Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-10-18
Gala DayI
Continued from First Page.

-
with round after round OF applause.
No one said he need be ashamed of the
color of his skin nor the curl OF his
hair for we are all free. We did not
come here of our own account we
came here in agony.
look to the law OF my country. L
san ction no color line against us.
sanction no oppression against
us. The war came. the North
against the South, Lee against
Grant.
But what changer What do we
see2 Ten thousand people assem-
bled to-day in the capital of the Old |
Confederacy, the equal OF any other
people.
We assemble here free. Slavery |
can never return for God has put
the seal of his disapprohation upon |
it.. They say that this is a white
| mans government, am here TO tell
you that it is black mans govern
ment as well.
They talk about wars. There will
never be another war but that the
Negro will take part in rallyiDg TO
the aupnort of the government with
the white men,
never saw Democrat who did
not believe that the word cOlOred
man was in the Constitution.
am glad to say that was born
in Louisa Co., Va. The best Virgin
in blood i'm my veins--the best white
blood on the one side and the best
colored on the other. l am not
: ashamed of it.
They say / ought not TO go to Con-
gress, because my hair is curly, your
, face is a little dark They say you
ought not to go to Congress now
because your mother was in the
kitchen.
e But ism t it a good thing to go
{ from the manager to the Halls OF
: Congress.
HON. GEORGE T. DOWNING.
\ The Chair introduced Hon. Geo. T.
q Downing, of Newport, r. l. The
q speaker thanked the audience, but
? said "the compliment was wholly
v unexpected" and therefore he could
only make such remarks as occurred
q to him at the time. He felt a little
" timid in speaking before reporters
! as he had no notes, but would dc
e his best. His father had come from
n "old Virginia" (Accomac county,
. and therefore he was not altogethel
a stranger. Though reared in New
Is | York, where he could speak his opin
ions as he pleased, and where al
men were equal, he had no doub
that 1.-the ladies and gentlemen be
fore him were as we'll versed in decen
CIV and decorum as the Chief Execu
OF tive OF the land.
Ie- "Our thanks for freedom" said tn
IS speaker, s'are due rather TO Go
ge than to man. i join most heatril
Sc In reverence to God than to man 70
or freeing u.s." [AppIausc.
The speaker then alluded in mos
~ sarcastic terms TO the famou
TT 80 t~-. w. -.
'ue and Henry Watterson, ;, t>vntuck
and this, perhaps, was the first tin
me that any touch of political rance
Do; had marred the meeting. Speakir
no ofthe rights of the colored people
ng did not mean to ''fy in the face"
our the Governor here, but referred
VS.; the rights OF God.
.n; sTRIvEN FOR ELEVATION.
Inv If ever there had been a people WI
had striven to elevate itself it W
arv the colored people. The trout
ght with them now was not their ''igns
hIa ance," but the fact that they owe
ON getting away from ignorance
i of fast" This was the difficulty wi
of / their unrelenting enemies who w
ros- trying to rob them in every posi-
Who manner.
cto- "See to it, black men and womel
nos continued he, THAT you educi
your children to frugality and h
esty. Don't feel respondent. st
ulate your children and yoursel
to be elevated in this land, and a
remember that there were true 4
in the days of Lincoln"
AN idle HOPE.
NJ The speaker said he wac an unc'
III promising demander of the full rig
M of the Negro, and looked forward
II =, the time when the two races VIC
III be equal. He had been in the ca
'o,,Is OF the enemy and favored Clevel
c. because he thought he had the ca
the South and would help them.
aoon II couldn't live in your section
ot;s+ couldn't travel South; l would
Va too apt to get in a fuss. My fat
oarS who was very muscular, would st
,eral when struck, and that was the
AIMED DOoh he ana my nnoone: le.se Ni
?. M. When coloreu man - S pa5
alva- ueorSIa i am SOruo~ III AAiou'
, fun ianG, -. ,.,..S -
ngre- Don ieei i .ls - 49,
nSnd- you are reisSoeu 70 Us '..Ns 'ls,
IF the Uhls, oiiaI OhosS VINO no'u yo
Love bondage were themselves Sia''
i airy former Cl4hes'
dams be lrugai' uoli oiliy l ~ :
lther ey put save 10 because = YOU
4 to will recognize you Affiliate, d.