The Representative. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 20, Ed. 1 Saturday, April 20, 1872 Page: 1 of 4
four pages : ill. ; page 13 x 9 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
!%JXf duA
1ua • /«>• <&e>
(ftacryv - -fyilab- 'J)tlmrUlA// (ft- ^ioftF/u
%. Ifa ■ /S'iO-)
((
EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW."
VOL. I.
GALVESTON, TEXAS, SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1872.
NO. 20.
tjpsentatik
zEtian^-iRaD ^jzEr.sonsr,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
Office:. Twenty-foiirtU Street,
Between Market anil Postoftiee Sts*
SATES OP SUBSCRIPTION.
One copy one year..i..?3 00
•Six months, 'in advance. ......... 1 50
RATES OF ADVERTISEMENTS.
One vr,
Two
Thye^..,
Poor
Five
Ten
1 MO.
2 MOS
3 M08
$ 4 B0
$ 0 00
$ 7 5fri
8 00
12 00
15 00
12 00
• ia oo
22 00
16 00
24 00
30 00
20 00
-30. 00
, 37 00
35 0d
<S"J 00
• 75 00
|12 00
25 00
37 00
50 00
00
120 00
120 00
40 00
6© OtH
80 Oo
100 00
175 00
Mtt''
National CoIored'Conv'ention.
Editor of Representative: '
The followif full speech of
MR. DOUGLASS.
Mr. Dougfe^s gracefully thank-
ed the Convention for the cor-
dial manner in which he had
been introduced, and earnestly
expreseed his gratitude for the
feeling exhibited in selecting
him as the permanent Prudent
of the Convention, ii^aspiuch as
there were at least twenty men
present better Qualified by their
mental apitudes than himself for
the peculiar duties of a presi-
ding officer.; He judged that the
choice was intended not so much
to compliment hiip as a chair-
man, as it was to convey to him
a grateful recognition of his
earnest labor in their long strug-
gle for liberty. ,(Applause.)
From, the response he saw his in-
ference was right. Se regretted
his arrival at the end instead of
the beginning of the Convention.
He labored under the disadvan-
tage therefore of not knowing
what sentiments had been ut-
tered, what principles had been
asserted, Or what resolutions had
been adopted, and this almost
prevented him from' speaking in-
telligently. He was likely to re-
peat what had already been said.
He had been six days upon the
way, but had used due dilligence
to arrive in * time; and the toil
aud fatfgtfe almost unetted him
to speak.
Mp.l Douglass said he supposed
the object of the Convention had
already been fully stated., Ac-
cording to his view it had two
distinct objects. The first was
to gather, the jnpral and political
foree of thecolored people* of the
United States; and the second
was, to direct and wield that
force in such a manner as to
vouchsafe to those people all the
liberties contained in the Declra-
tion of Indesendence. (Great
Applause.) The history of their
liberties was not so old already
that they had forgotten how they
were achieved or did not remem-
ber what slavery was. (Applause.)
There was si" time when colored
men did hold conventions in
Louisiana. (Applause.) He re-
lated the anecdote of the colored
man who was brought before a
recorder In New Orleans on a
charge of larceny. The recorder
advised him never to come there
again. "I did not come, Mr.
Recorder, the constable fouch
me." (Langhter.) So it was
with the colored delegates who
formerly came to Louisiana, the
constable "fouch" , them with
handcuffs upon their wrists. But
that day, thank God, was gone
never to return! Never! never!
never! (Prolonged enthusiasm.)
Every man comes now with his
own consent and ieaves when he
desires. (Applause.) The change
was vast and wonderful! This
country did not seem to be the
same United States it was of old.
The sirn does not rise and set as
it did in those dark and gloomy
days. The very air now seems
more pleasant; somehow we
breathe freer than then.
But colored men, like all others,
are apt to be forgetful. Do they
often and fully consider the te-
dious, weary and bloody process
by which the revolution was ac-
complished? They can Well re
cut to the history pf the rise and
progress of all great revolutions
and gather5 instruction for the
future. Revolutions do npt spring'
! from the grouiid. They are not
thie creatures of a day* The
couse of huihanjty, has never
made a step, hot jhqVed an inch,
in advance that was, not pur-
chased with agony and tears.
Thirty years ago there was no
epnality for all inen,'even in;
Massachusetts, Under the very
shadow of Faneuil Hall the
slave hunter pursued afid seized
his Victim. As'broad as was
great land with all its. plains? its
green fields and its classic spots,
so grand in history, there was no
single nook where the fleeing
man of his complexion was not
hunted down and brought back
to bondage.' There was lio val-
ley so deep, no mountain so high
that it was free from the slave
hunters. "The slave was started
up on the shores of Lake Erie
and hounded over mountain, hill,
swamp and plain to the Gulf of
Mexico. Everywhere he clam-
ored for protection, but in vain.
But with the blessing of God, the
logic of events and the blood of
patriots have made him free, and
there is no place where, by virtue
of his manhood, he cannot stand
up ana be . absolutely protected.
But no step in advance, as he
had said, had ever beer^
achieved without agony and
blood. He referred to the cost
of religious liberty. Before men
were allowed to think for them-
selves about the ihflnite^ Europe
drank -the Mood, of free hearts
for eighty years. Superstition
stood m the way, but men fought
for the freedom of religious
thought and attained it. When
he looked back over the history
of the anti^slavery Struggle he
marveled that so much blood and
so much treasure bad been lost
in resisting a principle of self-
evident and so simple. When
you come to the essence of that
great struggle which had rent
the nation asunder and moisten-
ed the land with tears, it was
merely a question of individual
right of ownership j it was
whether every man shall be al-
lowed to be tyte Self; whether , he
is born for frirnselfj breathes for
himself, dies for himself and
shall answer to God for himself.
And that great question of ages
is now settled forever. Nothing
must be done that will kindle
into flames the passions and
prejudices that are smouldering
and dying. Let the dead past
bury its dead, and let nothing
be raked up from the grave of
sad reminiscenses unless it be to
point a lesson to tha future,
But colored men cannot be re-
minded too frequently of the
men who strove for them in the
early days. The names of such
men as Wm. Lloyd Garrison and
Wendell Phillips cannot be for-
gotten, They kindled the first
sparks of the black man's liberty.
Abolitionism was first a senti-
ment, then an idea, then a prin-
ciple, and then a great political
struggle, and at each stage of its
progress it seemed to be in
charge of a different class of
men. The first time it appealed
to the pools, it gave seven thou-
sand votes to a repentant slave-
holder, Jas. G. Birney, of Ken-
tucky, for President. It next
gate sixty thousand votes for
Ha^e; next it gave more than a
million for Fremont, the path-
finder to the Pacific and tg hu-
man liberty. Next it carried the
country for Abraham Lincoln.
And from here on its 'history is
fainiliar to every child. Out of
his election comes this colored*
convention. 1. , /.■:
The "war began on both sides
against the negro, and ended on
both side for the negro. It will
tyB remembered that in the last
lingering days o^ the Confeder-
acy; when despair seized $,->&
imploringly turned towards th$-
black man and exclaimed—"Help
me Pompey, ere I sink P When
tjh$iwar began it was a white1
man's fight. No negro J&oaM be
allowed to sully the, cspise p£
eitnier side. The South scopnted
the idea Of his helpV ^e NOrth
did ttot want him. > > Colored' then;
ajc$ cajled upon tft.be gratefcii to
the rEepublican p^rty |c^ their
freeaotn. He was grateful, but
his gratitude was qualified by
facts; < The colored rttan can also
be allowed, ;tO put in his- claim to
a share in that. glorious results
He is deserving pf s<>p}$ consid-
eration. fie has been admitted
to a number .Of important boxes.
First to the cartridge box, then
to the ballot-box, then j to the
jury-box, and now,, he hopes, is
to be admitted to the knowledge-
box. What the Republican party
has given: has not all heen given
wholly disinterestedly. Ijven
Mr.. Jjincote, great good nd be-
loved as he was, did not see the!
end from the beginningi Atfiitet
Mr. Lincoln was only opposed, to
secession and,was willing far the
South to hunt, 4oyn. fugitive
slaves if she would remain in the
Union?. His second inaugural
was an improvement ! oVer his
first. In the he favonsd the
enforcement ,6fth$ fugitive slave
•law. In' tne. second he;, prayed
for the scourage of War to pass
awav, but* said thwfe If ail the"
wealth of the natioii 'must be
waisted and eack drop- of blood
drawn by the lash must ,be paid
for by a gallon drawn by the.
sword, it must be done. ' t
When the very eklfc was arum*
ling under the cause of the Union
and the armies of the iiation
were meeting disaster after dis
aster; when the recruiting sar-
geant was beating his i-drum
throngh every hamlet in the lind,
and received no longer | ,a re
sponce to his cry "moremen !"■
when the Star Spangled Banner
was trailed in the dust oh every
battle field, then it w^s'ttiat the
North was brought up to the
point where it unchanged the
black man and put the musket in
his hands. (Applause.) Then
they called; (applause) then we
came; (applause) aud we helped
to save the country. Mr, Douglass
said he stood there partly unfitted
to address the Convention on ac-
count of the injustice of slavery.
He had started from Washington
a free man, but he found ere he
arrived here that an invisible
chain of slavery was still upon
him. Himself and colleageS were
told at railway stations that they
must be served in the kitchen or
not at all. This incivility was
singly and simply on acceunt of
their color, and he defined any one
to show any other reason for it.
It was but right and just for the
oolored people to use their moral
and political power to put a stop
to this condition of things
and that right speedily. As far
as the colored people are con-
cerned there are but two parties
in this country, the Democratic
and Republican parties. Men
may change as they please, and
factions split off in one direction
and the other, wearing different
and specious names, but one is
always the partvof progress and
the other the party of reaction,
(applause.) For colored men the
Republican party is the deck, all
outside is the sea. (Immense
enthusiasm.) Messrs. Trumbull
and Schurz are falling back into
the party of reaction and are
championing the doctrine of State
Rights as opposed to the doc-
trine of consolidation. They are
honorable men. Nothing must
be said against them for their
past record, but they are upon a
path that would lead the colored
man to ruin. The Republican is
the national party and the other
is the State party. It was from
the1 National Government that
the colored men had received all
they have. They owe nothing to
State governments. It is not
sufficient to. be told that tb&
amendments to the Constitution
will drotect the colored man.
Good things have been in the
Constitution since 1788, good
things were in the Declaration
of Independence, but they were
of no avail, because they were
not enforced. (Applause.) All
the laws and all the amendments
cannot protect the colored man if
his enemies get control of the
Government. The Republican
party must be maintained in
power. Referring to Gen. Grant,
Mr. Douglass said " he is the man
for whom I expect to vote." [This
announcement was greeted with
trenjendious applause.] " Yet
the Republican party has other
leaders besides General Grant,"
There5is now-a man at Washing-
ton who represents the future,
what onghtto be, and is a ma-
jority in himself, and a man that
Graht learns wisdom at the feet
of-—Charles • Sumner. I know
them: both, and they are great
men, but Supmer is steady as the
north star—he is no flickering
light; lor twenty-five years he
has wOrked for the Republican
party; r May my right hand lose
its cunning; may my tongue
cleave to the roof of my mouth,
and may the day I was born grow
dark and be cursed when I say
one word that reflects on Char-
les Sumner." i < 1
! A Field Day for Political
Convention.—To-day will be a
field day for political State con-
ventions in' various parts of the
country, as well as for the novelty
Of a national convention of Color-
ed people in the city of New
Orleans. The following is a list
Of the Conventions as officially
called?:-*-'
,1. Pennsylvania State Repub-
lican Convention in Harrisburg,
for the nomination of State
officers and the selection of dele-
gates to the' Republican National
Convention in T Philadelphia,
June 5.
^'2. Massachusetts State Re-
publican Convention in Worces-
ter, for the nomination of State
officers and the selection of dele-
gates to the National Republican
Convention.
3. Florida State Republican
Convention in Jacksonville, for
the choice of delegates to the
National Republican Convention
and other purposes.
Oregon Republican State Con:
vention in Portland, for the sel-
ection of delegates to the Nation-
al Republican Convention and
other purposes.
5. Kansas Liberal Republican
State Convention in Topeka, for
the purpose of selecting dele-
gates to the Cincinnati Liberal
Republican National Convention.
6 National Convention of
colored delegates to New Orleans,
for "commercial and political
purposes."
From the.above it will be seen
that while the republicans, both
regular and irregular, are making
active preparations for the com-
ing campaign; and that while
even "our colored fellow-citizens"
are moving into position pre-
paratory to the impending con
flict, the democrais are making
no public demonstrations in that
direction. The National Execu-
tive Committee willy however,
meet in the early part of next
month and arrange for the time
of holding the National Conven-
and consult about other matters
for the benefit of the party.
In regard to the convention of
colored people it has been inti-
mated that they intend to de-
mand for their race a represen-
tative in the next Cabinet of
j&eneral Grant, if he shdtild be
elected, &8&quidpro<fw> for their
Support in the approaching elec-
tion.—^. F. ffefm, April 10th.
Our Scenery.—While in the
Northern States at this season
Of the year but little signs of
vegetation are to be seen, here
in Texas the face of the country
is covered with a rich verdue
■end the forests have put forth
their foliage to beautify and em-
bellish our picturesque scenery.
The farmers have their crops
generally planted and their is
every indication of a plentiful
yield the coming season. But
besides the productions of our
soil, the salubrity of our climate
and the immense mineral re-
sources of the State, Texas pre-
sents the most charmingly varied
and picturesque scenery; of: any
couhtr^ on the globe. Whether
surf or Shore, mountain or vale,
forest or prairie, a picture of
beauty is presented to the eye
which the ^rtist or the poet is
alawys prond to behold. Around
Austin some lovely views are to
behold. Arpund Austin some
lovely views are to be had that
are not surpassed on this or any
other continent, which our home
artists have photographed with
fine effect/ The lovers of the
beautiful can find noi country
anywhere to better suit them
than ours.
, Regonition.—In the , Ken-
tucky Republican State Conven-
tion, the following was offered:
Whereas, Forty-two thousand
of the voters nf the Republican
party in Kentucky are colored
men, many of them qualified to
fill any position in the gift of the
people of Kentucky - or of
the Federal Government; and
whereas, these offices have been
withheld from colored men of the
party whether qualified or not;
therefore
Resolved, That the colored men
of the Republican party of Ken-
tucky demand an equal share in
the distribution of offices.
After discussion this was laid
upon the table, and a resolution
adopted as follows.
Resolved, That it is the right
of all the members of the Repub-
lican party to hold office, and
that there ought to be no dis-
crimination against any upon
the ground of color.
To which we say, Amen !
Amen!
Do Delaware Republicans en-
dorse that! If not, why not ?—
[Our National Progress.
Julia Clark, of Youngstown,
Ohio, a pretty and wealthy girl
of sixteen, has eloped with a
professional burglar named for
one week only J. B. McKnight.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Nelson, Richard. The Representative. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 20, Ed. 1 Saturday, April 20, 1872, newspaper, April 20, 1872; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth203080/m1/1/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .