again drawn. That is what we are here
for, to raise this line and make us the
equals of the whites. The cause of this
lies more in the diseased imagination of
the Americans than in firm belief. We
are here to see to it that men of our color
accused of crime shall have fair trial
that all these outrageous lynchings be
stopped. Our business is. to organize for
our rights and for the
REDRESS OF OUR WRONGS.
Some say that we should not hold this
convention, for it menaces the Republican
party. Parties are made for men, and not
men for parties. My hat was made for
my head, not my head for my hat. III
parties do right, stand by them but when
they do not uphold the principles laid
down IN tlfeif Platforms, down with than
Follow no party blindly. We have learned
how to talk, and let us speak for ourselves.
AS to civil rights, every man is the sole
proprietor and lord of his own house, but
when any place is opened for the public
everybody recognized as citizen by law
has right to enter. This does not make
men equal Talent and intelligence are
always triumphant When | speak to an
Intelligent man five minutes, forget all
about color Now, about
SOCIAL EQUALITY.
l never was a politician. l began my
career as a pleader for the aggrandizement
of my race, and am not afraid to tell what
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 the restoration of
justice, and for the abolition of this most
detestable state of affairs. Make the con-
stitution practically what it is theoretical
ly, and there will be an end to all this
filth of the ballot-bOX and to all the inius-
tice of the color line. The New York Erea-
ing Post makes Il great mistake when it
says, ''Be modest; you have been hut
twenty years out of bondage" These Office
holders are afraid of our aspirations. We
do aspire, and will continue to do so. We
have heard the voice of Jacob, and felt the
hand of Esau. We never cease to be
n despised, excluded class as long as we
are shut out from political preferment. We
cannot ignore the fact that to this is to be
attributed
THE DEGRADATION OF THE RACE.
Elevate one of our class to the Nice-Presi-
dency, to position in the Cabinet, and
cur equality shall have been established.
We are not prepared as yet, but let us
, aspire to those positions which we can fill.
, Wehold it self-evident that nation made
up of all varieties should not be governed
by one class; where there is a ruling class
there is a subject class, and when the day
{ comes when this nation is governed by
one class ii ceases to be a government of
the people, for the people and by the peo-
!, pie.
The above is but bare outline OF the
long and eloquent address, spoken with
an earnestness which showed faith in the
speaker in the destiny of his people. The
+ applause was generous enough to s,Iit the
: most eXacting.
a THE ADDRESS ADOPTED.
r At the conclusion, delegate from
, Louisiana moved that the address be
adopted rs the address of the convention
and sent to Congress.
Several amendments were moved and
. rejected, and the original motion was
| almost unanimously adopted.
: THEN CAME A SCENE OF CONFUSION.
On the motion to appoint committee
; on further organization, South Carolina
( and Louisiana fought each other almost in
= an unparliamentary way. For hours the
: dispute went on i'll n ceascless stream of
valuelesS talk.
Holland, of Washington, presided in
5 Douglass's stead, and Vainlv sought to
? bring order out of chaos finally call of
, States was had, and the Committee on
Organization appointed by States. 1t re-
suited, after another long delay, in the Sc
} lection OF the following vice-presidents
4 George Washington, Alabama; 5. J. Hol-
l | lngsworth, Arkansas; J. b. Meginncs,
Delaware; w. c. Chase, District of Column
: bia; W. \. Pledge, Georgia; w. T. Scott,
I Illinois, Rev. DIR. Seveeres, Indiana; IL.
o ;. Croft, Kentucky; l.. ). Martinez, Lou
@ isiana; A. V. Cooper, Maryland; w. r.
Gamble, Nebraska; q. ii. Ruffin, Massa-
n Sterrat Minnesota; Congressman J. f.
;. 0'llara, North Carolina; Samuel ]. Tou-
q sin, Ohio; ii. Price Williams, pennsylva-
mia; II. l.. Shrewsbury, South Carolina
w. II. Young, Tennessee; &. Nj. Arnold,
; Virginia; G. w. Hollinger, West Nir-
: gina; j. W. Blrney, Wisconsin secretary,
> J. Nj. Gregory; assistants, ). l.. y. Hol-
l. land, q. 4. Clark, w. q. Robinson.
: Committees on civil rights, education
( rolls and an address were appointed TO re-
y port tomorrow, and the convention took q
y recess
~ At the evening session the convention
Al listened TO impassioned addresses from
. Prof. ID. A. Straker, of South Carolina
: and Frederick Douglass, ON matters o
q general interest 10 the colored race. Doug
= lass gave interesting details of events dur
/ ing the discussion of the Presidential
Z question prior TO the inauguration o.
: HAYES. No business was attempted be
u yond the acceptance of an invitation tC
|, attend the Exposition, which had beer
Il extended by the general management.
! Adjourned to meet at 10 o'clocf-a, IN. to
- - morrow.
X Attempt ON tae Life of the krttish Con
10 sai at New York.
to NEW YORK, September 25.-There wa
r. great excitement in the, ,neighborhood o
e. the British Consulate this Afternoon, caused
a. by the report of two pistol shots and
specialized, hatless man running at the tol