The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-24
THE C0L0RBD RACE,
MASS MEETING AT WASHINGTON
Ia Regard to the Recent Decision o, til. suprsms
Court on the Civil Right. slli-Fr.d pOuslass'
warning Sots-CoL lnEsrsoll ChsmplOas
Their Rights, bat Advises Discrstius.

WASHINGTON, October ga monster
meeting was held at Lincoln Hall lasI
night to protest against the late decision oi
the Supreme Court on the civil rights
laws. The street in the vicinity was
thronged all the evening with people wait
ing for favorable opportunity to ascend
the stairwsys 10 the hall. While the as.
semblage was mostly Of colored people,
there was a large number of white people
present. Professor ]. NJ. Gregory, Of How.
ard University, presided, and upon the
platform were all the prominent colored
men Of the District, as well as white men
Of distinction. Though SO great a jam Of
people would be naturally hard to control,
everything passed off in the most orderly
manner. Frederick Douglass was the first
speaker, and the "old man" as he Is called,
was received with round after round
Of applause. He spoke calmly and
eloquently Of the grea! evil which the late
decision might work upon the future OF the
colored race. Hespoke of the temptation
TO use strong Language in this hour
when they had been betrayed in tue house
OF their friends. He hoped that reason
would hold sway however, and that mans
better judgment would be allowed to have
sway. The decision, he said, was great
blow to seven millions OF citiz.ns, leaving
them exposed to the passions and prejudice
es oluniriendly men.ACcording TO this decis.
ion Congress has 10 power to protect the
citiz9ns OF the ma ion, except in the Dis
trict OF Columbia and the territories, where
there were no people. He contrasted this
slate OF things with the cus:om OF
the English nation, whose flag protects its
subjects in whatever part OF the
world he may 80, and if his rights arc in.
terfered with you will hear the British lion
roar. In degrading the colored people the
nation would degrade itself. The nation is
strong without the negro, but unconauera
bly strong with him. "Havs care" said
the speaker, as II 10 voice Of warning,
slow you ALLEVIATE seven millions Of pe0.
pie. Don't withdraw from them that pro-
lection due to them from governm mt
which they defended so calamity with
mulket and bayonet" He aliaded to the
course Of England in treating with Ireland,
and said the people here cannot afford 10
have any black Ireland in this cOuutry. In
closing, he prayed for Supreme Court
which would be rs loyal and inaex-
IDLE in behalf Of liberty SIS the one OF the
past was in behalf Of slavery.
coL.,INoER3oLLs REMAREs,
When Mr.. Douglass finished in one Of
his lofty flights OF eloquence the great
throng applauded until his voice could not
be heard for many moments at time.
Colonel Ingersoll spoke next, and began by
reciting the law and the decision thereof.
He called It the worst decision Of the su-
preme Court since the Dred Scott decision.
The time was when decision OF the Su.
preme Court was accepted as the voice OF
God, but when the Dred Scott decision was
made known the acts. OF the Supreme
Court lost all the divinity that had been
accorded them. We have learned that al.
ter all we make the Supreme Court OF
judges ont'of folks. They eof the same
kind OF clay that we ourselves are
made, and susceptible to the same
influences as we. The robe they
wear does not shut out the en-
tire world. Under the crown is man,
under the robe is man, and under rag
Is found the same individual. A decision
Of the Supreme Court is the law, and we
must either obey 1t or dis )bey it, and suffer
the consequences. Ifadecision was bad
one, he.would rather disobey it, and take
the consequences for violating law OF the
land. He erecited the history OF freedom in
this country, and showed that Immediately
after our fathers had secured their own
freedom they turned their thoughts imme-
diately to the enslavement Of their fellow
men.