Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-09-25
ESTA- A-BLISHED 1910.

Louisiana, as temporary chairman. Intro
duced as a martyr of the race, he coun-
seled deliberation and moderation. He
reviewed the past history of the colored
race and 'looked into its future" the tele-
graph tells. He did not forecast the OBJ
| jects or purposes of the convention, for
| perhaps he was not in the secrets of its
originators. But as to that we are not
left in any doubt. Mr.. Fred Douglass,
who seems to be the engineer-in-chiei Of
it, tells us, through the Washington Re
publican, that he regards the mission OF
the convention as chiefly moral and so
| far as its utterances are concerned a means
toward securing a better understanding
between the colored people and their
fellow-citizens generally. Its objects, he
says, are to take into consideration the
general condition of the colored people of
this country, especially the condition of
labor in the South, the compensation
it receives, the educational interests
of the colored race, their civil
rights, and last, but not the least
important, the security of their political
rights, which are now considered as stricken
down." With respect to the political sig
nificance Of the convention he is reported
as saying; "The convention has no direct
political object in so far as political parties
are concerned. 1t is not impossible, how
ever, that party politics may come up for
consideration. If there is an effort to
bring party politics into the convention it
will meet with resistance. Still it may be
contended that no full and fair discussion
OF the condition Of the colored people can
be had without discussing their relations
to existing and possible political parties,
and this view may prevail" He thinks
the convention will have something to say
about the reimbursement OF depositors of
the Freedmen's Savings Bank, and adds
ut would not be strange, either, if they
should ask for large recognition in the
matter of ofice-holding. Perhaps the1
greatest demand they will make upon the
parties will be for absolute protection in
the exercise OF the constitutional right to
vote. They may consider that they are
essentially without the protection of the
government, and left only to defend them
selves by anarchical means" From
this it will be seen that unless
the convention is conducted, as the
Rev. Mr.. Green says, in moderation and
deliberation, mischief may result from it
to the negro race. Mr.. Douglass is intelli-
gent enough to know that the white people
of this country reverence law as the bond
that binds man to man and guarantees
justice and right to white and black, poor
and rich alike, and that however much lie
and his followers may incline TO anarchy
in the convention they will see to it that
peace and progress prevail outside OF it.
But nothing better than this could prove
how ill-timed and unnecessary such a con-
vention is Conceived in the most dema-
gogue-like spirit, it is, if Doug
lass and his co-conspirators against
the peace of the South can make
it so, to be made the means to the
consummation of anarchy and confusion
for the race that is prospecting everywhere
throughout the South by well-directed la
p'i, anu lIliOuSh CuuCdllOh lHeSe are
the agencies by which the negro has
profited by i'll the past, and is to profit by
in the future. He can gain nothing by
agitation, for there is nothing for him TO
gain. He has his rights under the law
all that the white man enjoys. More
than that he cannot ask and cannot get.
All that he needs is to be freed from the
tolls Of demagogues, white and black and
to be left in peace to work out his own sal
vation, TO run his race untrammeled by
the prejudices and passions such conven-
tions rs this of Louisville may generate,
to avail himself OF the schools everyw here
increasing throughout the South for the
education of his children, and secure
Vhome and few acres from which every
year he may win Il good living, feeling all
the pride OF independence that follows
upon being his own master.