The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-04-23
Colored Patriotism.

WASHINGTON, D. c., April ia
delegation of colored men from Virginia
called upon the President to-day to pre-
sent petition asking him to appoint to
position in their State men who would
not use their Offices for political purposes.
The President received them cordially,
and in reply to their representations
said:
81 have listened with much interest to
the words in which you have addressed
me, and am glad to learn that you are
determined to claim only the rights and
privileges of citizens by the proper per-
formance of your duties as such citizens.
It 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 refer is based upon that intel.
ligence and thoughtful consideration
which induces you to see and apprehend
things that point to your interests as cit
izens, and to gain a knowledge of these
things in your own way and without
being blindly led or cunningly deceived,
and when this is fully accomplished the
day will come which I, 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"
Delegates to the African Methodist
Zion Conference which has been in ses.
sion in this City called upon President
Cleveland to-day. They were cordially
received by the President. Prof. How.
ard 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 desi-
rous that in this country there may be
good government for even the poorest
and most depressed of its citizens. He
said that as religion 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
recognize the fact that he is President
not Of party merely-but of Nation.
For the first time in many years we
cheerfully pay our respects to President
who is Democrat. 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, moth
ing but what it demands" which is de-.
structive only to despotism, and the sole
conservator of liberty, labor and prosper.
ity, law, of equal rights and obligation.
"To such President" he said, Eve
pledge our support and earnest prayers
that his life may be preserved and his
heart strengthened to maintain his earn
est purposes"
The President responded substantially
dS lUllonSs -
"Bishop Day and the gentlemen of the
Conference
"I am very much pleased to see you
here, and am exceedingly grati6ed with
the address which has just been deliv.
cred. I am glad to know that this goodly
number represents such large portion
of my fellow. citizens, belonging to d
particular race. AS religious teachers
your mission is a most important one,
and one which cannot be ignored, and
should not be under estimated by the
Chief Magistrate Of the Nation nor by
any other person holding official place.
In church and in Sunday school are
taught religion, good morals, honesty
and proper regard for established author
ity, all Of which are exceedingly neces.
fsary to good citizenship. You have seen
fit to refer to the Democratic party to
which I belong. My conception of
Democratic principles embraces equal
rights and privileges to all who are citi.
zens of the United States, and / am glad
to know that in the endeavor to enforce
such principle, 1 shall have your con-
fdence and support. I am pleased to
greet you and take you by the hand"