Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-08

The Men Who Proposed 1t Confident OF
Successive. Niles, of Arkansas. Pro-
poses to Ventflatc His scheme There
MIR. Douglass Tells Why He Eavors
the Convention.

The colared citizens of the District who issued
the call for national convention Of colored
people are all confident that the convention,
which meets In Louisville, KY, on the Oath in
slant, wilt be we'll attended.
WHAT PERRY CARSON SAYS.
Mr.. Perry Carson who offered the original
resolution at the emancipation meeting here
providing for the convention. said to a STAR re-
porter to-day: ut will be the largest conven-
ton ever held inrthis country. Mr. Douglass is
going; all of our delegates are going, and 9th
ers are gong. am going to be there. There
is one thing would like you to state in justice
to Mr.. Douglass Mr.. Purvis made the remark
in Philadelphia, 1.-The other day, that Douglass
got up this convention in his own interest.
Now. when we got it up we never consulted Mr..
Douglass at all. and he knew nothing of it until
after the resolution was passed, when he was
appointed on the committee"
NILES, THE ARKANSAS MISSIONARY, SAYS THE
CONVENTION WILL BE wHOPPER.
John W. Mics, the Arkansas man now here
agitating the question Of setting up a separate
state government for the colored men. was
asked by STAR reporter whether he would at
tend the convention. eyes," said Mr. Niles,
81 am going there. am agitating this ques-
ton now with the view of stirring it up before
the convention"
"Do you think you will have a. majority in
favor of your plan ?" asked the reporter
Eyes, do" said Mr.. Niles. II think we can
carry the convention. We will frighten these
going to take their labor away from them.''
You have been through the south ?" said
the reporter. "Are there indications that the
convention will be well attended 2"
1t will be whopper." said Mr.. Niles; "but
it would have been larger if it had been held
here. Those Kentucky DULLES down in Louis
vile will be apt to do some killing when the
negroes come there"
WHY MR. DOUGLASS FAvORs THE CONVENTION.
Mr.. Fred Douglass in speaking to STAR re-
porter in regard to the reason for holding a con-
vention, and thus, apparently, recognizing
color line, said: 81 say, first, because many are
more than few; because the united word of
whOlepeOple is more influential than the isola.
ted word of an individual; because mutual coun-
sells and deliberations of a representative BODY
coming together from all sections of the country
will naturally leadto action in the light of wider
experience broader knowledge higher wisdom.
than that OF any Individual or local OrganiZa-
ton. Because conventions, in this free country
are the usual instrumentalities through which
great bodies of men make known their wants,
their wishes. and their purposes And why COZ
ored? The answer is lust this. We are, whether
we will or not. in some sense, q separate class
from all other people of the country, and we
have special interests to subserve and special
methods by which to subserve them. 1t is not
strange to me that colored men should differ
very widely as to the policy of holding a conyen-
ton. In that respect they are not singular.
With us, as with the Hebrews. all are not Israel
who are of Israel. There were tories in the
revolution; cOpperheads in the late war: in
formers In Ireand-and am not surprised that
there are persons concocting just such dis
patches from Washington as appeared in the
New York Eoeztsag Post. my connection with
this convention, continued Mr.. Douglass, twas
a very subordinate one. was not aware until
after the convention was determined upon of
any intention to hold such q convention. When
the matter was submitted to me q conelu-
PEELED either to put myself in opposition to it or
go along with it. Now, as at all other times
during the last forty or fifty years. have been
for movement, II could not do other than give
it my support. did it with no expectation Of
being put in the front, and receiving all the
abuse that has been heaped upon me-"