hat he came from
Charleston.

Henry Young was a member of the Alabama Legislature about 1868 and
1869-70. He was a slave who could read and write, having been taught
by his master's children. He would, somewhat like Frederick Douglass,
spell out the words on letters that he was called upon to deliver or
to get from the post office, and in this way he also increased his
ability to read.

CONWAY, ARK.,--October 14, 1916.

NEGROES IN POLITICS IN ARKANSAS DURING RECONSTRUCTION

In the constitutional convention of 1868, there were 8 Negro
delegates, that is, J. W. Mason, Richard Samuels, William Murphy,
Monroe Hawkins, William Grey, James T. White, Henry Rector and Thomas
P. Johnson. (_Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of 1868_,
pages 2 to 5.)

Negroes in the Arkansas Legislature: Session April 2 to July 23, 1869,
and session November 17, 1868, to April 10, 1869, were seven Negro
members of whom J. W. Mason, the leading Negro in the Senate; W. H.
Grey, leading Negro in the House. (_Daily Republican_, Oct. 1, 1868).

In the Legislature of January 2 to March 25, 1871, there were eleven
Negro members: J. W. Mason and J. T. White in the Senate: J. M.
Alexander, Austin Barrow, Conway Barbour, John Webb, Adam Johnson,
Jeff Haskins, A. Mays, William Young, Carl Pope, A. J. Robinson, E. A.
Fulton in the House. (_Daily Republican_, March 25, 1871.)

In the 19th session, January 6 to April 25, 1873, the last session
before Baxter called his special session, something less than one
fifth of all the members were Negroes. I have been unable to ascertain
the exact number in this session, but from the standpoint of numbers,
I would judge that there is no great difference between this session
and the previous one. _The Arkansas Gazette_ of January 12, 1873, says
of the Negro members: "There are a few men among these colored members
who are bright and intelligent, and much superior to some white
members, but as a rule, this is not the case."

(Signed) THOMAS S. STAPLES,
Hendrix College
Conway, Arkansas

NEGRO MEMBERS OF THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE DURING RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD
AND AFTER

_Senate_

Year Name County
1880-1888 H. W. Chandler Marion
1881 T. V. Gibbs