The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-12
MEETING OF CoIOREp PEOPLE.

At large meeting Of the Free Colored
People of Baltimore, convened without respect
to religious differences and composed, in large
part, of official and other prominent members
of various churches held at the Public School
room ON East street, on the 81 instant the fol-
lowing statement was submitted and adopted
with but single dissenting voice, and ordered
to be published:
We have inquired into the character and
doings of the late convention of Free People
Of Color, claiming To be of the State Of Mary
land, held in the city Of Baltimore. and which
presented itself before the public ~ having de-
rived its authority TO convene from the Execu-
tive head of the State and it's authority Ia act
from the free people of color ol the counties
well Of the city. Now We are not prepared
to speak authoritatively for the colorcd people
of the counties but we do know the sentiments
Of those Of this city in reference to this Con-
ventOn"
As We understand, said Convention was
gotten up by the following individuals. whom
we find named in their publications, viz:
| Darius Stokes JAS I. Jackson, Jno Forte
II II. Webb, Daniel koburn James Handy. C.
Perry, Frederick Harris, John IT, Walker :
ID. Hntchins, David T. Jones, VIM. H. White
and a few others not SO well known to us.
This Colored Colonization Society as we
see 1t also styled, consisted of very few of our
class. The proceedings of the meetings to get
it up were known to but few of our people A:
/ hence the excitement amongst them when
those proceedings became generally known. If
it be asked, therefore, How came it to pass
that there was so much opposition ON the part
Of our people We're not the delegates claim
ing to represent the free people of color in this
city appointed by u.s." Our answer is. No.
Nine-tenths Of the cotored people knew nothing
Of ichGt tras beng done IN their name.
We hope the good people of Baltimore will
not infer, from what we have said, that our op-
position is founded in any new attempt to dis
courage voluntary colonization. We are not
opposed 10 emigration. We only mean to say
that the persons composing said Convention .
took advantage of our situation and employed
unauthorized means in calling Convention
of the Free People of Color, dividing the city
into numerous districts according to their owr
plans, and inviting strangers from the countic
to help to represent" us--all of which they
| did U1thout our consent
We should be pleased to see the members o.
this "Colored Colonization Society or Con.
vention" embark for Liberia. The example
of their consistent action, individually, would be
worthy of imitation.
Had this Society confined its dongs to It's
own sphere, and to its own members, we should
have had nothing to say of it. But, as the ease
now stands we feel called upon to soemny
repeat, for the information of all who desire
the truth, as we now do in public meeting that
we did not, at any time or in any manner
elect delegates to the so-called "Colored
Colonization Convention held in the city Of
Baltimore on the Goth, 9th, and 2sth days OF
July; and we furthermore declare that We
gave the said " delegates - no authority what
ever to represent the feelings and wishes o
our people. PULP ScorT, President
: JAMES GRAY, SecTftGrg