The Civil Rights Visitors
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Title
The Civil Rights Visitors
Description
A newspaper article about the 1873 National Civil Rights Convention held in Washington DC published in Georgia Weekly Telegraph and Georgia Journal & Messenger (Dec. 16, 1873)
Source
The Civil Rights Visitors. Georgia Weekly Telegraph and Georgia Journal & Messenger (Macon, GA), 16 December 1873, 19th Century U.S. Newspapers.
Publisher
Georgia Weekly Telegraph and Georgia Journal & Messenger
Date
1873-12-16
Type
Newspaper article
Scripto
Transcription
The Civil Rights Visitors.
The Louisiana delegation to the Civil Rights Convention visited with the President. Senator West introduced them. The President said he was glad to meet them. He had always endeavored to secure for the colored man all the rights which should accompany enfranchisement. Certain rights are still withheld, but he hoped that ere long they would find themselves in possession of all the privileges which belong to freemen. He said he did not know what Congress would do in the matter, but he thought it likely that that body would, at its present session, pass a civil rights bill, and that if such a bill is defeated it will probably be because an extreme measure is urged by some person who claims to be a particular friend of the colored people.
Col. Lewis was orator on behalf of the visitors.
The National Convention of Civil Rights was startled by an accidental discharge of a pistol in a member's pocket. The ball passed through the boot-leg of Mr. Summer, of Mississippi. No harm was done. Pinchback was elected permanent President. Pinchback addressed the convention, returning thanks for the honor conferred on him, and expressing his gratitude to the Republican party for what it had accomplished in behalf of the colored race. He proceeded to recapitulate the status of the colored race here since the introduction of a cargo of Africans by the Dutch in 1620 into Virginia, where they were sold as slaves, and on up to the late civil war, since which time the race here have been clothed with political rights They now ask the National Legislature to give them such privileges as are accorded to the white race. They embrace the rights of admission into the public schools, theatres, hotels and on steamboats and railroad cars. It was a fallacy to say that the colored race are slaves by instinct. They were free before they were seized by their former captors and traders, and a long series of years of bondage has not extinguished their love of freedom. He cited the successful record of the race since their emancipation, and denied that it was dependent upon the Caucasian for sustaining its vigor of intellect, as is often asserted, and pointed out education as the way to have recognition seek them, instead of begging for it.
The Louisiana delegation to the Civil Rights Convention visited with the President. Senator West introduced them. The President said he was glad to meet them. He had always endeavored to secure for the colored man all the rights which should accompany enfranchisement. Certain rights are still withheld, but he hoped that ere long they would find themselves in possession of all the privileges which belong to freemen. He said he did not know what Congress would do in the matter, but he thought it likely that that body would, at its present session, pass a civil rights bill, and that if such a bill is defeated it will probably be because an extreme measure is urged by some person who claims to be a particular friend of the colored people.
Col. Lewis was orator on behalf of the visitors.
The National Convention of Civil Rights was startled by an accidental discharge of a pistol in a member's pocket. The ball passed through the boot-leg of Mr. Summer, of Mississippi. No harm was done. Pinchback was elected permanent President. Pinchback addressed the convention, returning thanks for the honor conferred on him, and expressing his gratitude to the Republican party for what it had accomplished in behalf of the colored race. He proceeded to recapitulate the status of the colored race here since the introduction of a cargo of Africans by the Dutch in 1620 into Virginia, where they were sold as slaves, and on up to the late civil war, since which time the race here have been clothed with political rights They now ask the National Legislature to give them such privileges as are accorded to the white race. They embrace the rights of admission into the public schools, theatres, hotels and on steamboats and railroad cars. It was a fallacy to say that the colored race are slaves by instinct. They were free before they were seized by their former captors and traders, and a long series of years of bondage has not extinguished their love of freedom. He cited the successful record of the race since their emancipation, and denied that it was dependent upon the Caucasian for sustaining its vigor of intellect, as is often asserted, and pointed out education as the way to have recognition seek them, instead of begging for it.
Convention Minutes Item Type Metadata
Contributor
This transcription is the combination of work from more than 4,500 people who volunteered during the 2022 celebration of Douglass Day, held in partnership with Zooniverse.
Event ID
1873.DC-12.09.WASH
Citation
19th Century U.S. Newspapers, “The Civil Rights Visitors,” Colored Conventions Project Digital Records, accessed October 22, 2026, https://omeka.coloredconventions.org/items/show/1587.