The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-07-09

y
day. The whole proceedings ia the
House of Representatives on that day
are recorded in less than half page
of the Journal. They may be found on
page 20. The closing paragraph of
the proceedings is as follows:
.On motion of Mr.. Young. of Wake. IL
being the birthday of Robert r. Lee. day
declared to he pubic holiday by the laws
of North Carolina, the Houae adjourned To
meet at p. M, Monday, January II, 1885"
The House was in session less than
thirty minutes.
The action OF the Senate j. stated as
follows: On page - of the Senate
J Journal, proceedings of January 18th,
is the following:
Mr. Long moved to amend that when
the Senate adiourns to- day that il meet to-
in honor of the birthday of the late General
Robert E. Lee The amendment Of MIR.
Long was adopted
On page 81 of the Senate Journal.
proceedings of January 18th, appears
the following:
"On motion of Mr. Adams. the Senate
adjourned in honor of the birthday of the
lamented Robert K. Lee until Monday at 3
p. m,
1t is thus clear that both House and
Senate adjourned in honor of General
Robert Z. Lee.
WASHINGTON.
On page 4S9, House journal, pro-
ceedings of February 22d, is the follow
ing:
'By Mr.. Lusk, II. r.. 1895, resolution
in commemoration of the birthday of Geo
Washington, founder of the Republic"
The resolution read as follows:
"Resolved, That when this House ad
journs to-day, it adjourn in respect to the
birthday of the founder of the Republic"
On pages 493 and 434 of the House
journal, proceedings of February 22d
is the following:
The following bills and resolutions were
taken up and disposed Of as follows:
II. K. 1885, a resolution in cOmmemOra
alton of the birthday of George Washing
ton, the founder of the American Repub
lic.''
1.-The resolution offered by Mr.. Lusk i
adopted"
The action of the Senate was as fol
lows:
On page 300, Senate journal, pro
ceedings of February 22d, under heat
of Introduction of Bills and Resolu
tions is the following:
"By MIR. Starbuck, S. Il. GIL resolution
of respect to the memory of George Wash
ington, and providing for adjournment a
l clock"
On page 296, same day, occurs this:
IS R, GAL, on it's second reading. The res
olution was adopted"
VNho,o 60 oote al
that both House and Senate adjOurDe,
in honor of Washington.
THB DOUGLASS INCIDENT.
On February 21st, Representative
Crews, cOlOred, introduced the follow
ing resolution:
'Whereas, The late Fred Douglass &c
parted this life on the Goth instant and,
Whereas, We greatly deplore the same
now therefore,
Resolved, That this House adjourn at /
m, in respect to the deceased.
Resolved That copy of this resolutio
be spread upon the Journal of the House.
In reporting the introduction of thi
resolution into the House, the Demo
cratic newspaper which afterward
invented and led the lying report tina
adjournment had been refused in hon
or of Lee and Washington, said:
Before putting the vote the resolutio
was changed so as to provide that The Hous
would not adjourn at II o'clock, but whe
it did adjourn, it do so in in reepect to th
memory of the late Fred Douglass. The M,
ton was put and carried-ayes 80, noes %.
| No QUORUM voted and therefore th
resolution did not pass. The matte
never came before the Senate at al
and therefore there was no adjourn
ment by the "Legisiature" in honor {
Douglass.
Among those who voted in favor {
the resolution were leading Demo
Gratis. This is shown by the remark
of Representative Monroe, of Wayn
(Dem0crat) who, after the Democrat
press had begun its campaign of hitt
erto unequalled lying about the ma
ter, arose to question OF person:
privilege in the House and said:
''Mr. Speaker wish to speak for mi
ute or two to a question of personal priv
lege. Douglass ghost, like Banquo's, Wi
not down at our bidding. had hoped ye
terday that this House; that the whole cou
try had heard the last of this matter, hu
as have been informed that on yesterds
it was stated that / was publicly charg,
with having voted for this famous resoi
ton, and that did n5t deny it. and as Il
papers this morning are full Of it. wish
make a brief statement of the whole ms
ter.
when the resolution was offered havil
no prejudice against Douglass simply b
cause he was negro, thinking nothing
his wife, white or otherwise, and intendil
in no way to endorse intermarriage betwet
the races and wishing to please the negro
in this House, and to remove their ,prejudi
against my party, my first impulse was
vote for the resolution, and / SO indicated
by standing up; but when there was son
confusion, knowing that it was not unar
nous and spontaneous, that the comp
ment was worse than sounding brass and
tinkling cymbal, and not wishing to
!. mixed up in the matter, at the final cour
l did not vote at all.
when little boy read with delight Il
beautiful story of General Washington pr
, ling off his hat and bowling profoundly to
: negro, because, he said that he did not ca
to be outdone in politeness by simple O
negro. Somewhat in the same spirit, l II
that as the negroes in the House, and
, other legislative halls of this country, ha
for decades been pulling eff their hats to II
ideals that it was not too much for me
doff mine once to theirs.
IF by so doing 1 have unwittingly col
pared Douglass to Lee and Washington, t
one 1.-The nOblest figure that ever stood
the forefront of the nations history" t
other. the grandest figure that ever sh
J luster upon lost cause. oh, shades of t
heroes of Valley Forge and Gettysburg,
beg pardon! If I have sinned against t
sense of propriety, of the people of my ov
party, not only in this State, but in othe
I can only plead that my action sprang fro
/. generous Impulse in pure and patrio
. heart, and i can but express the hope th
! w @
E gendered of this discussion, shall have di
T and been forgotten, that the generous il
pulse that actuated me may in some mys
rious, unseen way continue to soften a
bless the lives of men,"
We have never understood why t
: , Democratic press rushed SO wildly in
this lie. 1t must have known that