Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-02-16
ADDRESS.

To tie Senate and House Of Representatives. Of tie
State Of Ohio:
GExrLENEN We, the disfranchised Colored
Citizens of Ohio assembled in General Convention,
feeling deeply the grievous wrongs unjustly i'm
posed upon us by the prohibitions implied in the
first Section Of the fifth Article of the Constitu
ton of the State and knowing ''the people have
the right to assemble together, III a peaceful man
ner, to counsel for their common good and petit
ton the General Assembly for redress of griey
ances;" and, believing it to be solemn duty we
owe to ourselves, our pOsterity, and the honor and
dignity of the free State OF Ohio to every con-
stitutonal means which the Lawmakers OF Ohio
have left in our power, to remove from our necks
the burdens too grievous to be borne; do, there
fore, most earnestly, in the name of our common
humanity, in the name of she Declaration of In
dependence and the Bill Cf Rights of the State Of
Ohio ask your Honorable Body to take the neces
snry constitutional steps to strike the word white
from the section before referred to, and all other
places in which it occurs in the Constitution, and
thereby aSrogato the unwise and unjust distinction
,heren made between the citzens of the State on
account of the accident of color. The section re-
ferred to is couched in the following language
"Art. V. Sec. |. Every ,chHe male citizen Of the
United States Of the age Of twenty-one years, who
shall have been Il resident of the State year
next preceding the election, and of the county,
township, or ward in which he resides, such times
as may be provided by law, shall have the qualit-
cations of an eector, and be entitled 10 vote at all
elections"
The first reason we will assign for the removal
| of this odious word from the Constitution OF n
professeoy free State, is, that are MEN This,
| to our minds seems an all-suffcient plea. Human
rights are not to be graduated by the shades OF
color that tinge the cheeks Of men. Any being,
however low in the scale of civilization, that yet
preserves the traits that serve to distinguish hu-
manity from the blutes, is endowed with all rights
that can be claimed by the most cultivated races OF
men.
That we are men, we will rot insult your intel
! lgencc by attempting to prove. The most bitter
revilers and oppressors of the race admit this,
in the enactments by which they wrong us. stat
utes ana ordinances not necessary Tor the reSu
lation and control of animals but men, reasoning
men, who can understand and obey, or plot tt
overthrow. The section of which we complain
by defining that rhte men may exercise the right
of franchise, virtually admits that there are black
men who are by the rule prohibited IRON voting
We ask any who doubt our manhood, Hath not the
negro eyes? Hath not the negro hands, organs
dimensions; sense, affections, passions fed with
the same food-hurt with the same weapons-sub
iect to the same diseases-healed by the same
means warmed and cooled by the same summer
and winter Gs the Whte man is If you prlcl
, u.s. do we not bleed If you tickle us do we no
laugh? II you poison us, do we not die!
We ask YOU to ponder the danger of circumscri
bing the great doctrines of human equality, whcl
I our fathers promulgated and defended at the cos
: of SO much blood and treasure, to the marrow
bounds of races or nations All men are by ma
ture equal and have inalienable rights, or non
+ have We beg you to reflect how insecure you
own and the liberties OF your posterity would b
by the admission of such rule of constituting tn
- rights of men. Another nation or race may dis
place you as you have displaced nations and races
and the injustice you teach they may execute; pei
e chance they may better the instruction. Remen
> ber in your pride of race and power, That we ar
all children of one Father, and all ye are brett
: rem
7 But the principles upon which our Government
y is founded, condemns the practice OF eXcludln
colored men from the advantages of the ballotbo2
! To uphold the principle that taxation and repre-
sentation should go together the union betwee
Great Britain and the American Colonies was brt
Y KEN and desolating war of seven years duratio
J., was waged. AS proof Of the correctness of tn
principle we have the declaration and actions
our fathers, and your own declarations. If til
sentiment was so true in l776, what new cones
p tenation Of circumstances has arisen to render
v false in 1856? None whatever. It is one of thos
IS immutable truths that change not with time or c
10 cum stances. They are emanations from the etc
n nal foundation of truth, which we all worship
= the Deity Himself Yet in nearly every count
II of our State coiored taxpayers are found VIII
n are unrepresented, and can only be heard in you
e halls as a matter of favor-We are aware thi
], difference of race is urged by our enemies as
V reason for our Acknowledgement; but we subm
II that we are not Africans, but Americans as niue
70 so as any of your population Hero then Is grei
o. Injustice done u.s. by refusing to acknowledge on
s. right to The appellation of Americans, which
It the only title we desire aud leglsanS for rs rs
VIC we're aliens, and not bound to our country b