The daily phoenix. (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, July 10, 1875, Image 3
COLUMBIA, S.C. I
Saturday Morning, July 10, 1875.
Preedmon's Declaration of Independence.
A number of colored people celebrated I
independence day at Hilladalo, near j
Washington city, on the 5th instant, and
had for orators two of the most celebrated
colored men in tho Union?John M. I
Langston and Frederick Douglass. Tho I
statements and sentiments of these co?
lored leaders are so significant, so ex-1
prcssivo of the deep dissatisfaction of
tho negro population with tho hypocriti?
cal Radicals that have so misled them,
and so abused them, that wo think it will
bo both interesting and instructive to
our readers to see the salient points
made by the orators. Langston led off.
Ho is a professor in Howard College, in
Washington, and is nearly white, having
in his veins only enough of negro blood
to swear by, and yet enough to oxclnde I
him from white society, which fixes his
fealty to tho black man; and hence he
talks as strongly in favor of the colored I
peoplo ns though he wero a thorough?
bred African. He is, nevertheless, a
very good speaker. HiB theme was
"self-respect" and "self-reliance" among j
tho colored people. He preached up
independence, "self-government," and I
urged the repudiation of that of tho
white man,: "thd self-constituted guar?
dian of the negro." Who he meant by
this "self-constituted guardian" was
plain. Lnngston assailed a body of
"Congregationalist preachers" ttiat met
at Atlanta, Go., on tho 20th of April last,
and, he says, came to the conclusion
that tho negro "was a failure," and pro-1
ceeded to toko charge of him as incapa?
ble of taking care of himself; and they
also proceeded to collect money for that
pnrpose, a measure Langston considers
always of first importance in the action
of these "self-constituted guardians."
These Congregationalists wero of Repub?
lican persuasion. Langston says they
exclude negro representatives from their
deliberations, and he charges upon thorn
that they havo done a great deal to de?
stroy the negroes' self-respect and self
reliance. Langston said:
"Tho colored man is always to be
made to feel his inferiority to the white
man. And besides nil this, those white
men fill up their treasury by saying to
the giving public: ?The negro is a dan?
gerous animal. Ho must be educated,
and wo ore the only persons in the conn-1
try who con do it. Wo Congregational- i
ists have a society for this work; we have
a college at Nashville, and schools all
over tho South. Give us money, and
place tho nogro into our hands, and we
will take care of him.'
"Mr. President, I am hero to enter a
solemn protest against the roccnt doings
of tho American Missionary Society. I
am hero to-day to declare my independ?
ence and independence for all who are
my followers. The hour is come when
we must throw off this yoke of oppres- J
sion, and stand up for our rights as free?
men. Tho signs of the times demand
that wc shall prove our fitness for all
tho duties of citizenship.
"The same gentlemen who met in At?
lanta have at last succeeded in getting
tho Howard University into their hands.
One of their number is elected presi?
dent And thus the university that was
founded upon the hard-earned money of
our fallen colored Boldicrs, and dedi?
cated to the education of their children,
has passed into tho hands of tho greatest
proselyting society in the country. Like
Lincoln University, founded as a school
for the education of our youth, who have
knocked in vain at the doors of white
collages, like Lincoln, also, it has de?
nied the men whom she has graduated,
or graduates from other and oldor insti?
tutions, to become tutors or professors
there.
"Fellow-citizens, we will no longer
endure such indignities. Wo will no
longer consent to follow our inferiors!
We will no longer send our children to
schools marred by men who, in conver?
sation, declare in elaborately-written ad?
dresses that tho negro is a failure?in the
body politic, in religion, in school, and
in every department of life. No; we
here and now declare ourselves a full
and independent people. Free to work,
free to think; in tho church and in the
State, in the school and in the home.
And may tho God of our fathers help us
to keep this declaration inviolable, that
it may pass as a sacred legacy to our
ohildrcu, and bo road with religious and
patriotic enthusiasm to tho latest gone
ration." [Groat applause und cheering.] I
This cannot bo flattering to hypocriti?
cal negrophilists. But Douglass was yet
moro pointed and severe. Wo quote a
few extracts from his bold declarations:
He said that tho negro would not havo
been free now but for the quarrel be?
tween the North and tho South, and if
the white people made peace now, what
would become of the negro? He spoke of
the Israelites by Divine direction bor?
rowing the jewelry of the Egyptians
upon the eve of their departure, and
thus leaving fuTl-handed; and he seemed
to mourn over the fact that the negro
went out to freedom ompty-handed.
Worse than that, he seemed to be reject?
ed by North and South, and was thus in
a forlorn condition. Pouring forth a
sort of jereniiade in this way, be next
asserted that even the Republican party
seemed to desire to get rid of him. Ho
asserted that a number of Republican
statesmen aspiring to tho Presidency,
seemed to be casting abont to see if they
could not bo elected "without the aid of
tho black vote." Ho only hoped that
the next President would bo as good a
friend to the negro as Gcnoral Grant,
but seemed to regard him as their last
friend! Douglass finally concluded that
the colored man was "thrown upon his
own resources." And here follow some
quotations showing tho now resolves as
well as the resentments of tho betrayed
black man. Sec how the colored orator
pours his running fire throughout the
line of Radical humbugs: .
"You will bo tho architects of your
own fortunes. All we ask is a fair field
to work in, and the white man to leave
us alone. We have been injured more
than we have been helped by men who
have professed to be our friends. They
aro lawyers without clients; ministers?
broken down ministers?without church?
es; wandering teachers without schools.
? 'They aro great beggars. They have
tho science of begging down to a nicety.
They nre great at getting out circulars.
They scatter them broadcast over the
land, as leaves before the autumnal gales.
If you arc worth anything, they will find
out where you live; and if yon never got
a letter before, you will get one now.
[Laugh tor.]
"Fellow-citicens, we must stop theso
men from begging for us! They misrep?
resent us, and cause tho country to look
upon us as a poor and helpless people.
They say, 'Please give something to help
educate the poor black people; but do,
pray, pay it to me.' And if it is,$100, it is
reduced to about 100 cents when it gets
to tho 'poor black people.' We do not
want?we will not havo?these second
rate men begging for us! We protest
against it! [Voices: 'That's so." 'Hear,
hear!' Loud and continued applause.]
"Mr. Chairman, I think tho colored
people of this country have had an ex?
perience during the last decade that will
not be ropeatcd in the future. Wo havo
had a 'Freedman's Savings Institute,'
but we don't want any more. [Laughter
and applause.] Our white friends told
us if we bad cents, bring them to them,
and they would take care of them; if we
had dollars, or hundreds, or thousands,
to bring thorn to thorn. They told us
they had a goose and a golden egg.
[Laughter.] Yes, we put our millions
there, but whero were they now? [Voice,
'That's so.'] The men who went into
that bank a few years ago poor men, nre
now domiciled in beautiful homes, and
drive their fine turn-outs. It makes mo
feel badly to think how we have been
robbed. Just enough honest men have
been put into the bank to insure its suc?
cess. Rut while they put in two sound
apples, they slipped in fivo or six specked
ones, and were sure to turn tho specks
down. [Applause. ]
"I said, fellow-citizens, that wo must
protest against these men begging for
us. Allow mo to add that we must stop
begging ourselves. If wo build churches,
don t ask white peoplo to pay for them.
If we have banks, colleges and papers,
do not ask other people to support them.
Re independent.
Douglass concluded by proposing a
declaration of independence for the
blacks, beginning with the first para?
graph of the American declaration, and
concluding thus:
"Wc propose to cut loose from all in?
vidious class institutions, and to part
company with all these wandering men?
dicants who have followed us simply for
paltry gain. And wo now bid an affec?
tionate farewell to all those plunderers,
and in the future, if wo need a Moses,
we will find him in our own tribes."
[Tremendous applause and cheering.]
If the scurvy Radicals can stand this,
they can stand anything; and can't they?
Rut will tho colored peoplo follow Doug?
lass or hold on to their Radical alliances?
Wc shall see.
General Piieston'b Address Cen?
sured. ?Many of tho Southern papers
condemn the bitter and ill-timed utter?
ances of General John S. Preston, deli?
vered before the alumni of the Univer?
sity of Virginia, last week. The annexed
extract from tho Lynchburg Virginian
represents tho general expression of the
press:
"We arc glad to learn that tho senti?
ments of General Preston, though ele
gently expressed, wore not received with
favor by those to whom thoy wcro ad?
dressed, and do not indicate tho opi?
nions of tho sound-thinking peoplo of
Virginia and tho South. Let the North?
ern journals make n noto of this when
thoy undertake to hold us responsible
for the imprudent utterances of a retired
old gentleman, who lived infSouth Caro?
lina when it was customary thero to de
nounco everything North of a certain
line."
Tho correspondent of tho Baltimore
Sun, in giving an account of tho pro?
ceedings at tho University of Virginia,
stated, when reporting tho speech, that
its extreme sentiments wero condemned
by those present
In tho United States Court, Charleston,
July 8, Judge Bryan presiding, in tho
case of J. & T. Green against Cyrus H.
Baldwin, receiver of the Exchange Bank
| of Columbia, J. P. Carroll, L. D. Childs
and others, an appeal was granted. The
application of a. Fahrenbach, for final
! discharge in bankruptcy, was referred.
Death of Ceneral Blair. .
The telegraph informs us of the sud?
den death of General Frank P. Blair, at
his home in Missouri. He had been ill
for a length of time, but his friends had
confidently hoped for his final reco?
very, as tho transfusion of blood into
his veins had re-invigorated him, and
had enabled him to ride or walk at plea?
sure. The day of his demise, he walked
down stairs. General Blair, like nnto
the other male members of his family,
was a remarkable man, and was noted
for his fiery zeal in any cause in which
ho engaged, as also his dogged opposi?
tion to the powers of reasoning or con?
viction. He was a politician of some
note, and hud served in various civil and
military positions. At tho conclusion of
the war, he retired to his home in Mis?
souri. In 1808, ho ran for Vice-Presi?
dent of tho United States on the Demo?
cratic ticket with ex-Governor Seymour.
Shortly after his nomination, he pub?
lished his famous Broadhcad letter, in
which ho denounced the Reconstruction
Acts as unconstitutional and revolution?
ary in their tendency, and promised
vigorous action for their overthrow in
the event of his election. Notwithstand?
ing the devastation and outrage perpe?
trated by the army under Sherman, in
which Bluir was a corps commander, and
whose corps was tho brag incendiaries
and robbers of that army, and which
corps and army laid waste and made a
wilderness tho whole country in their
line of march from Chattanooga to Sa?
vannah, Charleston and Goldsboro, N.
C, General F. P. Blair received a heavy
vote from tho Democrats of those sec?
tions. But Blair is dead; and we are re?
minded of the proverb?"Dt morluls nil
nisi bonnm."
???>?->?
Remarkable Scene at Memphis on In?
dependence Day?BumriNo the Hatchet
between White and Black. ?Tho great
feature of tho Fourth of July celebration
at Memphis was tho pic-nic ol the In?
dependent Order of Pole Bearers, (co?
lored,) whore the following invited
guests were present: General N. B.
Forrest, Genend Gideon J. Pillow, Colo?
nel M. C. Gallaway, of the Appeal; Capt.
J. Harvey Mathias, of tho Ltxbjei-; Alder?
man Henry G. Dent, Maj. Minor Meri
wcther and Dr. Clark. President Hen?
ley, of tho Polo Bearers, opened the pro?
ceedings with n brief speech. He said
politics, but to pull "down the political
and bring about peace, joy and union."
President Henley then said: "Gen.
Forrest, nllow me to introduce to you
Miss Lou Lewis, who, as tho representa?
tive of the colored ladies, will present
you with a bouquet, to assure you of the
sincerity they entertain for the objects of
this occasion* [cheers] and as an offering
of peace."
Lou Lewis then advanced to where
General Forrest was standing, and pre?
sented tho bouquet with the following
remarks:
"Mr. Forrest, allow mo to present you
this bouquet, as a token of reconciliation
and an offering of peace and ^o-od will."
[Applause]
General Forrest received the bouquet,
and in response said:
Ladies and Gentlemen: I accept the
flowers as a memento of reconciliation
between tho white and colored races of
the Southern States. I accept it more
imrticnlarly as it comes from a colored
ady, for if there is any one in God's
earth who loves the ladies, I believe it is
myself. [Immense applause and laugh?
ter.] This day is a day that is proud to
me, having occupied the position that I
did for tho past twelve years, and been
misunderstood by your race. This is
the first opportunity I have had during
that time to say that I am your friend.
I am here n representative of tho South?
ern people, one moro slandered and ma?
ligned than any man in the nation. I
will say to you and the colored race that
the men who bore arms and followed tho
ling of tho Confederacy are, with very
few exceptions, your friends. It has al?
ways been my motto to elevate every
man?to depress none. [Applause.] I
want to elevate you to take positions in
law offices, in stores, on farms and
I wherever you aro capablo of going. I
don't propose to say anything about poli?
tics. You have a right to elect whom
you please; voto for the man you think
best, and I think, when that is done,
that you and I aro free men. Do as you
consider right and honest in elooting
men for office I have been in the heat
of battle when colored men asked me to
protect them. I havo placed mysolf be?
tween them and the bullets of my men,
and told them they should bo kept un?
harmed. Go to work, be industrious,
live honestly and act truly, and when
{?on are oppressed I'll como to your re
iof. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen,
for this opportunity yon havo afforded
mo to be with you, and to assure you
that I am with you in heart and in hand.
[Prolonged applause.]
Gen. Pillow made an address of con?
siderable length, in which ho gave tho
colored people some sage advioe. Hon.
Casey Young, who had expected to be
present and make a speech, was unable
to do so on account of illness, sent a
letter, which was read and well roceivod.
Great enthusiasm was manifested by
the colored people throughout the pro?
ceedings, and the patriotic sontimenta
expressed' by 'the speakers were fre?
quently* applauded.
'# ? m ? ?
A genuine ^riaily bear is creating a
commotion in the St. Paul's section of
Darlington County.
thev had not como
_i_x a?_11
City Matters.?The pleasure-seekers j
nre departing springs-wards.
Luna shines forth gloriously now.
The days are growing shorter at the
rate of two minutes daily.
"Which would you rather do this hot
weather?or go a fishing? Not otherwise.
Messrs. J. G. Thompson and C. C.
Puffer have been admitted to practice as
attorneys nt law.
The bridge corner of Dull and Taylor
streets is in a dangerous condition and
should be attended to.
Northern travelers will find tlnv route
via Charleston and Clyde steamers just
tho thing. The vessels aro commodious,
the accommodation all that could be de?
sired, the officers attentive, and the
tables supplied with everything good.
The heated term is worse than the
third term. Yesterday the sun poured
torrid beams upon the town, and those
who believed a few days ago that the
winter would last all summer, found
their error when the thermometer stood
at ninty-fivc degrees in the shade.
Floeida.?The information, only de?
veloped in the last few years, of the de?
lightful climate of Florida, its remarka?
ble salubrity, and the extraordinary for?
tunes being realized from its orange,
banana and pine apple crops, has drawn
visitors and settlers in thousands from
every "State in the Union. Upwards of
50,000 persons are estimated as having
visited that State last winter, and the
number is increasing each ye ar. Many
of our readers who have been seek?
ing information on this entertaining
subject will be pleased to have an op?
portunity of bearing an interesting lec?
ture, to-night, from Hon. Y?'m. Kcndrick.
Mr. K. was many years State Senator in
Florielu, ami being a native Floridian,
one of the old Imlinn fighters, is well
able to tell nil about that State. We
learn that he and our old im ml, Col. J.
G. Gibbes, projiose a tour during the
next three months through the North
ami North-west, lecturing on tho sub?
ject in the inte rest of Florida emigration.
Our reaelers will find much to instruct,
interest nnel ainusc them, by attending
to-night.
Special Term Coit.t e>r Common
Pleas?The Parked Trial? Damaoino
Testimony.?The case of the State
against Riles G. Parker was continued
yesterday.
James O. Ladel was the first witness
called for the plaintiff, and his testimony
proved to bo the most interesting to the
auditors uml important to the State of
any that has been thus far prodtioeel.
He was book-keeper first, ami then chief
clerk in Parker's office, from November,
18t>8, till January, 1871. The rule re?
garding coupons that bad matured be?
fore the bonds to which they were af?
fixed were issued from the Treasury,
was that such coupons should be de?
tached and fileel in the office. The wit?
ness stated that he had no business rela?
tions with Parker, other than the-se of an
official character, up to 1671; knew no?
thing of bis own knowledge-, or by
Parker's admissions, of Parker's having
nbstraetcil over $450,000 of coupons
from the Treasurer's office at any time.
In May, 1873, while at the elinner table,
talking about defendant's pre>posed trip
to Europe, Parker turned from tho table
ami opened his safe- uml showed to wit?
ness packages which Parker said con?
tained $150,000 worth of coupons. There
were five or six packages, each contain?
ing $25,000 we>rth of coupons, e xcepting
one, which contained $50,000. Parker
told witness that he- had ge>t these cou?
pons at the final settlement in Ne w York
with Kiinptem; that they were his part ol
$150,000 worth of coupons, which were
distributed as follows: Kimpton, $15?',
000; It. K. Scott, $50,000; J. L. Neoglo,
$50,000; Goverm>r 1). H. Chamberlain,
$50.000, and Parker. $150,000. Witness
stated that -Parker said at that time that
he did not know that Gov. I). II. Cham?
berlain had e.ver received a cent of these
coupons.
In response to the Court, witness
stateel that Parker had not said that
Chamberlain did not know anything
about these $50,UUC> coupons, but that he'
(Parker") did not know that he had ever
received n cent of them. In June or
July, 1873, Parker went to Europe. In
May, 18T4, witness had another conver?
sation with Parker, which was about the
funding of the coupons; witness was
asked to assist in funding some of the m,
and consonteel. Parker said that W. B.
Galick, Esq., would fund coupons for
outside parties, ami oskctl witness to see
him in that connection, which witness
did, by writing him from Charleston.
After this witness had another conversa?
tion with Parker, in July, 1874, when
witness asked defendant what had been
done about funding tho coupons. Par?
ker replied that Senator Y. J. P. Owens
would fund them for him. In the con?
versation in May, 1874, Parker marked
or cheoked off from an advertisement
under the Funding Aot niado by the
Treasurer, those bonds to which tho
coupons he owned belonged, as follows:
Capitol bonds, bonds for redemption of
bills receivable anel payment of public
debt, bonds for funding the bills of the
Bank of the State, and bonds for the re?
lief of the treasury. Witness produced
the advertisement as Parker had markeel
it and give it to him. The following is
the substance of a letter received by wit?
ness while in Charleston from Parker.
Tlit- envelope und letter bear date Co?
lumbia, S. C, June 2, 167-1:
'-Deai: Gat-tain : Gulickwill ad. (adver?
tise) in New York at once. I have seen
copy of ad. It will go on immediately.
I think he will ad. here, but he has not
done so yet. Please write him and ask
him if he is prepared to attend to such
business. Say you havo heard he was.
Say you have some to be funded?do
not say for whom. You must not say
who for under any circumstances, be?
cause I have fout/M (under-scored in
letter) the whole scheme from beginning
to end. It is an outrage, but I am forced '
to take advantage of it, or I would not.
(if course you understand me. You must
not keep this letter, but destroy it."
The remainder of the letter was of a
private nature. The witness, on the
cross-examination, stated that he had
known Parker since lfcOG or '67. Wit?
ness stated tiiat bis feelings had always
been kindly towards Parker, anel that if
he had e ver said that Parker could not
have treated him better had he been hi*
father, the remark would have been just
and true, though he el id not re member
ever to have said so. He said that Par?
ker had got }nm into the Treasurer's of?
fice; then into a situation on the Wash?
ington Chronicle, in Washington, D. C,
of which Parker was then a part owner,
at a salary of S50 per week. Witness
borrowed of Parker $500, which Parker
said he could pay back when he was able
and was asked for it. Parker advanced
money to witness in 1871 for the pur
jie.se of se tting him up in business.
Witness failed; did not pay any of his
creditors in full; settled with the largest
creelitor twenty minutes before Sheriff
closed Iiis store nnd;r an execution; did
not run off any of his gooels; gave Pose
some whiskey on account of his board
anel Parker a good many goods in pay?
ment ol money due- him; Parker got
most of the goods taken from the store.
Witness did not represent himself to
Hazlett & Co. as a partner of Parker.
Ho eloimed the right to explain about
his failure, which was granted. He said
Parker had represented to him that if he
would begin business on capital Parker
would advance and use his own name,
he (Parker) would assist him r.nd
come into the business also. Relying
upon this, witness had, within two
months from opening the store, four
times as much steck as the original capi?
tal, and had to stave off notes lulling due
as best ho could?Parker giving him no
assistance. I)id not get from Parker
more than $100 after the business started.
Witness failed because he relied on Par?
ker's assistance. No blame to Parker for
his failure, because he knGw Parker's
embarrassed financial condition. Up to
the time of Parker's arrest, witness had
never spoken harshly of him to any one.
Had never told any one that there was
nothing in this case that could injure
Parker; on tiie contrary, he hael tolel Dr.
Neagle and Mr. J. G. Thompson that
there was, although he had no desire to
injure him. Witness explained that on
the day before, he had been sent for by
Puffer; took a drink with Puffer; then
met Maurice Parker, defendant's son;
took a drink with him and Puffer; then
went with Puffer olone'to his room, in
Parker's Rlock; then Puffer tried to per?
suade him from testifying against Par?
ker; said he thought his testimony un
necessary, Ac. The Court took this as
sufficient excuse for his absence on yes?
terday, und ordered the attachment to be
vacated upon payment of costs thereof
by witness.
J. C. McKinney, chief clerk in the
Treasurer's office, was next examined.
The coupons the n exhibited to him wer?'
the same counted a month ago in his
office. He funded for Y. J. P. Owens
coupons as follows: l'Jth June, 1874,
$24,000; 10th June, 1S7-1. $100,000; 18th
Juno, 1874, $48,001; 24th June. lo74,
$114,000?total, $280,001. He had fund?
ed for Y*. J. 1'. Owens all the coupons
that were on the stand.
T. C. Dunn, Comptroller-General, tes?
tified that the e-oupems identified by J.
O. McKinney wen- the f ame funded for
Y. J. P. Owens. Witness got them from
the Treasurer, and examined a part of
these coupons personally. He was one
of a committoc, consisting of himself,
Nash, Meotze, lirayton, Humbert, Hayno
and Whittemore. He then gave a classi?
fication of these coupons, as made by
this committee, tho total of which was
$2*0,000. He testified that all the cou?
pons thai had been funded for Owens
were as agre-ement. While testifying-in
relation to another point, the Court ad?
journed until 10 A. M., to-day.
List of New Advertisements.
G. M. Walker?Rank Notice.
II. A* S. Heard?Auction Sale.
Oliver Ditson A Co.?Music Rook?.
J. Waties A Co.?Wanted.
Meeting Y. M. C. A.
Wm. Kendrick?Florida Lecture.
W. D. Rurko-Corn, Hay, Eggs, Ac.
Statement Union Rank.
Murder, Remorse and . Sl'icide.?Iu
Point Coupoe Parish, La., a few elays
since, David Gay, Jr., a planter, becom?
ing engaged in an altercation with one
of the coloreel hanels on the place, whom
he hael previously orelereel to leave the
plantation, and being so much exaspe
rated at finding tho man in the field
among the other hanels, in defiance of
his authority, drew his revolver and shot
the man elead, and immediately after?
words, as if actnatcel by remorse for
having taken the life of a fellow being,
he phiceel the weapon to his own head
anel Rhot himself, but the first shot hav?
ing failed to extinguish life, he fired a
second shot, which took effect in his
brain, and ho fell a lifeless victim by his
own hand within a few feet of the man
ho had just slain.
--*>-? ?
During the celebration of tho Fourth
at West Unity, Ohio, a man named Peter
KrineUe was killed by the premature
discharge of a cannon. He leaves a
family.