Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-04-23
CLEVELAND AND THE NEGRO.

A feature of the conference of the African
Methodist Zion Church in session last week
in Washington City, was the address of
Bishop James w. Hood Of Fayetteville,
n. c., the presiding officer. After dwelling
on the state of the church and its increased
prosperity during the past year, he referred
to the recent change in the Administration.
He thankfully ascribed the defeat of Blaine,
not to Prohibition or any human agency,
but to God himself, who, by the rain which
He sent on election day determined the re-
suit in favor of Mr.. Cleveland. TO question
the Righteousness of this decree of God was,
he said, wicked. He had no apprehension
for his race. Those who had virtuperated
Mr.. Cleveland, and now, since his election,
rushed forward for smile of recognition,
were very ridiculous, and the rebuke re-
ceived by such a one a few days ago was
richly deserved.
On Friday number of the delegates to
the conference called upon the President
They were cordially received by him.
Prof. Howard Day delivered an address on
behalf of the delegates, in which he said
that they were not politicians or seekers OF
official place, but men interested in what
ever concerns men, and especially desirous
that in this country there may be good gov
ernment for even the poorest and most de-
pressed of its citizens. He said that as re-
ligion teaches they realized the Importance
of their seeking by we'll ordered lives to
meet the expectations Of their friends, and he
said that they are striving in their church
and school work to carry out this idea. He
referred to the extent of the Methodist
Church and school work among the colored
people in the United States, Canada, West
Indies and Africa, and said:
"This extended working church comes
to-day to congratulate the President upon
his election. Some of our men voted for
him. But, voting for or against him, we re-
cognize the fact that he is President of
q party merely-but of a Nation. For the
first time in many years we cheerfully pay
our respects to President who is Demo
crat. We believe him to be Democrat in
the true sense of that term. We trust the
President. We have asked and will ask
our people to trust him."
Continuing, he said the Democracy of
the present was Of that character (which
asks nothing but what it comedies, nothing
but what it demands" which is destructive
only to despotism, and the sole conservator
ofliberty, labor and prosperity, law of equal
rights and obligation. "To such a Presi-
dent" he said, 1--WE pledge our support and
earnest prayers that his life may be preserv-
ed and his heart strengthened to maintain
his earnest purposes"
The President responded substantially as
follows:
II am very much pleased to see you here,
and am exceedingly gratified with the ad-
dress which has just been delivered. l am
glad to know that this goodly number repre-
sents such large portion Of my fellow citi-
zens belonging to particular race. AS
religious teachers your mission is a most
important one, and one which cannot be ig-
nored, and should not be underestimated by
the Chief Magistrate of the Nation nor by
any other person holding official place. In
church and in Sunday school are taught re-
ligion, good morals, honesty and proper re-
gard for established authority, all of which
are exceeding necessary to good citizenship.
party to which / belong. My conception OF
Democratic principles embraces equal rights
and privileges to all who are citizens of the
United States, and I am glad to know that
in the endeavor to enforce such principles, |
shall have your confidence and support. L
am pleased to greet you and take you by the
hand"
Oh the same daya number of colored men
from Virginia called upon the President to
present petition asking him to appoint to
position in their State men who would not
use their offices for political purposes. The
President received them affably and in reply
to their representations said:
''I have listened with much interest to
the words in which you addressed me, and
! am glad to learn that you are determined
to claim only the rights and privileges of
citizens by the proper performance OF your
duties as such citizens. 1t has been said
that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.
I desire to remind you of this and to say
that the vigilance to which l refer is based
upon that Intelligence and thoughtful con-
sideration which induces you to see and ap-
prehend things that point to your interests
as citizens, and to gain knowledge of these
things in your own way and without being
when this is fully accomplished the day
will come which /, for one, will be glad to
see, when something better than race or
color will divide the political action of those
who are citizens of the United States"
It is understood that the policy of the ad-
ministration with regard to appointments to
places in the Southern States now held by
colored Republicans will be not to substi-
tute white men for colored men, but to re-
place incompetent or dishonest colored Re-
publicans by colored Democrats who are
worthy and capable.