The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-01-29
THE PRONUNCIAMENTO
YoUKG AFRICA AGAINST OLD AFRICA.
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Address 10 the People Of The State Of New York.


anomalous position undoubtedly forms one of the
mort serious obstacles to the gradual liberation Of
the slaves. Debayred from all psrti .ipa-
tion in public employments, rejected from most of
the institutions of learning and religion governed
by laws which they have sh are in framing, hav-
SDg been denied the right of suffrage by vast
popular majority, shut out from social intercourse
and condemned to life of servility and dru igery,
their condition amongst US is dep!orabe in the
Ieme Any great improvement of their condition,
under circumstances calculated crush the spirit
Of manhood, seems morally impossible.
"Ihe blghting effects of this iDferiorty TO which
they are subjected is in the fact, that while
every other class has rapidly increased the coored
population Of this State has dwinded from 50,027
10 $780, TO 1887 in 1850 result rem arkable
naturally excites apprehension that the African
like the Indian race, cannot permanently co exist
on the same soil with the whites, and that sepa-
ration is ecessary to prevent their ultm ate extnc
ton. The instincts OF nature, 600 power
full 10 be counteracted by the rehnemhts OF abstract
reasoning. proclaim that the two races must be
sooner or later separated
The Governor fulther recommends a liberal
appropriately by the Legislature, to remove this
GLASS to Africa, under the auspices Of the American
Colonization Society.
Had these apimadversions come from the agents
81 the American Colonization S5eiety should
have borne them in silence, Tor it's their vocation,
=,
support 10 al army of adventarers who gain their
hyipg by plundering rs of our good name; but when
the chief officer Of state, in the tulilment of
the Gers ..utionai duty OF rendering account OF
ts condition to the Legislature, makes these
tions they assume the prominence of historic
truths, and appear before the world and posterity
with an authority which will win for them tRe com
mon belief, if they be permitted to pass uncontra.
dicted.
We feel and know that these anmadyersons
misrepresent our conditions and prospects, and are
unwilling that they shall mould the public opinion
in regard to us. And it is out of regard for this
public opinion, fellow citizens, that we assem-
bed this day, in the hope that, by respectful
presentation of facts and arguments, We may do
something to win back for ourselves the good Rame
which the Governor has seriously impugned.
And, whilst We yield to none of you in our high
spect for his office, this very respect will not suffer
silently to permit his exercise of it to be used to
our detriment; for if the represe nations made by
his excellsncy were true, or but half the truth, We
feel within us love for our native State so deep
and fervent that We would, however reluctantly,
quit her borders for ever, rather than re main an
imPediment to her greatness and her glory.
We are net declared from all particip att on in
public employment" In proportion to our attain
meats and efforts to secure the same, obtain and
hold the public employments. Colored men have
ever been employed in government vessels; eolored
men have always been employed in the public
stores in New York, until the tender mercies of a
whig administration dismissed them ALL except
spare. Coored men hold offices in the gift of the
people in Essex county, in this State have reus ed
Office in Oneida, and have been nominated, and 70.
ceved fair share Of votes for the highest offices in
the gift Of the people Of the State and if they
have failed in being elected to such offices, it may,
perhaps, be attributed less to their dement's than
to the peculiar avdity and denial Of self with which
our white felow-citizens seek such incumbencies.
II We rejected from most of the institutions Of
religion and learning, it is from influences apart
from our complexion, and from without our State.
In 1897, 1889, and 1913, when colored youth, duly
qualified, rejected from equal privileges in the
Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in this
State solely on account Of their complexion, the
Bishop of the Docess gave as the sole reason for
such rejection, the fear of commotion in the
Episcopal church. in the Southern States. In 1916,
when colored tu lent, duly qualified as presented
for adm ssic TO the College of Physicians and Sur
geons in the city of New York, he was denied ad.
mission account Of the antic gated opposition of
students from the slave States In the autumn of
1851, when q cclored student had been promised
admission into tie Medical School in Albany, be
was rejected account OF the opposition of medj-
col student II, N tie south,
In all these instances the ofessors in these seats
OF learning expressed with profound regret, that
their pecuniary dependence upon the Southern stu
dents, was the sole reason for thus lking rejec
tion repugnant to their own feelings, and 80 local
opinions,
Hence il appears, tha. Southern young men,
arrogatipg to themselves the title of gentlemen,
who, in infancy, had drawn nutrment from the
breasts OF black mothers the cost Of whose bring.
ing up-nay the very clothes, upon whose backs
are paid for out of the uarequited toll Of black en
and women, have come Into the free State OF New
ing to coloIed men, In order to make capital for
perpetual slavery out of the necessary ignorance of
free persons of color. And so far from exclusion
from these seats Of learning, being argument
against the portion of freedom which has been
vouchsafed to il is palpable proof Of the chains
which the South has forced upon men OF science
and sanetity in our state.
On the other hand, with the eYcep ion Of the bad
erinence held by the Protestant piscopal Church,
Rs respecter Of persons, all other denominations
in our State either have wdened, or gradually are
heir RI ha frn ldf NJ hat
mainly which the Saviour came TO save The
Presbyterian church have colored neu approaching
their affairs, and ministerng thereto, have the in
their p-esbyteries and syHods and cordially throw
open the doors Of the Union Theological Seminary
TO properly qualified colored youth. The Catholic
church, true 10 her ancient and not inglorious ira
dtions holds its members equal regardless Of COM
plexion-coored clergy men nave ministered its sa-
cred rites in the city OF New York; her edifces have
ne caste pews. and there is 10 celored Catholic
church in the United States, nor IN the world. The
Baptist church is equally catholic in these respects
The African Methodist Church in our State grew
into separate institution under the influences Of
slavery; Its continued separate is matter OF
treme regret among the whites of the same persaa-
sion, who have made overtures FOR union
We respectfully submit therefore, that with q
single exception, We are not excluded from the
seats Of religion. Even in the case excepted, some
years ago, when the vote was taken, indirectly, in
the Diocesan Convention, some years ago. the grow
ing catholicity Of the clergymen gave a majority
In favor of the admission of colored churches to the
Union an 4 this union was only lost by the NAL
influence Of distinguished layman from Albany,
who had been deeply engaged, some thirty years
before in an niger iously contrived slave trade be-
tween New York and New Orleans.
We learn with extreme surprise from his Excel
iency, that eve governed by laws which we
have no share in rarir z" To our humble appre-
bensiop, il had seemed clear, that govern
ment OF the people carried on, both in the
framing and the executing of the laws, when such
people elected representatives, other officers for
those purposes and that each voter framed laws
through bis representative II this theory be true,
we have helped frame the laws of New York, ever
since the foundation Of the state. To an extent as
full any portion and fuller than a majority OF its
present population do We claim the grateful me-
mories and patriotic hopes suggested by the seventy