Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-04-13
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. |
Emanclpation.

special interest.
When Tennessee was admitted into
the Union her population comprised
1000 free negroes. BY the constitution
OF 1875, which permitted all freemen of
the age of 81, who had been inhabi
tants OF county for six months pre-
vious to an election, to vote this class
OF citizens had the right of the elective
franchise, right which was exercised
until 1884, at which time it was cut off,
largely on account of the number,
which had grown to nearly 5000, and
the threatened influx of liberated slaves
from other States
In the constitutional convention of
that year transpired an event of his
toric interest Sixteen counties pre-
sented petitions with 1904 signers,
many of whom were Shareholders, some
asking that all the children of slaves
born after 1885 be made free, and others
with what seems almost prophetic
forecast, that all slavery should cease
to exist in Tennessee from 1866.
A report was made, which unequivo-
cally set forth the evils of slavery, de-
nounced it in the strongest terms, and
looked hopefully to its ultimate ex-
tinction as ian event devoutly and ar
IDENTIFY desired by the wise and good in
every part of our beloved country"
If nothing were known but the fact
OF negro suffrage up to 1884, and that
such report, in such body, and at
such time was made and dispas-
sionately considered, these would suf-
fee as exponents of the truth that the
Pennsylvanians and Virginians who
settled that region, and their descend
ants, were imbued with the same prin-
ciples and convictions which in the
constitutional convention of 1883 op-
posed the action of the Northern States,
in combining with the Carolinas and
Georgia against Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Vir-
ginia and imposing, in behalf of North
ern shipowners, the African slave trade
on the country until 1908.
1t was not until that year QS34) that
the apprentice emancipation act of
Great Britain went into effect. Neither
Sweden, Denmark nor France hal
abolished slavery in their colonies.
Slavery yet fingered in New Jersey,
New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut,
Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
The men of that convention had in
their minds the example of Washing
ton, who had freed his slaves, and the
utterances of those pioneer and great
advocates of emancipation, Henry, JEFF
ferson, Madison and Marshall.
1t will be remembered that this was
the year that John Randolph of Vir-
ginia, died, and liberated by will 800
slaves.
The Pbiladeiphians signalized it by
anti-abolition riots, in which an African
Presby yterian Church was destroyed,
and negroes were beaten and killed.
1t was made memorable by the good
people of Connecticut, who, after hav-
ing incarcerated Prudence Crandall for
admitting negroes into her school;
contrary to law, attempted to burn her
school-house, and stormed it with
stones and crowbars.
New York made it historic with
scenes of wild tumult, saclsing the
house of Tappan and other abolitionists,
and turning upon terrified negroes the
vengeance of frenzied mob.
The memory of the bloody scenes of
the Turner insurrcction was still fresh
in the public mind. In that year Ger
ritt Smith, in meeting of abolitionists,
proclaimed: ut is not to be disguised
that war has broken out between the
South and the North not early to be
terminated"
Garrison and his followers had de-
nounced the constitution as a covenant
with death and agreement with hell"
1t was the year before Andrew Dom
olson. of Tennessee, died, emancipat-
ing twenty-one slaves by his will, that
year of 1885 in which that orderly pro-
ceeding took place in Boston called by
the Boston Gazette "a meeting OF
gentlemen OF property and standing
from all parts of the city," in which
Garrison was seized and dragged
through the streets with a rope about
his neck, and from which he found safe
refuge only within the hospitable walls
of a JAIL and two years before Gov.
Everett, of Massachusetts, suggested
the expediency OF prosecuting aboli-
tionists.
Rut these events in Tennessees his
.orv do not stand alone. Rev. Samuel
Doak, Virginian by birth and one OF
tho men who contributed potentially
toward shaping the destiny of Ten
nessec. was an avowed abolltionist in
East Tennessee as early as 1900.
He and the Presbyterians OF his
ne;ghborhood bought two negroes,
freed and educated them, and the
Union Presbytery of East Tennessee
licensed and ordained them.
His pupils, Jesse Lockhart and John
Rankin. Tennesseans by birth, became
famous leaders in the cause OF emanci-
patton.
Mr.. Beecher, in reply to the question
"Who abolished slavery" is said to
have answered, "Rev. John Rankin and
his sons did it"
In 1901 law was passed in Tennessee
favoripg voluntary emancipation. A
manunission society was formed in
Tennessee in 1914, which in 1925 had
.,,er 670 mem bers.