Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-08-11

PAOeohCfs OIoOOE Hu0 pO6b u6llVcF6Q
series of le stures before the Ohatauqus
Assembly at Laurel Park near North
amptan, Mast, July II, 1S, and 18th.
lt wac the first sime q Colored man
had appeared before that assembly and
he made most profound impressioH.
His theme was The Plantation Ne
gro Of long ago." The following are a
few.of the newspaper comments.
GRAND Army DAY.
The old veterans have been the guests
OF honor at the Park TO. day. The gates
have been thrown wide open co them
snd q cordial welcome has been extend
I'd on all sides. They have come from
far and near, have brought their fami-
lies and are having q grand reunion.
when old memories have been recalled
and the old army life has been lived
over again.
The program was arranged for their
special benefit. and it WAS with nscnl-
isr fitness that an ex slave, Daniel
Webster Davis, OF Virginia should
hsvei eiGelighted them this morning with
ren1iuisceDses of plantation life. His
many pathetic instances of those old
times, his poems, his songs, his thrill
ling tales of the love Of the Colored
race for the sunny South. his stories of
the sheetion OF the black women for
their young masters, all vividly revived
the slave days and gave an insight into
the joye and sorrows Of the black race.
He declared that race that could
out of its deep sorrows find joy and
consolation In songs and dsnces would
one day rise to great things. In his in
PRODUCTION 7ne declared that ne was GO
| ing TO take tue audiepce 50 the land OF
the watermelon and of the cotton and
wss going TO draw lessons Of the desti-
NJ Of his people. My people are filled
with love for that dear old land. No
man ever came to New EnglKnd and
| reeaived the Rreetlcg / have recstved
aud nos return visa deeper desire TO
elevate his race. No man can visis this
land Of Webster and Sumner and Phil
lips without being filed with the sew.
| sral principles they represented. The
South is not an ideal place, yet the
man 10 happy who can adjust himself
| to circumstances. The Negro 10 in the
South TO stay and he must adjust him
l self to his environments. The South
| offers liberal advantages to the black
man and there are thousands of warm
hearted men and women In the South,
| devoted 90 the blsek men. The Negro
has "a honest heart and q noble pur-
pose 60 do right, and the North can
never understand the gratitude Of the
Negro for the grand work that was
done in freeing the slave, yet the glor-
ious work must 10 on and, ths North
uust nos lose It's interest in uplifting
| the blask race. The speaksr then az
planned few Of the peculiarities of the
Negro dialect and told something OF
the old family life.
-NoRrHAMPron DAILY HERALD,
Northampsod, Mass.
OLD PLANTATION DAYS.
Daniel Webster Davis again delight
cd abe Laurel Park audience this fore
noon with his stories OF old plantation
days. He kdeclsred that the Oolored
man was always Q happy man. God
had made him 80, knowing the terrible
ordeal he must pass through. For $50
years the slave had taken no thought
or the morrew and this accounts for his
lack OF thrift to day. The Oolored man
has . wonderful faculty in making his
work play. He finds pleasure in work.
| ing. Tho speaker then told how the
southern Negro celebrated his holi-
days and he took his hearers right
down into those log cabins and showed
the joys that filed every soul. The
singing, the dancing, the feasting, the
banjo playing we're all illustrated by
one who had his soul in it. In closing
Mr.. Davis declared that the North
would never know the Joy that Abra-
ham LincelnB proclamation had
brought to the black man. Their chill
dren's children n would be grateful. Mr..
Davis in all his talks has not uttered
one word against the white people Of
the South, and he has given q splen-
did idea Of the old plantation days.
Mr.. Davis facetiousiy declares that
he was not responsible for this pecul-
lar weather and that he did not bring
lt with him. DAILY HER
AID. Northampton Mass.
At II o'clock Daniel Webster Davis
| Of Richmond, the colored poet, gave
another series Of readings from his
OVID poetry, which well interested the
audience. The fact that Mr.. Davis
showed no tendency TO antagonize the
South, has attrsesed considerable in
terest. at 2-8O she Kslmia lady quar-
tes, John e. Aborn and Mr.. Davis gave
. concert The qusrtet's singing ash
| ly pleased the company, and Mr., Dav-
ISIS readings were received with great
| applause. The program was inter-
| speraed with many solos By different
members q she quartet. The eoncert
/ was well sttende4. as all musical ies-
tiVities have been at the Park. -
| -SPaIkeFIzLD DAILY REPUsLIoAN,
6pringiiel0, Mass.
Rev. Davis preached In Boston. New
YORK. Philadelphia, and expressed
hirnsslf - well pleased with has reeept-
Ion among colored and white. BE has
been engaged 80 return next summer
60 psvsral Chatsquas 20 lecture.
Virgins sna especially Rishmond
feels proud Of her bEilliaas son.