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From Frederick Douglass' Paper. Th« (.OBTfnllOB.The National Convention of colored citirrnscomae eomewhsl freely upon the charaoter and action of thia body. Suffice It to any, far tho present, we hatra every raaaon to congratulate oureelvte that auoh a Convention haa baanbegan it* aeaalona in our city at 10 o'clock on Wcdneaday morning, July 6lh, and and«1 Itahold.nmnraaay morning, suiy un, ana enneu in —. _ , . ry .labon at tn-aloao'clock on Friday night,having -AlUt-BulOCtQ Ull^lC.contlnord through thrta entire day*. Of ita 1eompnaltion and character—of lu principle and measure*—of Ita taal ImporUnca and aig-nl finance. a volume might ho written. It war unquestionably a gnat tXmrsafseti—perhapt the moat extraordinary. In many particular*, over held In the United Slates. It mark* an era in tho hiatory of the opproaacd in lid* land, and conatitiito* tho first groat, and (aa we think) drelaive atop mado by that people in the right direction. Wo aro unable, (Ida week, to give the entire official proceeding*; indeed, they will be entirely loo voluminoua for one or two taauc* of our paper; but wo venture to prevent to our readera a little sketch of lu character and effect*.It wa* a largo Convention i there were present on* A Mnrfrerf owt forty Jrlrjatu from eight different States. It I* fair to aaanmo that among three wore men reproaontlng aeorea, flf-tira, and hundrcda, and that all of them are the centrre of cirolea under lhair dirout influence and guidance, *o that a vast concourao of perron* wore represented in the Convention, end will be, for woai or for woe, affected by Ibo proceeding* of tho Convention. Whalaoovcr naa wiac and good; whateoever waa true and beautiful; whalaoovcr waa adapted to advanco the temporal intcreat, tho moral and Intellect-tial culture of out people, will lie carried homo from the Convention by ita delegates, and enthusiastically unfol’cd to their canitltucnu, for their approval and adoption. Never waa *o Urge a number of the oppTeaacd of this country repreacnted in Convention; and Ita proceeding* will become more generally known, and lie more thoroughly canvaaaed In all parta Of the country than tho proccedlnga of any previoua Convention have been.In the flrat place, the atmosphere of llneh-eater waa favorable to an nttcmblage of auch object*. Tho licit hall In tho olty (if not the beat in Western New York) wa* flung open on the occasion. Tho attendance of cilixona waa Urge and highly rrepcctablo; and waa, of itself, sufficient to Inspirit the worker* in tho Convention to tho highest efficiency.Tho talent, seal, and eloquence d:*played, look our cltUon* by surprise i and wc cnufeva, ourenlvca, even with our expectations. mure than gratified. There were mote working, energy, taet. and skill, than even we had looked for. Eloquence, like song, la a peculiar forte of our people; but tho Convention waa not more gratifying on the aenro of tho speaking, than it waa in tho aplrit, knowledge, and «U-dom which It embodied.The Convention wa* remarkable for *.he freedom and Independence which it manifested.— There wa* very little aerviUty to bo aeon any-where among the delegate*. No measure wm adoptod because it oamc from a distinguished person. Everything bail to submit to examination ; and aotnolimca thia wa* not vory delicately performed. T|iere w** displayed occasionally a littlo acctional feeling. New York waa thought a Uule too grasping; and our friend Cl no. T. Dow.viso, hod to take it right and laft for hia parliamentary dexterity; and yet we think every man in the Convention foil proud of tho attitude and activity of our friend. He was for putting the business ■' ihroti)A. Hence lio resorted to the prcrlous question.Among the proceedings of the Convention of colored citisens, will bo found a plan for a•• National Council. That pUn was submitted j |by Dr. J. MeC'ur.a Smith— diseuascd at length by leading members of tho Convention, and wa* finally adopted in aecllona—the greatest scrutiny being nod to iU provision*. 111*1 the plan is perfect, ii not pretended, and neither it it prcauined to be without dofccla, which time may *1.0 w to lie serious; but thii wc do cay, it la a plan which the fros people of color should give a fair trial, and only alter or amend it aa the wisdom of patient experience shall suggest. For tho first tune in the history of this country, the Free Colored people have banded thcra-aelvea together nationally, for tho defence of thoir liberty and tho improvement of their oon-dition. They have been not only a peeled and down-trodden people, but they have been a disjointed and ecattrrod people. Thoy have had vnorgy without order—mind without dla- a uipline—aoal without knowitdge—and puryioao ' 1 without union. All have been fighting on their r plan without Uia advantage of combination, t Thia la ao no longer. Uoncvforth, (ea long aa c the neeeeeity tails) we are united. Whatever 1 of mind and power wo poaatao, ahall bow hava lt;tho benefit of order and organisation. The re- ' I tabliahment of thii '• Council. ia indicative of lt;progress among our people. Union implies ' confidence, and confidence implies intelligence. I Suspicion risos out ef ignorance, like miasma ' out of decayed and decaying vegiution Ills-trust bo* dcflod all attempt* at union, until 1 now. Vile mischief maker t tho eurse of the oppressed in all eounfrie*, and the handmaid of tyrants under all skies, we bid thee begono forever.Such men ea Dr. Jsmca MoCune Smith, Dr. Pennington, William Whippar, J. B. Vaahon. Xlr. Wood ton, Ueotge T. Downing, 1'rofoeaor Heaton, John M. I.angaton, John I. Ooinca, Uov. Uuyd Parker, U. O. Wagoner, J. W. Wilson, J. hi. Whitfield. Charles Lenox Ik- | moud, Stephen Smith, J. C. Beman, Amoe U. Beman, Thomas Van Kenaalear, C. B. Bay, Ur. Van Brooklyn, and a hoat of others, whoso names wo need not mention—all men of mark— could not bo brought together In any place, under any eircumatauees, without producing a sensation—and a sensation they did produce j amongst us. Out oolumna are entirely too crowded Ibis week for extended remark. We aball take occasion In our next number, to dla-
Newspaper Details
The Anti Slavery Bugle
Salem, Ohio, US
Sat, Jul 23, 1853
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Wyatt H.
USA 20 Feb 2025
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