The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-30
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
Gen. John Coburn Was the Guest Of
Honor and Delivered an address.

Gen. John Coburn Was the Guest Of
Honor and Delivered an Address.
Gen. John Coburn was the guest of
honor at the Afro-American Council yes
terday afternoon. Chairman Walters
caught sight of Gen. Coburn standing In
the lobby OF the Senate chamber and at
once went down and invited him 10 a posi-
ton on the platform. Inasmuch as Gen.
Coburn could not remain until the adjourn
ment OF the session, Representative White
paused in the outset of an address he was
to deliver and allowed the general TO ad-
dress the council. Gen. Coburn's speech
was received with as hearty and sincere
applause as has marked any of the remarks
delivered thus far in the sessions OF me
council. He was introduced by the chair
man as lone of the best friends the negro
has in America" a statement which was
seconded by A E. Manning. of this city.
who furnished reasons in support of its
truth. Gen. Coburn said:
II want to congratulate you upon the
c~ommendable spirit of your deliberations.
All the addresses which i have heard were
fair and reasonable and applicable to the
condition of affairs now existing i'm this
country. To say that l am astonished at
the movement in the South TO disfranchise
the colored men because they are of the
African race is to say that I am astounded
beyond anything that has ever occurred
in my life. IL is of the gravest Importance
that you consult together as TO your rights
You have rights that are about TO be for.
feited, and possibly they may be forfeited
by maladministration either Of the law or
of legislation-it may be possible that you
will be permanently deprived Of your
rights, but in the name of humanity. or
justice. of fair dealing. of human rights.
1 say l protest against IL. lGreat ~applause.l
You were admitted 10 stand upon the
ground floor of this Republic. equal in all
respects with the white men. You earned
your rights-many of you-by fighting in
the field the enemy of the country, and 1
trust that the result of discussions OF this
kim will be of such a temperate and rea-
sonable and powerful nature as that the
conscience of the station viii be awakened
to the Importance of the matter and of the
injustice of the action that has been forced
upon the country" tGreat applause.l
THE DELEGATES PLEASED.
General Coburn with difficulty forced his
way from the room through the crowds
of delegates eager to grasp his hand and
thank him for his encouraging address.
On motion of Senator Alain. of Georgia,
the council by unanimous rising vote ten
dered General Coburn a vote of thanks for
| his remarks.
After the council was opened with prayer
ny tCN u ~ III "a ~ "
the most talked-of speech Of the day was
delivered by Prof. III. I. Healing. formerly
of Texas, but now editor of the "A. M.
Z. Review. of Philadelphia Professor
Healing proved himself TO be not merely
an orator Of great force. but a profound,
clear. logical thinker as we'll His address
abounded in flashes of humor that put his
hearers in a pleasant condition OF mind.
Now and then the speaker would make
some telling point by the use OF an illus
tration homely in its wording. yet so brill
liant In its clearness as TO evoke spon-
delegates. The speaker said he was down
on the programme for a talk on the kind
of education needed by the negro, but he
declared he would not confinc himself 10
his subject, since he believed the negro
needs more than one kind OF education. lie
made an elaborate and eloquent argument
in support OF his position that the negro
| needs as much education and the same
kind of education as does the white man.
N kind of education is going TO make
| a fool succeed he said. Mr.. Healing de-
MED the truth OF Charles Dudley War
ner's assertion that the educated negro Is
a failure and said that in a short time able
colored men would have printed and ready
for distribution compilations OF statistics
showing Mr.. Warner TO be wrong. Some
of Mr.. Kealing's characteristic ~utterances
are worthy Of reproduction. "A few were:
81 believe that when God goes TO the
trouble of putting a special mark upon
"a man referring TO the negro's COLOR. IL
is because there is special worth in him.
face bleach. The negro must be worth
something because there is so much con-
tention over him." lGreat applause.1
'God put the negro into American life I'm
a wonderful way, and he need not despair
OF results"
Only a few years ago Mr.. Cleveland
used the whole power of the government to
protect your letters. yet he and all others
admitted that he could not protect your
person unless the man that was Imposing
upon you asked that you be protected from
his imposition" Laughter and applause.l
There is too much iackeyism, too much
toadyism among US"
Slavery enslaved the white man as much
as IL did the black man. The only differ
ence is, emancipation set US free, but IL left
him bound By the old traditions and Gus
toms"
''The race problem is simply a problem of
recognizing manhood I'm a man"
SELF-HELP Is NEEDED.
Nothing but self-help-the help repre-
ssnted by organizations like this. the help
represented by our own business institu-
tons. the help represented by our own
papers, the help represented by our own
societies and churches and other bodies
under our conIrol-this self-help Is TO Us
the most important help in developing that
inner part which makes the better part Of
civilization"
" have more highly educated men than
we have good men Smong ns. We have
more men who can read and write tIan
VIC have men who caII put that reading
and writing To d holy and useful purpose.
Our brain development has outrun our
other DEVELOPMENT. and VIC want TO bring
I'D the other side.
On. of Pro-. kcaling's most apt hlustra-
tions was that about mud and India rubber:
strike a cake Of mud and IL becomes TAT
ter. Strike a piece Of India rubber and ~
hounds back ard resumes its original form.
The North American Indian II like the mud.
The white men bore down upon him. anc
hts sulky nature VAS not able To with
stand the pressure and he has disappeared
from the scene or action. This col0rcd mans
buoyant. resilient. cheerful nature nas.
however. been able 10 keep Us ~0figiaal form
beneath the most discooraging oppression"
we have TWO classes OF mcu In this
bcdy.' said Professor kcaiing. "as de-
veloped by the debates. one class carries
chips on its shoulders an the time. Another
counseis moderation and patiencc. Neither
class can Go the work alone. IL requires
the radical neE. who viii keep pushing
ahead. and conservative naei. who will
1 rroyent the radicals from going too FAR
or too fast" In concluding his address
Professor Healing made an earncs; appeal
20 the colorsd men TO DC resotrceful. 10
work together and not TO be afrrfa OF hard