The Detroit tribune., 1963-11-23
Heroes of Emancipation
A Weekly Feature by The MAAP
ROBERT sMALLs

More than l36.ODD Negroes cnfoieu ~ ue 4>V'''0
Army during the Civil War and $4,000 gave their lNes
Tor freedom Some Of their wal deeds have remained
famous even thou1h they fought in difficult crcums'an-
cas trN 1861 they received less pay than their vnte
comrades Wo-se still trey did not have equal rights as
prisoners OF war The souherners often sold them as
slaves Nevertheless magnificent acts OF heroiSm
were performed by Negroes during me war
ore Of the most remarkable feats was performed by
Robc,. Smalls Porn slave on plantation near Charlie
ion S G in 1899 he grew to become seaman IN his
early tuenties he worked on the PLANTER cotton
steamer Al the outbreak Of the Civil War The Conede-
ra.cs coa,erted iho ship into gunbot Its crew was
coorea under Nhi'c Officers
one rieht during the sprng Of 1862 while the officers
we're slcepng ashore In their homes in Charleston Smals
smucgled hi, wife his children his sisiern-aw and his
brother, and child aboard lie raised the Conede-
rate FLAG and before dawn sailed out to the open sea
After tine al sea Smals removed the Confederate flag
end raised white flag Of truce he within sight
o( tho blockade OF the Lniicd states Navy. When the
leion sailors boarded the PLASTER they found Smals
md h crew who immcdiatc turned the ship over to
inc mon as their aft from The (oniedefacy
Wide publicity was gwen Iii, exploit in the North.
Csaefess voted Sm.ls 4 svaable o wonev for his
.D9d and Prolen, lincoin signed the appropra-
ton Snals subsequently became pilot for the United
States Navy III. famc rade Tim il South Carolina
poliie, ca.v DESPITE h arE Of education. His modera-
ton intelligence and self possession made him accept
able TO white Republicans While his prestige with the
Fcderals deeply impressed Negroes.
Dmina the period l870l90l twenty-five Negroes
were elected to Congress from The South each of whom
served from one to tWo terms except j II Raney and
Smals both from South Carolina who served five ter rs
each II said that Smals Worshipped by his con-
sttucr's One day according TO story related in the
book BEFORE THE MAYFLOWER bv Lerone Bennett
two of Smas constituents got into argument One
insisted that he political genius The second
countered "Snals aint hot He amt God "Yes "
replied the first man that's true But give him time.
He's young yet
While Smalls and other Negro congressman we're in
office and the Republicans power such states as
Mississippi Arkansas Louisiana and South Carolina drop
ped their laws against nternarriage. There great
deal of camaradee and minging in the Reconstruction
states However when the Southern whites returned to
power they Immediately enacted laws against ntcrmarr
age Despite this there surprising amount Of OPP
position to inermarTage ban proposed to the South
Carolina Legislature in 1879 In 1885 when the ban
written into the state constitution Smas then represen
tave in the states lower House made counter pro
posa He introduced amendment which provided that
any white person guilty Of cohabitating with Negro
should be barred from public office and that children of
such union bear the of their father and inherit
property the same legitimate children
Although the anti-amagamation provision was event
ay adopted without Smalls amendment the Legislature
was forced TO spend great length Of time establishing
legal definition of Negro AT the South farolian Con
sutiona Convention in 1895 Smalls also presented pro-
posals guaranteeing every citizen women we'll men,
white and black the right TO register and vote However
this proposal was rejected by vote of 100 to g. the mi
nority votes being those of the Negro delegates Until
his death in 1915 SmaIls along with other Negro leaders
who had served in Congress and the state legislature
continued their efforts without much to turn back
the rising tide of Acknowledgement