Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-02-23
AN ELOQUENT ADDRESS.
Hon. John NJ. Langston Speaks to the
Colored People Upon .Our Nationality"

COlored People Upon 'Our Nationality
The colored citizens celebrated Wash
| ington's birthday in fitting manner BY
listening to an interesting address By
one Of the foremost men OF their race
and banquet and reception, last night
at G.. A. K. Hall. The audience wa:
slow in assembling, and it was nearly
nine O'clock when Rev. J. J. Jones
opened the exercises with ferveni
| prayer. Prof. j. McH. Jones then in
troduced the speaker and guest OF the
evening, Hon. John NJ. Langston, OF
| Virginia.
Mr.. L2ngston'S address was interest
ing and instructive, and at times elo-
| quent. and he was listened TO with close
attention throughout. He commenced
by saying that he was not insensible OF
| the fact that 1t was very sacred occa-
| sion, and he was not insensible OF the
| fact that he was speaking in a very
sacred place. We are assembled to-
! gether 10 commemorate the life and
! deeds OF one of the greatest men OF our
! country, and in this place where those
meet who fought to save their country
| and did so much to perpetuate her free
institutions.
The speaker then referred to the mis-
taken idea OF the status of the colored
man before the law. People say "this
is white mans country" and "a white
mans government, and many ne
groes are found who readily believe 1t.
He referred to the attempt Of the Man
haitian Club, of Richmond, Va, to Sc
81 hn
man to travel in separate railroad cars
from those used by white people, the
grave declaration of the Governor that
IL was a wise and proper thing TO do,
and the defeat of the matter In a eau
Gus of the Democratic members Of the
Legislature. "Go to Tennessee" he
said, land if you happen to be black
and are travelling ou a first-clasS ticket,
you will be told TO get into another car,
a 'jim-crOw' car. A Cinnamon is per-
mitted to travel with the white man,
but there is q discrimination against
the negro. Now II there is anything in
humanity that is lower than negro it
is a Ghinaman. Why is this? IL is be-
cause there is misunderstanding as to
the Negroes legal rights. The colored
men themselves do not understand their
status. Most Of them think that we
were brought into existence and
endowed with legal rights, when
Lee at AppomattOx, surrendered his
sword to Grant, and that our rights as
citizens do not date anterior to that pc
ROD. We are rather afraid ourselves
to assert ourselves" The speaker as
serted that he did not limit his wants,
aud some day IL would he the same with
all men. He maintained the negro
should be placed on a social equality
with his white fellow citizen.
Where does the negro stand legally?
He did not get his standing in the United
States from the 18th, 18th, or 18th
amendments. Everything contained in
them was given to the negro by the
fathers Of this country, long before
the first gun was fred on Sumter. Mr..
LangSton went into discussion Of this
point at length. giving authorities for
all his statements. He read an extract
from Chancellor Kent, who held
that the American free born black man,
or the slave emancipated, became
thenceforward citizen. 1t was &C
copied principle that nativity gives citi-
zenship, and this principle prevailed,
until recent years. He quoted from an
address to his soldiers by Andrew Jack
son, and read decision by Chief JUS
tice CASTOR, of North Carolina, both of
whom took the same ground upon the
subject. In North Carolina the negro
enjoyed the right Of suffrage, and the
free school privilege until 1885, when
they were taken from him by the
Constitutional Convention. The negro,
he continued, fought with his white
fellOw-citizeD in the war Of the revolu-
ton, and in five New England States
voted to ratify the Constitution OF the
United States. He was not only citi-
zen. but a voter. He also read the
opinion OF Chief Justice Bates, of Lin
coins Cabinet, which was declared be-
fore the Emancipation Proclamation.
The American born negro belongs
here. He has no more TO do with
Africa than anybody else. They talk
of sending him away, but while the
negro is a rolling stone; he never rolls
out OF the United States. The race Is
not only increasing by natural pro-
ceSses, but by accessions from abroad,
for the negro is naturalized here now.
Mr.. Langston closed with an eloquent
peroration and was loudly applauded.
A reception was then held, and all
present were given an opportunity to
shake hands with the distinguished
guest. The floor was then cleared for
the BANQUET, after which dancing was
INDUCED in to the music Of Meister's
Orchestra. The American Cornet Band
played several selections on the outside
carly in the evening.