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RELIEF SOCIETY CENTURY OLDFirst New York African Body Was Organized In 1808,STARTEO IN SCHOOLHOUSE.Interesting Historical Sketch of an Incorporated Organization Which Cam# Into Being Long Before the Dawn of Freedom — Legislative Acta and Names of First Officers.New York.—The New York African Society For Mutual Relief was organized in 1808 and chartered by the legislature of New York In 1810, the bill granting it a charter being presented by Assemblyman Brower. The society was organized June 0. 1S08, in the school house for colored children onRose street, a constitution Was adopted and the following roster of officers elected for Its government:William Hamilton. John Teusman, Henry Slpkins. Adam Carman, Daniel Berry, Adam Ray, Daniel Brownhill, James McEwan, Henry Rouse. Samuel Charley. Richard Tankard, SamuelClause. Benjamin Slighter and PeterVogelsang A permanent organization having thus been perfected, these gentlemen proceeded to petition the legislature. praying for an act of IncorporationTheir petition was read and referred to a select commltttee consisting of the following members of the assembly representing New York city:Thomas Farmar, Solomon Townsend. Augustus Wright, Samuel L. Mitchell, Abraham E. Brower. Caleb Pell, Samuel Torker, John P. Anthony, Ichabod Proll, B. M. Van Buren and Adrian liegeman. This committee reported fuvorably upon the bill, entitled “An act to Incorporate the New York African Society For Mutual Relief/* which had been ordered to a second rending.On March 23. 1810, a message from the honorable the council of revision, delivered by Its secretary, was rend, to the effect that It did not appear improper to the council that the bill entitled “An act to incorporate the New York African Society For Mutual Relief” (and others mentioned, including the Mechanic bank) should severally become lows of the state. The late Johu J. Zuille in his historical sketch of this society says:Thus began the corporate existence of our ancient and honorable Institution—an--clent because the first society of its class organized among us to receive legislative aid. honorable because for a period of more than eighty-two years It has stood the test of severe public scrutiny and today stands unsullied In Its reputation, bearing aloft all its honors, challenging the admiration of the community, currying with It the esteem of young and old of the present generation, Increaaslng In strength, advancing In the accumulation of property and In all the elements that constitute the greatest respectability and highest of Its class.Our incorporation was far In advance of the spirit of the age. It was six years before the legislature had passed the act to make New York a free state and about seventeen years before such act should take effect. It was to usher In an Incorporated society before the manhood of Its membership was acknowledged by the community at large, but It was the law. March 23 was made a memorable day. To celebrate It In an appropriate manner, to appear on the public streets with flying colors uml a band of music for the first time would surely attract a mob, and the consequences were feared among our own members and to some extent our friendsOne friend remarked, and his remark was echoed by others, Your society has a perfect right to every Immunity which every other society has under Its act of incorporation, and the city is bound by its obligation to preserVe the peace, to protect and defend you, but such Is the malignity of publlo prejudice that the authorities would be entirely powerless to protect you on the streets, and you would be torn In piece' »by howling mobs. Nevertheless arrangements wero completed, and the society, headed by a full band composed of Negroes, marched through the streets of the city.We will go though death stares us In the face, said Hamilton Latham Teas-man and the rest of them, and they did go with heart9 of true men. By their daring they compelled the monster public prejudice to falter In its step So the men grasped him by the throat, hurling him to the earth, trampled under foot his prostrate body, proclaiming themselves victorpassed, fecetrlng tae necessary tw* thirds votes of all the members papt.Those voting for the bill were Senators Clark. A. B. Dickinson, Dixon, D. S. Dickinson, Edwards, Ely, Furman. Hawkins. Hopkins. Mull, Hunt, Johnson, Lee. H. A. Livingstone, Moseley. Nichols, Peck, Skinucr, Tali mage. Van Dyck, Wager. Works, Youug - 23; nays, 0. It was tbereupou ordered that the clerk deliver said bill to the assembly aud Inform that body that the senate had passed the same without amendment▲ message was received from the senate informiug the bouse of its action and a later message from the governor stating that he had signed the bill to extend the act incorporating the New York African Society For Mutual Relief.Mr. Zuille adds. “Referring back to the first organization of our society in 1808, we find that it was formed one year after the organization of the Society of Physicians and Surgeons of New York, that we were incorporated six years after the American Bible society was formed and thirty-two yeurs before the introduction of Croton water into the city of New York, eighteen years before the American institute was founded, forty-two years before the founding of the Young Men’s Christian association, forty-seven years before Central park was set apart as a place of popular resort.” }The society got right down to business after it bad acquired its charter in 1820 and began buying property, j It owned a house at 42 Baxter street valued at $20,000, one on Greenwich avenue valued at $17,000 and other real estate in sections of New York city where the prices are now almost prohibitive, valued at $40,000 (big val- i ues for those days). One of its treasurers with an itching palm decamped with over $1,100 of the society’s funds, but It kept right on doing and acbiev- | lug to its everlasting creditThe members of the African society were a type of Negroes all too scarce at the present day. They were real j men, men with a purpose, and they accomplished their purpose. They vin- I dlcated the character and proved the capacity of black men for business. New York’s Negro business men at that early day occupied a conspicuous place in the business and commercial 1 life of the city, as the following roster will show: IWilliam Hamilton. Sr., William Hamilton, Jr., James Latham, Edward Latham, house carpenters; Henry Brynes, Richard Augustus, Alexander Elston, Prince Lov-eridge, Isaac Goslah, William Brooks, bootmakers; George DeGrasse, Thomas L. Jennings, dealers In real estate; Peter Williams, Sr., E. Vincent. Ep Davis, feed dealers; Henry Scott, pickle dealer; Thomas Baggot, soap chandler; Thomas Downing, Boston Crummell, Moses Blew, Robert Watson, Peter Van Dyck, William A Tyson, John Jackson, Francis Cook, oyster dealers or restaurateurs; Cato Alexander, Innkeeper for gentlemen riding out In flrst class vehicles or on horseback near the shot tower; William Hutson, Intelligence office; Philip A. Bell, editor and publisher; Revs. William Miller, James Varlck, Christopher Rush, Peter Williams. Jr., Thomas Paul, Samuel E. Cornish, Theodore 8. Wright, John T. Raymond and Timothy Eato were the spiritual advisers and guides of the ambitious and progressive black men of those days.AGAINST JIMCROW LAWS.Louisiana Supreme Court Upholds Rights of Colored Citizens.New Orleans.—The recent decision of the supreme court of Louisiaua in respect to Jimcrow c^r laws should gladden the heart of every American citizen who believes in law and order aud fair and equal treatment according to law for every American citizen and who believes in legal rights and law enforcement as against mob law.The decision of tiie court is to the effect thut a colored person bus a vested right to a seat in a street car, despite the Jimcrow law In effect in New Orleaus and other Louisiana cities, and that he canuot be moved from a seat in the white compartment of a car, provided there is no seat in the Negro section.The appeal was that of Joseph An derson against the New Orleans Railways and Light company. The tribunal affirms the verdict for damages awarded Mr. Anderson and Increases the amount from $50 to $250. The partitions on the street cars in this city are movable. The opinion holds that a conductor has a right to move the partitions, but continues:“Where a passenger has found a seat In the compartment assigned to his race the officer has no right by moving'the partition to put him in the wrongover him with the right secured to march 1 compartment when there is no seat tosra's.'riSisrsLSi!” •w •• »I nnmlo Aafohlinhn/1 rlt;\t* nia rana 9At this celebration, memorable in the history of the Negroes of New York city aud staite. the constitution and dispatches of a congratulatory nature were read. An ixle composed aud set to music by James Latham, one of thefounders of the society, was sung. Theprocession marched past the homes of the gentry in the fushionuble and aristocratic sections and was greeted with cheers and the waving of handkerchiefs. Being thus recognized by the best people iu the city, the rowdy element feared the cousequences of any interference with them.These celebrations were kept up for a number of years and were the principal features of the social life of the •olored people. The example set by the African society was followed by other benevolent societies. But after a few years the African Society For Mutual Relief abandoned this form of celehratiou and substituted one more suitable.On March 12. 1840, on motion of the Hon. A. H. Livingstone, a state senator, a bill granting a renewal of the charter of the society or to extend the •ct of Incorimrating the New York African Society For Mutual Relief was read a third time In the senate andnewly established for his race.’ A number of other cases based upon the Jimcrow law are also pending in the courts.Luther Long Gets Scholarship Prize.Out of au enrollment of 400 boys at the State Industrial school in Golden, Colo., Luther Long, a student from Pueblo, made the best record In deportment, Industry and scholarship during the school term of 1911. He was awarded the Schermerhorn prize of $10 in gold. The prize was the gift of Senator John R. Schermerhorn, whose home Is also In Pueblo. Thus at the beginning of 1912 this young colored lad stands at the head of the entire ttudeut body in scholarship.Farmers* ImDrovsment Society.The Colored Farmers* Improvement society, which was organized last December In Colorado county, Tex., seeks, among other things, to abolish the credit system, to enable Its members to come together for discussion of topics of interest to farmers and to stimulate the members who are homeless to acquire homes and to urge those who are already possessed of homes toImprove and beautify them.
Newspaper Details
The Twin City Star
Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
Sat, Feb 03, 1912
Page 2
Full Page
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USA 20 Dec 2020
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