Evening star., 1898-11-22
ENTER A PROTEST
Colored Citizens Condemn Alleged
Outrages in the South.
AN APPEAL MADE FOR JUSTICE
Addresses by Prominent Leaders
and Adoption of Resolutions.
THE STAR COMMEND

In the presence of an audience of at least
5000 people. who assembled last evening at
the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church TO
extend their synpathies to the colored peo-
pie OF North Carolina in their present
troubles TO condemn the alleged outrages
recently inflicted upon them at Wilmington
and elsewhere. Rev. DR.. Geo. W. Lee, Rev.
DR. W. H. Brooks. Mr.. Perry II. Carson,
Mr.. Thomas l.. Jones and former Governor
p b. s. Pinchback delivered addresses and
entered a solemn protest against the al
legged oppression of colored people in the
south.
The great audience was composed of coll
ored men and women from every section of
the District. and with one exception the
multitude was of one mind to the grav-
ity of the situation which exists in North
Carolina. Tine one discordant note was ut
tered by John Moss of HIlsdale. He was
however. promptly sat upon by the chair
man of the meeting, Rev. DR.. Lee, and Moss
not only quickly subsidized. but a few mo-
ments afterward left the building.
The meeting was called 10 order by Rev.
DR.. Lee. pastor of the church in which the
gathering was held, and Mr. James Lewis
of Louisiana was secretary. The exercises
were opened with prayer offered by Rev.
DR.. Brooks of the Nineteenth Street Baptist
Church. In his inVoca rion DR.. Brooks eX-
pressed thanks that though sometimes the
race. He prayed for the widows and or
pnans of those who had been killed at Will
mington and elsewhere fer no wrong: that
good citizens would not leave government
to the rabble; that God would bless the
southland well as the northland; that the
ministry would open its mouth in reference
to the outrages committed that the press
or the south would stand on the side of
justice. and that God would bless the col
ored race. that they might do good TO all
men, and that peace may reign through
out this broad land.
DIR. Lees Address.
At the conclusion of DR. Brooks PRAYER
DR.. Lee made some remarks. Recent events
had. he said. caused the colored race
trouble Had the occurrences which have
transpired within few weeks in North
Carolina taken place in 1866 no one would
have been surprised. he said He then re-
ferred to the sufferings of the colored men
OF the south, the work of the ku kLux and
the fidelity of the ColOred voters to the re-
publican party, even when many of their
friends were shot or hung for their politi-
cal views
The speaker denour ced Iynch!ng under all
circumstances. and said that every man
White OF black, who was executed by IyuCfI
law or without trial by jury was innocent i'll
his grave The colored people, he said, oc-
cupy peculiar position. During the civil
war they were distrusted.
At this point Perry H. Carson entered the
church Some one called out, Here he is
Gnu tAie duIISliCC DTOhe INTO IOuQ CnSerlng,
and 1t was some time before DR.. Lee could
proceed.
Resuming. DIR. Lee said he had the author
lty OF democratic editor for declaring that
III II mad not been for the colored soldiers
IN Cuba Col, Roosevelt would tonight be
studying the resurrection problem in the
grave
Down in North Carolina, he continued,
they said there was one place where the
coIored men ruled. and the democrats rose
IN their might and overthrow the negro
power there He drew vivid picture of
the manner in which the democrats man
aged the recent election in North Carolina
He would he said. be indignant if the coll
oTed people tried to oppress the white race
and he is just as indignant now that the
conditions are the reverse.
DIR. Lee, in speaking of a. NJ. Waddell
the leader of the Wilmington mob, said
he was a former representative, who had
lived several years beyond his time and
death had forgotten his mark. 1t was the
irtention OF the colored people, he said to
agitate the question of their just rights
until the white people concede them, to get
clear of being bothered.
In conclusion, DIR. Lee said: "Our hearts
are pained We believe we have done
enough 10 merit the consideration of the
people of the United States, who love JUS
ttce- There is one paper IN this city that
has stood by u.s. That is the grand old
Star. 1t has stood by us not because we
are black, but because justice has hovered
over our camp. l say here and now that
dead, it is our duty to show our apprecia-
tiOn Of its course by doing what we can
toward recognizing its justice TO white and
black aiks-
Committee Appointed.
At the conclusion of DR.. Lees address a
committee to draft resolutions was ap-
pointed. as follows: Rev. Dr. Brooks, Perry
II. Carson. Rev. r. T. Hart, Rev w j.
Howard, e NJ. Hewlett. w. Calvin Chase
W
tired. and during its absence LAWYER John
Moss arose and asked the chair what was
the object of the meeting. He was going
on with speech, but the chair cut him
short, saying he would be ashamed TO have
II go out To the public that there was a
negro lawyer in the city ignorant of the
purpose of the meeting. The reply of Dr.
Lee was followed by uproarious applause
mingled with Kisses for Moss, who at once
subsidized
When order was restored Mr. Thomas L.
Jones was called on for a speech. He de-
nCunced Governor Russell for his vaciiiat-
Ing conduct and said there was no reason
for the colored people TO be discouraged.
He declared that the acts of the demo-
Gratis at Wilmington were the result of the
seed sown by Booker T. Washington at
Atlanta. He further declared that The
Star was the only paper in this city that
had dealt justly by the cOlOred people.
The RESOLUTIONS
The committee on resolutions reported on
three distinct matters, all OF which reports
were adopted. The first was read by Dr.
Brooks, and was as follows:
The members of your committee are
painfully sensible that Iawlessness in the
United States is on the increase. As
matter of fact lynchings are common; class
legislation Of the worst kind is common:
Urfair and injurious interpretations of the
laws of the land. which give one class of
citizens an advantage over other citizens
are common; the slaughter of unarmed
citizens. the destruction of private prop
erty and the property of the United States
for political reasons, even the killing of
women and babes at the mothers breast
have characterized our civilization In late
years. nor is there in America Christianity
enough nor civil authority enough to pun
ish the dastardly business Of burning alive
persons unconyicted but accused of crime
such is the state of Iawlessness in this
country that We are inclined to the belief
that there is not another Christian govern
ment on the globe like ours in these re-
spects. Accordingly the events of the last
Few days, which have resulted IN the burn
ing OF houses. the killing of inoffensiye
citizens the expulsion of OF