The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-06-20
ELABORATE CELEBRATION
Nineteenth Of June Generally Oh
served by Houston Negroes.
A TYPICAL AND cREDlTABLe PARADE
r. |. Richardson, Orator OF the Day, De-
ivered an Address tina. Was More
BoastfuI Than 6difyins.

Yesterday was the freedmen's day Of jubi-
lee, the day which former slaves and their
descendants have celebrated as the negro
independence day every year since Lincoln
proclaimed them free in 1868 The negroes
of Houston were out en- masse. and tue
street parade was distinct success. They
walked proudly erect and bore their ban
ners TO the inspiring strains Of patriotic
music.
A prominent citizen who witnessed the
parade said 1t was interesting to note the
evolution OF the negroes great holiday.
Just after the war, during the dark days
Of reconstruction, the Emancipation Day
parade was sometimes headed by white
citizens who calculated By that means to
gain political adherents, and sometimes the
leading negroes were received as guests
by white people and feted as heroes and
equals. The motives which actuated those
persons, said he, have been forever removed
and since that time the parades have been
participated In by negroes only aud the
white people have always accorded them
patronage and encouragement. In some
portions of the State the white residents
subscribe funds and assist the negroes In
making the day a success. Many crediable
pallucs nave taken piJte sluCe Ane al. III
The T0s each one was show W itself. me
negroes would appear CACHED in their re-
gaia and the women were fantastic crea-
lions evolved from the fashions OK the day.
Whether they understood the Significance
OF the festival or not they knew they were
free, and that was the burden OF their
song as they danced down the street to
the tunes Of Yankee Doodle" and pixie.
Of late years the paradcs have acquir d
dignity and there is no attempt at mas
querade. They have been modelled after
Inc celebrations Of fNg whites and order
md method are maintained
Yesterday for the hrSt time on large
scale the negroes industrial progress was
prominent feature. The women were sup
piled with Mckinley buttons and their pat
In the parade was well carried out
The cowboy drill WAS an excellent feature
and method and precision were maintained
throughout The procession was formed on
Milan street at II n M and showed down
ney, down Mckinney TO Crawford, then Z
10 Emancipation Park Grand Marshal
Ross and his deputies led the procession,
followed by the grand officers and commit.
tees In carriages Then came the Goddess
of Liberty aud the star Military band.
The brlckmasons, hodcarriers and shop
men were well represented with appro-
pirate floats The Cooke rifles. the social
and riding clubs, railroad employees and
cowboys were In line, and the decorated
vehicles aud bicycles made an attractive
display.
At the park the assemblage was called
TO order and the Invocation was made by
the grand chaplain.
After the reading OF Lincoln's Einancipa.
ton proclamation by the secretary, which
was listened TO In Impressive silence, the
congregation united in singing the NATIONAL
hymn The grand orator Of the day, II. j.
Richardson, was then introduced.
dawn 9sf he rs as fS
in an age of progress and achievement
lie then euogized tho negro, spoke of the
races achievements and mighty deeds O!
valor. He questioned the wisdom of bnsine
forecast Of the future ny the past. HI
followed the progress OF the negro from
state OF saVagery and ignorance 10 the civi
war, which he said was fought 10 destroy
the doctrine Of states rights. Tho NJ
tempt, he said, failed and states right
Is the accepted doctrine OF the nation stlll
\ new issue however, was eternally set
tied, the question OF negro slavery. Th'
estimate of the negro made by men Sine
the foundation of the Republic had hecI
wrong. he declared, and the philosophy o
the Shareholders he denounced as false
Speaking of Alexander II. stephens, h
said alexander n. Stephens declares
that the corner stone OF the Confederate,
rested upon the great truth that the negr
IL not equal to the white man md tina
slavery and subordinatlon to the white rae
was the negroes natural and normal cond
ton. That corner stone proved unstabl
for Il and the superstructure were over
thrown and 10000 negroes helped to d
It," In like manner he attacked the say
lngs Of John G. Calhoun and Thomas Je'
ferson and Robert Toombs Of Georgi'
Speaking Of MIR. Toombs. he said: "roda
the tax rolls OF his ex.slaves are hein
called under the shadow Of his old HON
In Georgia, while he sleeps the sleep Q
death and in August of this year the great
est negro educational congress ever hel
will meet there" Time, he said, had di!
qualified the witnesses. He spoke OF tn
negro soldiers heroism at New Orleans
Wagner, Fort Pillow, lei Caney, san Jua
Hi and In the Philippines, and asscrte
that nothing could stop the negro I'll b
had reached his limit, He lamented tn
faults of the race and its lack Of conhhenc
and cohesion. and of the policy Of forcin
the negro ont Of previously moncpon1e
chanpeis Regarding the social status q
the negro he felt dire forebodipgs Of dish'
ter and extinction
After eulogizng Chrispus Attacks Of Bo
ton and other negro heroes who had don
So much for the elevation OF the race. IN
orator concluded as follows;
The emancipation IN order TO he emar
oipatlon az all must be ,o complete, 49,. -.
raised up and led the children of lsrat
from their captors toward tie promise
Methlnk can hear Maria and other Flo
brew sisters CRYING TO tho God OF our sa
walton: 1--WE are free We are free
dragon and beast. was brought to thl
country. IL was slavery, and many fe
down and worshiped i, God suffered II I
Moses In the person OF Abraham Lincoln
and today. thlrty-seven years ago, fame
that can hear four and half mllio
African Stoves exeinlming In one ecstati
voice TO the God Of their salvation: wv
are free We are free. We are freaI'
Greece had her Dcmostheues and Pei
Icles Rome her Caesar and Cicero; Enslan
her Burke. Pitt and WHEREFORE; Amcric
her Patrick Henry. Henry Clay and Deni'
Webster but none of these could equg
the immortal lincoln
II was he who first gave slavery. thi
beast and dragon, deadly blow aud Their
was no place left for II 10 iRnguish an
grow strong; II died.
''No more for traders gold.
Shall those we love be sold;
Nor crushed be manhood bold,
IN slavery's dreaded fold
Huzza Huzgai
Our song shall be
That we are free!"
We defire to close this discussion b
a SUNNI Nc up Of the good that the neg
Offers ~ the problems before US. and th
burden he lays upon us as well.
rhe following things belong to II
credit side OF the account:
l Ills great physicu endurance.
. His cheerful nature. rising above ever
circumstance.