Huntsville gazette., 1883-10-20
National COlOred Con yentiOn.
A Delegates Refec lions.

Etitt0r Gazette:
As one of your delegates or representa-
tives from the Sth Congnes sional District
q Ala, suppose 1t is exp scted to hear
something from<re. Being poor talker,
Shall endeavor to speak tor ~ constituents
through your estimable shes t. l feel glad
to say, that though amid 8 ome confusion
and disorder in the Nationa Convention,
we bad almost entire success i. accomplish
ing all yonr Journal Isss<ruete d us TO en-
deayor. First, to elvct Fredua ic Douglass
To the permanent Chairmansni p. Second,
70 show our dlsapproval OF lles present Re-
publican administration, aud aIhlrd, our
intention TO show and act in futu re, our in
dependence OF any party that does not
promise to recognize US as pa It of the
party.
The great disorder which first ar se, was
in consequence OF MIR. Douglass being
charged with having told reporter on the
morning previous to the Convention that
should Butler be nominated, he CButler)
would sweep the South which charge Mr.
Douglass had not the chance to deny, until
elected president Of the Convention, which
charge he did deny, and then set forth in
his speech, every feature OF the principles
that were actually endorsed in the 1st and
3rd resolutions OF your District Conven ton
at Decatur Sept. l, 1883. The GAZETTE of
last Saturday, and the Louisville Courier
Journal OF Sept. 25th will give to the pub
lie more OF the general proceedings or the
Convention than l shall have space and
time to do.
But allow me to say, and be held respon.
sible for saying that the Republican party
has been conducted by its leadeas III sach
way tor twelve years, that not only MIR
Ter n ma MT.
ing to our poor, neglected ana slighted
people, Is likely to sweep them throughout
the entire nation. A motion IS now In ol
der TO be branded with our Intention to
Sell out, but our people We're led along
WIN forty acres Until that wore out, then
10y being put III fear OF being enslaved
again, ana then they Were taught to brand,
hate ana desplse each otter tor, as 1t was
said, merely an expresSio ion OF Iree thought,
until every posslble deiuding device has
been resCi ted to-
Now WHIT next We have now been call |
ed 10 the avocatIou OF peace ana cIIizen-
ship, ami entertain no more fears OF ever
being enslaved again. Many of the race
and party pre]udlces that once retarded
our progress III the South have crumbled |
to dust, and it is time for US t. deal with
parties and persons that will assist Us in |
enlightenment.
We certainly owe the Republican party
nothing, and IL any odds is due 1t is to u.s. |
When we had no representation in this
government whatever, was there not fur
nished of our people over three hundred |
and fifty thousand as soldiers, pioneers,
teamsters &c, to help restore order to this
present government Many who have
died and now survive, have never been
paid one tarthing And still for all this
are we TO see men employed at the expense
Of the government to go from state to state,
in every nook aud corner OF the country,
with schemes set up to repudiate the just
dues of widows. orphan children and reia-
tives of poor coloreu soldiers ?
Perhaps my sentiment may differ from
many OF my people, and i'll part or the
whole with yourself, but it is open for
criticism and discussion. We furnished
1885, OFT soldiers who bore arms, beside
about 163. 9S3 persons who labored as pio-
necrs, teamsters &C., and if in the present
gratitude Is due any people or party it is
due them.
am Republican. but Tree one. and
unbound by any particular cords of graft
tude, and shall act in future accordingly.
1t is an old adage, that drowning N n
will catch at straw, and when such hanJs
as Mr.. Haygood's are offered down to this
sinking, struggling people for fair show,
whether OF Mr.. Butler or others, it neeu
not be conceded that our people through
out the entire South, will not be advised
to catch at them.
do not say we should form a separate
political party of our own, neither do I
advise that we think about standing off in
the Presidential campaign of 1884. There
are two great political parties in this coun-
try, and only two. and while we numj
over six millions, and have in our hands a
million and quarter of ballots, We Can
give success somewhere, and demand
proper recognition.
Respectfully,
w. II. GAsToN