Conservative Colored Convention.
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Title
Conservative Colored Convention.
Source
Chronicling America
Publisher
Nashville Union and Dispatch
Date
1867-04-07
Scripto
Transcription
[PAGE 01]
Conservative Colored Convention.
The convention which was called by the colored citizens to meet yesterday, met at the courthouse at 1 P.M. a A large crowd of colored men and white men assembled at the appointed hour. There was an intention on the part of many of the colored men to break up the convention, by introducing it into it Radicals who pretended to be Conservative. Brownlow's militia were there, and instead of being the conservators of the peace, by their acts of encouraged a spirit of lawlessness and intolerance.
After much confusion, Joseph Williams took the chair and made a speech, reviewing the questions at issue, and delivered a scathing rebuke to those who attempted to suppress the freedom of speech. He said, if free speech could not be tolerated, then we are in a worse bondage than when in our former slavery.
[PAGE 02]
After Mr. Williams had concluded his remarks, Mr. Washington, a colored man, came forward and said: : We, as colored men, must look at our own interest. We are slightly demoralized; ; we had no chance to get a fair representation of the Southern side of the question. The Radicals have usurped everything and tried to become our special guardians. It is laid to Uncle Sam that he liberated us. This is not true. It was not their intention to free us at all. It was a case of necessity, in order to suppress the rebellion. Our true friends are those who raised us; ; they have stood by us all of our lives, and we should encourage them by standing by them. Some of these Radical colored men have come here with a Brownlow pill in one ear and Radical whisky in the other. They do not look at the question fairly. Let others do as they may, but as for me, my hopes and sympathies are with those who wore the gray. They are our friends - we can trust them.
[PAGE 03]
Rev. Mr. Watkins being loudly called for, came forward and made a calm, , practical speech. He said he had read thoroughly the constitution of the United States, and it declared all "men born free and equal," and that the object of the confederation was to form a more perfect union, establish justice, and insure tranquillity. That constitution was good enough, but was never carried out practically. All men in this country were not free and equal. The Radicals have given us the right to vote, but they have in the 16th section of the franchise act, denied as the right to sit on juries, or to hold office. This is robbing us of the right guaranteed to us as freemen. His definition of Conservatives and Radicals, taken from Worcester's dictionary, were not well defined in their relation to the two political parties now in existence. Who gave you your freedom? said he, in a low tone. Did Lincoln and his army do it? No; it was God who struck the shackles from your limbs. He closed by saying he was compelled to go to Franklin to preach that evening, and was prepared at some more leisure time to address them on all the great questions involved in the coming canvass.
The following resolutions were then read by the chairman and adopted, and the following colored gentlemen were appointed as delegates to the State convention to meet on the 16th, in this city:
[PAGE 04]
RESOLUTIONS
Whereas, Under the laws of Tennessee, the colored man is invested with the right of suffrage, and it, therefore, becomes his duty to justify his enfranchisement by a prudent, thoughtful, and patriotic exercise of that great and inestimable privilege:
And whereas, Our Conservative white fellow-citizens have invited us to appoint delegates to the State convention to assemble in Nashville on the 16th inst., and participate with them in nominating a candidate for Governor, thus showing their disposition and desire to secure our rights, and to promote harmony between the two races, therefore be it
Resolved, That we cordially accept the invitation, and will faithfully labor to make the political unity thus inaugurated redound to the good of the State and the whole Union.
Resolved, That we do not desire to be an element of discord in the community in which we lived--that that to seek to unite the colored race against the white, or the poor against the rich, would only bring trouble; that we believe the common good of both depends upon the spirit of harmony and justice of all towards each other.
Resolved, That believing the spirit and tendencies of Radicalism are unfavorable to these aims, we take our stand with the true Union Conservatives of Tennessee, and invite our race throughout the State to do the same.
[PAGE 05]
Resolved, That our right to vote involves the right to hold office, and that its denial is unjust; ; and that our interests and rights as free men require also that we should have the right to sit upon juries.
Resolved, That while thankful to overruling Providence that slavery is removed from the land, we have no ground to fear that any attempt will ever be made to reestablish it.
DELEGATES. Daniel Watkins, James Collier, Willam J. Muson, Wm. Chapel, Anthony Watkins, James Prim, Thomas Owens,
Joseph E. Williams, James Collier,
A. Dodd, William J. Muson, John McCrea, Wm. Chapel, Samuel Price, Anthony Watkins, Phillip Bosworth, James Prim, Daniel Walker, Thomas Owens, Squire Mason, Anderson Allen.
While the resolutions were being read, the Radical negroes, who had been out in the courtyard, came in and came near breaking up the convention in a row. It was very evident that they were intent on mischief, and were instigated by white men, who had not the courage to act out of the promptings s of their own malicious hearts.
During this excitement, Judge Lawrence, formerly of the Freedmen's Bureau, took the stand, and told them that he hoped they would either remain quietly or leave the house; that he was their friend and not a Conservative, and that he hoped for the honor of freedom and free speech, that they would not disturb the deliberations of the convention.
Conservative Colored Convention.
The convention which was called by the colored citizens to meet yesterday, met at the courthouse at 1 P.M. a A large crowd of colored men and white men assembled at the appointed hour. There was an intention on the part of many of the colored men to break up the convention, by introducing it into it Radicals who pretended to be Conservative. Brownlow's militia were there, and instead of being the conservators of the peace, by their acts of encouraged a spirit of lawlessness and intolerance.
After much confusion, Joseph Williams took the chair and made a speech, reviewing the questions at issue, and delivered a scathing rebuke to those who attempted to suppress the freedom of speech. He said, if free speech could not be tolerated, then we are in a worse bondage than when in our former slavery.
[PAGE 02]
After Mr. Williams had concluded his remarks, Mr. Washington, a colored man, came forward and said: : We, as colored men, must look at our own interest. We are slightly demoralized; ; we had no chance to get a fair representation of the Southern side of the question. The Radicals have usurped everything and tried to become our special guardians. It is laid to Uncle Sam that he liberated us. This is not true. It was not their intention to free us at all. It was a case of necessity, in order to suppress the rebellion. Our true friends are those who raised us; ; they have stood by us all of our lives, and we should encourage them by standing by them. Some of these Radical colored men have come here with a Brownlow pill in one ear and Radical whisky in the other. They do not look at the question fairly. Let others do as they may, but as for me, my hopes and sympathies are with those who wore the gray. They are our friends - we can trust them.
[PAGE 03]
Rev. Mr. Watkins being loudly called for, came forward and made a calm, , practical speech. He said he had read thoroughly the constitution of the United States, and it declared all "men born free and equal," and that the object of the confederation was to form a more perfect union, establish justice, and insure tranquillity. That constitution was good enough, but was never carried out practically. All men in this country were not free and equal. The Radicals have given us the right to vote, but they have in the 16th section of the franchise act, denied as the right to sit on juries, or to hold office. This is robbing us of the right guaranteed to us as freemen. His definition of Conservatives and Radicals, taken from Worcester's dictionary, were not well defined in their relation to the two political parties now in existence. Who gave you your freedom? said he, in a low tone. Did Lincoln and his army do it? No; it was God who struck the shackles from your limbs. He closed by saying he was compelled to go to Franklin to preach that evening, and was prepared at some more leisure time to address them on all the great questions involved in the coming canvass.
The following resolutions were then read by the chairman and adopted, and the following colored gentlemen were appointed as delegates to the State convention to meet on the 16th, in this city:
[PAGE 04]
RESOLUTIONS
Whereas, Under the laws of Tennessee, the colored man is invested with the right of suffrage, and it, therefore, becomes his duty to justify his enfranchisement by a prudent, thoughtful, and patriotic exercise of that great and inestimable privilege:
And whereas, Our Conservative white fellow-citizens have invited us to appoint delegates to the State convention to assemble in Nashville on the 16th inst., and participate with them in nominating a candidate for Governor, thus showing their disposition and desire to secure our rights, and to promote harmony between the two races, therefore be it
Resolved, That we cordially accept the invitation, and will faithfully labor to make the political unity thus inaugurated redound to the good of the State and the whole Union.
Resolved, That we do not desire to be an element of discord in the community in which we lived--that that to seek to unite the colored race against the white, or the poor against the rich, would only bring trouble; that we believe the common good of both depends upon the spirit of harmony and justice of all towards each other.
Resolved, That believing the spirit and tendencies of Radicalism are unfavorable to these aims, we take our stand with the true Union Conservatives of Tennessee, and invite our race throughout the State to do the same.
[PAGE 05]
Resolved, That our right to vote involves the right to hold office, and that its denial is unjust; ; and that our interests and rights as free men require also that we should have the right to sit upon juries.
Resolved, That while thankful to overruling Providence that slavery is removed from the land, we have no ground to fear that any attempt will ever be made to reestablish it.
DELEGATES. Daniel Watkins, James Collier, Willam J. Muson, Wm. Chapel, Anthony Watkins, James Prim, Thomas Owens,
Joseph E. Williams, James Collier,
A. Dodd, William J. Muson, John McCrea, Wm. Chapel, Samuel Price, Anthony Watkins, Phillip Bosworth, James Prim, Daniel Walker, Thomas Owens, Squire Mason, Anderson Allen.
While the resolutions were being read, the Radical negroes, who had been out in the courtyard, came in and came near breaking up the convention in a row. It was very evident that they were intent on mischief, and were instigated by white men, who had not the courage to act out of the promptings s of their own malicious hearts.
During this excitement, Judge Lawrence, formerly of the Freedmen's Bureau, took the stand, and told them that he hoped they would either remain quietly or leave the house; that he was their friend and not a Conservative, and that he hoped for the honor of freedom and free speech, that they would not disturb the deliberations of the convention.
Convention Minutes Item Type Metadata
Convention Type
County Convention
City
Nashville
State
TN
Country
USA
Start Date
1867-04-06
Provenance
Library of Congress
Event ID
1867.TN-04.06.NASH
Citation
“Conservative Colored Convention.,” Colored Conventions Project Digital Records, accessed October 22, 2026, https://www.omeka.coloredconventions.org/items/show/2700.