Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-09-25
EMANCIPATION DAY.
The coIored People Of Vloksburg
and the Valley Celebrate Eman-
clpatlon Day--An Emancipation


and the Valley Celebrate Eman-
clpatlon Day--An Emancipation
Monument to be Erected.
AT the colored convention which as.
sembled at Louisville, KY, last sum-
mer, the proposition was made to Sc
lect some day to be celebrated by their
race, commemorative of the signing of
the emancipation proclamation by
President Abraham Lincoln. The
committee to whom this proposition
was made decided upon the 22d of Sept.
as the day for celebration by their peo-
pie. The colored people Of this city
desiring to inaugurate the movement
in Mississippi called for a celebration
at Kings grove, four miles north Of
this city, yesterday. Excursions were
run on the Mississippi Valley road and
a number Of excursionist arrived in
the early morning, at noon and at
three pm. Excursions were run from
the city to the grounds conveying large
numbers to participate in the ceremo-
MES.
AT THE GROUNDS.
At 4 o'clock the people assembled
under the forest trees on this side of
the hill, near Sandy Bottom Church,
and there, although the crowd was not
as large as was expected, a very en-
thusiastic, earnest and significant
meeting was had. The meeting was
called to order by L. 7. Montgomery,
and F. C. Moore was elected president
and E. I. Butler, secretary. The pro.
c9edings were opened with prayer, when
1T. Montgomery was called upon to adj
dress the meeting as to its objects etc.
He took the stand and by way of apol-
ogy and introduction, read a number
of letters from prominent gentlemen
who were invited to be present and
address the meeting, among whom
were Gen. 7. G. Catchings, Hon. B. X,
Bruce, Hon. Warren Cowan, Hon.
John II. Lynch, Judge H. F. Simrall,
and Hon. M. w. Gibbs, of Arkansas.
Our space forbids the publication of
all these letters, yet we give the fol-
lowing from Hon. B. K. Bruce, which
is pertinent and appropriate and will
be highly interesting to u colored
readers:
WASHINGTON, Sept. II.
Messrs. james Hill, A. G. Pearce, l. T. Mont
gomery, I. A. Miller and T. NJ. Broadwaters:
Gentlemen-Your favor of Septem.
Der 9Th, inviting me to address you on
the approaching Emancipation ami
versary, in the city of Vicksburg, has
been received; other imperative en-
gagements preclude the acceptance Of
the invitation that you have done me
the honor to extend. The day you eel
citrate is the natal day of u race, and
marks the advent Of the remarkable
facts and forces that introduced us, as
a people, into the possession and en-
joyment of the highest civilization
known to the world.
You commemorate an event that
was the forerunner and the earnest to
US and our children Of American citi-
zenship, and the day you celebrate is
endorsed by the benedictions it
brought to an entire race.
The first duty that this memorial
day suggests to the people more i'm
mediately interested in its celebration,
is the rightful and adequate apprecia-
ton of the grave obligation that the
possession of great prerogatives always
devolves upon those who receive them
Constitutionally clothed with the
right of selt-government, we must
currently assume the responsibility
to acquire the intelligence and
to exhibit the patience, discretion,
and moderation involved in the wise
exercise of our great right.
Contemplating the hopeful progress
that we have made in civil and poll
tical life, l believe that the American
people will never find any Just ground
to regret that we have been emanci-
pated and enfranchised-and the best
hopes and wishes, that 1 can entertain
or express for my race, will be more
than satisfied if by honest effort and
brave fidelity to their trust, they prove
themselves equal to the opportunities,
and worthy of the privileges with
which the great Republic has supplied
them.
Wishing you and the people you
represent God speed in every good
l am, gentlemen,
Very respectfully,
B. X. BRUCE.
After reading these letters Mr..
Montgomery delivered a feeling and
appropriate address, after which the
band played and Hon. Thomas Rich
of Claiborne county, was in
reduced, he delivering the Grafton of
The day, paying a merited tribute to
The progress the colored race has made
since their emancipation from slavery;
,aid that inasmuch as this was the in
lugural of the emancipation celebra-
ions in the South he hoped they would
establish a precedent that would
% emulated in the future by
'endering the celebration something
more than a mere pleasure picnic, and
IS a step in this direction begged to
'ffer the following preamble and reso-
.utions, which fully explain them
elves
Whereas, Throughout our South
and no monumental shaft points