The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-09-24
THEIR BIG DAY
CoIored People Celebrate
Emancipation Day
AT RIVERSIDE PARK
Program Is Continued in Peer
less Hall at Night.
RIVERSIDE

Yesterday was the big day for all the
colored people Of this city. It was THEN
annual picnic in honor Of their freedom
from slavery. They held big picnic II
Riverside park yesterday afternoon and
grand social n Peerless hall in the
evening. There was a fine crowd Of people
at the picnic and the hail was damned.
The colored band, lead by W. c. Mallory,
pvss there and discoursed sweet music
70 the crowd. The program began about
3 o'clock, with a prayer by Rev. II. V.
#lummer Of the Second Baptist church.
Then came the reading of the original
proclamation as issued by President Lin
coin, and read by Richard Walker. Cap
: tain Fishbsck then delivered his ad-
dress.
Captain Fishback was born in Ken
lucky and knowing the characteristics Of
the Afro American race, he went back to
the dark days Of slavery and pictured
them in their trials and struggles, in a
most eloquent and pathetic manner. The
old log cabin, the slave block, on which
husband, wife and child were sold, apart
from each other by the slave dealers.
He ygeaved laurels and crowned our
mart1-ed Lincoln as the Moses who lead
Them out Of the wilderness Of slavery and
placed them on the higher plane of life
as free American citizen TO run the race
of life. increasing all, and especially the
young men and women, with the thought,
that civiliza ton made good citizenship,
and pleaded with them to study politeness
toward both BLACK and white, and above
all. begin IN youth to build character
the foundation Of good citizenship.
q As the captain corarasted the log cabin
end the palatisI mansion, he became elo-
,o11ent and pathetic in his description of
the wonderful and unprecedented pro
aress the race had made since the cloud
of sla Asrdon had parted and let the sun
shine Cd freedom and hope in their souls
He said no nation under the broad canopy
Of Heaven had ever made such progress in
learning. cuftIre and refinement. The
havoc. grown from the log cabin, the old
straw bed and ignorance for want Of edu-
cation, only to scholarly, cultured and re-
fined men and women. Today we can
press the button at the front door of
many an elegant mansion and be met by
elegantly gosvned young ladies who, with
all the grace and dignity Of a queen, ush-
ers you into the parlor the floors of
which are covered with Administer and
velvet carpets, the walls adorned with
fine oil paintings of her own production,
windows draped with lace curtains and a
steinwav sitting in the corner. where she
sits down and dispenses the sweetest and
most classical music. AS we have watch
Ta.
vancsment they have made under so
many difficulties
AS 10 true friendship, he said. never was
there q truer, nor more loyal friendship
in man than that under the black skin,
as vas tested during the civil war, but
some az us who are wearing the copper
button today
The captain paid the colored race the
highest compliment III the conception of
his heart, when he spoke Of the nation
hanging in the shadow of a great calam-
ity. Our president is dead, and while the
nation weeps you people today can mingle !
both joy and sorrow, rejoicing today in
celebrating the anniversary of your de- !
liverance from slavery, and mingle with it /
you tears at the loss Of your president. In /
speaking of the cowardly act, and the as /
sassin and those who were more guilty /
Shan the POOR fool, the captain said, in |
coNgratulation ana praise of the negro: |
tThau God there are no anarchists among /
then; they don't breed anarchists, and 1
finished by paying the highest compli- /
ment lror their unfinching loyalty to their /
country, and to their Cod
The group he pictured was simply 1
grand. One could almost see him as he /
followed his words. Out upon the bosom /
of the waters and gathered in, Dewey, /
Schley and Sampson; then on land, Jo 1
Wheeler, Fi2zhugh Lee and Fred Fun |
Eton, and back To Washington, Lincoln, /
Garfield, Grant and Mckinley: then 20 /
the swamps Of the south. for the beard /
less boy. who sleeps beneath the SOD. and 1
finishing the group with the patriotic /
BLACK men who fen at the great mas
Eacre and san Juan and planted over them
all. the Stars and Stripes. with big
streamer Haunted 60 the breezes. with the
inscripton; "Ne North; No South: No
1last; No West-But One Country and one /
Flag. under whose fold no anarchist can
ever walk or even live
The captain finished his address with q
plea To the colored people TO be more loyal
q each other. II one Of them is in bust
ness. buy from him. if one Of their num-
her is in trouble help him: # one of them
goes a little wrong, don't abuse. but cast
about her or She the broad mantle of
oha1ty-yes love-and reaeh out and lift
them up. stand together and Prove your
self the great race you are
Following Captain Fishback came Rev.
Plummer- lie told of the history Of the.
negro IN prehistoric times and traced
him through the ancient medieval and
modern times lie showed the progress