On April 19, 1867, a general meeting of the citizens of Mobile
was held relative to the new measures of reconstruction. Among
the vice-presidents were men of all classes and color--as civil
judges, bishops, clergy, physicians, citizens, etc., etc., of
whom five were colored men. The only colored speaker on the
occasion said:
"_Fellow-Citizens_: I feel my incapacity to-night to speak, after
hearing the eloquence of those preceding me. I received an
invitation from the white citizens of Mobile to speak for the
purpose of reconciling our races--the black to the white--to
extend the hand of fellowship. You have heard the resolutions.
You are with us, and I believe are sincere in what they promise.
It is my duty to accept the offer of reconstruction when it is
extended in behalf of peace to our common country. Let us remove
the past from our bosoms, and reconcile ourselves and positions
together. I am certain that my race cannot be satisfied unless
granted all the rights allowed by the law and by that flag. The
resolutions read to you to-night guarantee every thing. Can you
expect any more? If you do, I would like to know where you are
going to get it. I am delighted in placing myself upon this
platform, and in doing this I am doing my duty to my God and my
country. We want to do what is right. We believe white men will
also do what is right."
The next speaker was a late Confederate officer during the war.
He said:
"It is the first time for seven long years that we sit--and at
first we sat with diffidence--under the 'old flag' and I connot
deny that my feelings are rather of a strange nature. Looking
back to the past, I remembered the day (the 10th day of January,
1861) when I hauled down that flag from its proud staff in Fort
St. Philip, and thought then that another flag would soon spread
its ample folds over the Southern soil.
"But that flag is no more. It has gone down in a cloud of
glory--no more to float even over the deserted graves of our
departed heroes--one more of the bright constellations in the
broad canopy of that firmament where great warriors are made
demigods.
"But I did not come here to-night to tell you, men of Alabama,
that my heart was with you--for you well know that as far as that
heart can go, it never will cease beating for what is held dear
and sacred to you. But I came here to speak to those of our new
fellow-citizens, who are not seeking the light of truth.
"It is said that two races now stand in open antagonism to each
other--that the colored man is the natural enemy of the white
man, and, hereafter, no communion of interests, feelings and past
associations, can fill the gulf which divides them.
"But who is it that says so? Is it the Federal soldier who fought
for the freedom of that race? Is it even the political leader
whose eloquence stirred up the North and West to the rescue of
that race? No; it is none of these. It is not even the
intelligent and educated men of that class, for I now stand on
the very spot where one of them, Mr. Trenier, disclaimed those
disorganizing principles, and eloquently vindicated the cause of
truth and reason.
"Why, then, should there be any strife between us? Why should not
our gods be their gods--our happiness be their happiness? Has
anything happened which should break up concert of action,
harmony, and concord in the great--the main objects of life--the
pursuit of happiness?
"Where can that happiness spring from? Is it from the midst of a
community divided against itself, or from one blessed with peace
and harmony?
"In what particular have our relations changed? In what case have
our interests in the general welfare been divided? Is not today
the colored man as essential to our prosperity as he was before?
"Is not our soil calling for the energetic efforts of his sinewy
arms? Can we, in fact, live without him? But while we want his
labor he wants our lands, our capital, our industry, our
influence in the commerce and finances of the world.
"And if, coming down from those higher functions in society, we
descend to our domestic relations, where do we find that those
relations are changed?
"Does not the intelligent freedman know that neither he nor we
are accountable to God for the condition in which we were
respectively born?
"Does he not know that, for generations past, the institution of
slavery had been forced upon us by the avarice, the love of power
of the North? Does he not know that to-day we have in him the
same implicit faith and reliance we had before?"[532]