Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-09-01
By II o. Lee of Ouachita:

1
various leading men of the state, in con-
| vention assembled, that the scholastic pc
| riOd be extended from two and three to six
| months in the various country school dis
| tricts. Further, be II
| Resolved, That the delegates from this
| state convention be instructed to urge the
national convention that will assemble at
Louisville, to recommend the patsage of
| the Blair or Hoar bills for the promotion of
| education and the distribution of the funds
upon the basis of the illiteracy of the
country.
BY i. G. Mitchell OF Hot Spring:
Resolved. That this convention urge
upon the cOlored people Of Arkansas the
great necessity Of educating themselves in
order to better tit themselves to make good
citizens in their various pursuits of life,
and that we advise and urge upon our
leading meA in every county in the state
| the necessity OF calling meetings for the
special purpose Of having school houses
| built throughout their respective counties,
TO accomplish that great end.
BY NJ. w. Gibbs of Pulaski:
Resolved, That this convention of the
colOred men Of the state of Arkansas have
still to complain that violence and Ing ustice
to their race still exists to an alarming ex-
| tent. In most gases the perpetrators go
| unwhipped Gf justice; that when they are
arraigned the laws are administered with
| such laxity and partiality that the
ESCAPE OF THE CRIMINAL
is both easy and possible. In no instance
is the penalty Of the law enforced against
| white man for the murder of 2 negro, how
ever papable the case may be, whilst in
most Instances the bare accusation of a
negro committing homicide upon white
man is sufficient warrant for law with all
| its forms, to be ruthlessly set aside and the
doctrine of lynch swift and certain to be
enforced. Case after case is chronicled by
the press of negroes hung by infuriated
mobs without trial to deterpline their guilt
! or innocence. The farcical proceedings at
law, in the ineffciency of prosecution, the
selection and manipulation of jurors, and
the character Of public sentiment have had
painful illustration in several cases. but re-
Gently, of johnson, the cOlored man muir
/ dered in this, the capital county ofthe state
the homicide of this man. 4 servant ut
| ple, and in their presence. without provo
cation, was universally admitted, nOtwith-
! standing jury of twelve men, with
INDECENT HASTE,
| hnd l,sm not glIilty-a verdict fit to shock
| the sense OF every friend of right and JUS
| tice. Eobtnsou, Il white man. Tor killing a
colored man because his victim asked for
| the return oG money loaned, received but
| two years in the penitentiary. Burrel
| Lindsey, a col0reL farmer who had home
| steaded United states land in Van Buren,
| and had commenced to cultivate it. was
| waited upon and told that be must leave,
that they weuld have 20 nisgsrs in the set
| tlement. They came beck ut midnight re-
| inforced and broke open his doos. One of
the mob lying dead on the r,shh old,
| pierced with shot, was Burrel Lindsey's IS
|
| honor be it noted) said he did the proper
| thing; good men in the nei@htorhood who
| knew The character aud industry Of Lind
| scy, said the same. But Yet. after beng
harrassed by threats and legal prosecutions
tor months, a jury find him guilty OF assault
With intent to Kill. and six years in the
,oenitcntiary at hard labor is the penalty
for defending his home. Homicide has no
local habitalon; it is the accident of every
comm unity in every nation, and the
JUsTICE AND IMPARTIALITY
v rtt which the law is administered. are the
m es3;,re of heir humanity and civilization
-bu. Acre we have the spectacle of press,
pulpit ..s,d rostrum OF the state with cX-
ceptions scarcely to be notes) either en-
tircIy dumb. or merely passing ailusion.
t7ftener IN commentator IMAM censure OF
these damnIIg acts. We are positive in our
confidence tha11aose-and only those-who
expose, denoun.e and lay bare their con-
duct, and thereby create sentiment that
will lessen this evil, Afe the only true friends
to the states material, rs we'll as moral
progress; that the attempt to deny and
evade by comparison with ckher states does
rot meet the issue in the miEds of thought
full men, who believe that ne life is safe
where the humbest is unprotected.
We insist that the value of tie oolored
brother tilier of the soil, the Increasing
thrift and economy evlnced in securing
homes and taxable property, their favora-
BILE com 2arison (by fair JUDI gment) with any
other class as to the moral and
LAw-ABIDING CHARACTER
least merit the application OF justice in the
courts and we ask for him consideration
and assistance in fair settlements of con-
tracts for labor. That he may sometimes
eXasperate by unjust claim, believing 1T
to be his right, we freely admit. But where
could superiority and nobility of character
be better displayed than by generous
magnanimity to this child of slavery. That
the better element of the democratic party |
does not favor this latvlessnPSs we are con-
linuaily assured, but the fact stands out in
bold relief that they are unable or unwil-
ling. with the forces OF wealth and lntelil-
gence in their possession, to create heal-
thier public sentiment. TO them aEd TO I
just men everywhere we appe al to assist 10y !
bringing the moral power of denuncl alton /
against this wrong, that impartial justice |
may be the law for every citizen or resi-
dent of the commonwealth; be it also
Resolved, That the president and secre- |
tary be empowered to sign u petition in
behalf and as the
EARNEST REQUEST
of this convention, to he presented to his
excelIency, the governor, asking executive
cIemency in the pardon of Burrel Lindsey
now incarcerated in the penitent tiary under |
a sentence of six years.
BY NJ. f. Childress of Faulkner:
Whereas, The amendments of the con- |
stitution of the United States guarantee to |
the colored race protection and Justice: and |
Whereas, One of the conditions required |
of the people of the revolving states upon !
their return into the union was, under oath
that they would not discriminate against |
any man on account of his race, color or |
previous condition of servitude; and
Whereas, This oath has been repeatedly |
disre garded in the so-called courts of JUS
tice; and
Whereas, In view of the fact the colored |
race forms an important factor in the in
dus:rial pursuits of the nation, most espe-
cially in the cotton belt, producing 60 per
cent Of all the cotton, is of itself alone a
sufficient reason why we should be looked
upon with more consideration by the state
authorities; also be it
Resolved, That this convention heartily
endorse the administration of President
Arthur; assuming executive functions un-
der the most trying circumstances, his con-
duct has been signaized by eminent states
manship, justice and discretion.
All OF which we respectfully recommend:
NJ w Gibbs, ii A johnson, J q Mitch ell,
Thomas-Muldrow, G A Ridout, Ferd Havis
and l. G. Morris.
On motion of III Smkens, the report of
the committee was received and unani-
mously adopted with the resolutions.
The committee on the state centra! com
mittee reported the following names:
First District-Daniel w Lewis, Henry
Andrew, ID b Barrow, G b Brown, III c
Newsome-
Second District-C johnson, G. A Rid |
out, Ferd Havis, L II Booth, J II Hoke, NJ |
4 ChilnraGs