The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19
THE CoLoRED CONVENTION.
Address hr the GoYcrnor,


ing.
Mr.. Nelson spoke on the subject of
education and national aid in the
cause of public institutions. The
state. he thought, had been liberal in
its provisions for colored schools.
MIR. Armstrong spoke in favor of
better cooperation of the colored
people in accommodating property for
themselves, and helping each other in
public enterprise.
A committee was appointed to in
vite the governor to address the con-
vention.
Gov. Ireland soon after appeared,
and being introduced as the Cover
nor of the Lone Star state" spoke
over an hour, delivering, perhaps, one
of the most telling speeches that
could have been made on such an oc-
casion: 1t was evidently received
with the utmost favor, and abounded
with a great deal of good advice,
plainly and frankly stated, but en-
forced with spirit, and at times
with the most convincing argument
and eloquent language. We give the
substance of his remarks: He said
he was really too little apprised OF
the objects of the convention to speak
as he would like to do, but, as far as
he understood their proceedings, he
feared they were giving them too
wide political scope, instead OF con-
filming themselves, as he had hoped
they would, to matters of more i'm
mediate material interest to their
welfare as a people. These were
questions which they should discuss
calmly without political bias.
They doubtless expected him to
say something flattering to their con-
vention, but, while he did not care to
criticise their proceedings, it was his
duty as public man to
speak to them plainly and
frankly as to their duties.
They should not, he argued, waste
the time of their convention by con-
sideratiOn of such matters as railroad
and hotel accommodations and court
rulings on constitutional questions,
such as Judge Turner's late decision
on the civil rights bill, which he said
were matters that would have to be
regulated by law and the higher tri-
bunals of the country. They could
not force the questions upon the PEG
pie. AS to Judge Turner's decision
they had not the law and the facts
before them, to comprehend
all the issues in the
case, without which he would not
himself undertake to pass upon its
merits. 1t was not for him or them
to pass upon the decisions of the
court. Judge Turner's ruling, if
wrong, would be corrected by the SUI
preme court. If you have grievances,
express them, but do not indulge in
useless denunciationS of the courts,
which have to decide according to the
law and the facts, and not according
to political convictions. Laws were
not perfect, and white men, as well as
colored men, sometimes failed to get
Justice. AS to all this clamor
about riding in the cars and stopping
at hotels, these were issues which, he
argued, could not be forced urOn the
people, and much Of the agitation
and feeling existing in the public
mind had been caused by the attempt
to force social recognition by legisla
tive enactments. Why, in course of
time, you people, when you have fully
grown into prosperity, may build
your own hotels for your own accom-
modationS, and would denounce any
law that would aim to force you to
accommodate me at them. simply be-
because they were places of
public entertainment. You might
invite me into your house, but what
would you think of law to compel
you to entertain me?
The governor called to their minds
what had been done by the state, par
in 70 of nGn al
advantages for the colored children
and for the education of coIored
teachers, so they might have, as they
naturally desired, teachers of their
own class to instruct their children.
Every department OF the state gov
eminent was exercised for the good
of the people, and every head of the
departments, he was sure, was
proud of the progress made by
the colored youth, especially in the
various higher institutions of learn
ing, which the state has provided for
them. As to the enjoyment of the
fullest rights by the colored people of
Texas, he referred them to the facts
and arguments as presented in the
speech of a colored youth named Orr,
recently delivered at one of these in
stitutious, which was a speech, he
said, he would like to see printed
among the colored people of the whole
country.
Abiding to the proposed national
convention of the colored people at
Louisville, he hoped it would be made
known to the world what Texas had
done for the colored people and their
consequent prosperity here, and that
those who were urging them to emf
CRATE from Texas to Kansas and other
laces were doing the colored people
themselves an injustice. He hoped
the convention would not be biased
by politics. The colored people should
be educated and left to vote according
to their convictions.
The governor, in conclusion, dis
cussed the constitutional amendments
in an able and exhaustive argument.
He did so because he noticed they had
been proposed for the eonsid-
Grafton of the convention.
He was frequently interrupted with
applause during his speech, and at the
took a seat near the roS-
trum to witness the proceedings of
the convention.
The president of the convention
was now called for, and spoke also at
some length, expressing the highest
of the governors adj
dress, to which he responded in very
happy terms. lHis speech was kindled
with the fire of enthusiasm and well
made points as to the views and in
terests of the colored people, and was
also frequently applauded.
Among other things he said they
were gratified at the evidently frank
manner in which the governor had
given them great deal of great adj
vice. But he had to disabuse the
mind of wrong impress
sion-that this was a political conven-
ton. Such, he explained, was not
the object of the call. He felt, too,
ne said, that the white and colored
people were getting nearer each other |
in feeling and interests, and so far as
his own people were concerned, he |
assured the governor they would ever
take two steps to his one in this di-
rection.
He said it was the decisions of
Judge Walker, of the state district |
court, to which he alluded the day |
before, in contrast with Judge |
Turner's.
After speaking by some other MEM
bers, resolutions of thanks to the |
governor and president for their adj
dresses were adopted.
Mr.. Henson, as his remarks of the |
day before had been alluded to, took
occasion to explain that he had not
aimed to introduce politics into the
of tha convention and had