Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-10-25
MORNING LEADER.
Conrenrlon Of Colorea CIrizens.

mOhNlINU LIZA OEh.
Convention of CoIored Citizens
We publish the stirring appeal of the colOred
citizens of Ohio, issued BY their State Central /.
Committee, to send Delegates, and of the right
stamp, to Convention to be held at Cincinnati
on the 23d, Gath and 25th Of November next -
The Convention will no doubt be a large one,
for the colored citizns of Ohio are not only nu-
merous, and in the nam intelligent, industrious
and prosperous, but they have among them ma
ny men Of established character, and vigorous,
cultivated intellects-men who know their rights
and dare advocate them.
The Committee of the eOlored citizeas snd
tax payers Of the State enumerste some cf the
disabilities and harjshiPs they now lat' rund r.
and it is no marvel that they should take fps
to at least preserve the few righ' and pr vieges
enjoyed by them, when they see me .suIes intro
duced into the Legislature, and seriously advo-
Gated, to rob them Of the right of removing from
one ward or township TO another without "Psss
es.' to prohibteOlored persons Ofevery shade e1-
cept Indian from settling in Ohio and to debar all
suspected of having African blood in their veins,
no matter how infnilesimal the drop, from the
ballot bOx-these fresh wrongs to be enforced by
fines and imPrisonmentsl
The colored citizens of Cleveland will hold a
meeting at Flat Iron Block, junction Of Pros
pect and Huron streets, this evening, to appoint
Delegates to the Cincinnati Convention.
T0ths COlOrsd CRizens Of the STATE Of Ohio:
CITIZENS We call on you to meet at Gin
cinnati on the 23d, 24th and 25th of November
next, and there deliberate on the best means 10
secure your rights in Ohio, and promote the in
terest OF your race in the United States. Citi-
zens, you are denied the Elective Franchise
you are excluded from the Jury Box you are
not admitted into the Poor Houses YOU are
shut out from the lnsIitntions for the Insane,
Blind, Deaf and Dumb. You cannot ioin the
Militia Of the State and perform military duty
The Constitution prohibits you and limits the
members to white male citizens" Black male
citizens are embargoed and supposed by the
privileged class, in 4 case Of emergency, u be
totally unfit to uphold the pillar Of State This
/ Is fatal stab. 1t strikes at your loyalty and
love of country, which never was questioned
until within these latter days, by the new lights
who have sprung up like grasshOpPers IN the
community. In the war for Independence, col
Ored men bore an honorable part, and many lost
their lives, and others were hOnOIably discharged
| from the service. At the great battle at New
| Orleans colOred men maintained their post IN
/ the ranks Of the army with distinguished yalOr,
/ and Andlew Jackson declared that it is "a BiJ-
| taken policy" to deny them the use Of arms
And yet such men cannot form part of the Nj
litia of the State Shame You cannot, Cit
izens, be a Clerk, Councilman, Policeman,
Member Of the Board OF Public Works, Com
missioner, Attorney, Judge, Auditor, Treasurer,
Secretary Of State, or Governor. You can hold
no POlitieGl Office of trust, or honor, profit IN
der the State Government. You are aliens in
the eye of the law, inferior and degraded, and
entitled to no more protection aud encourage
ment than Sandwich Islander, or q convict of
Van Diemsn's Land The Legislature of Ohio
assemblies, and although It is supported in part
by your money, you have no representative in
that body.
Hence, your interest is totally neglected, and
your wants not provided for. Is this Ameri-
can Is 1t in harmony with free and enlight-
ened institutions Citizens, these restrictions
are anti Democratic, and opposed to the liberal
tendencies and spirit Of the age. The object
Of government, as set forth by Thomas Jeffer-
son, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, James
Madison and George Washington, Is, 'to estab-
lsh justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide
for the common defense, promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity." Il was not de-
signed to establish injustice, promote inequali.
ty, and secure chains for one sixth of the entire
population. Indeed, it requires NJ argument to
prove that State has no right TO oppress and
degrade portion of her innocent subjects. We
swear allegiance 70 the State on condition
that she will protect and make wholesome laws
10 govern u.s. and whenever she fails To 90 it.
the citizen is at liberty TO choose whatsoever
king he will serve. We are not alone in this
opinion. jefferson declared the King Of Great
Britain tyrant, and unfit TO rule a free people
because he gave his assent 10 a law taxing the
Colonies without their consent Patrick Hen
", in the House Of Burgesses in Virginia, was
no less bitter, and reminded his Majesty thai
he might meet the fate Of Charles the First
Citizens, it is certain, then, that all partial ie
gislation is wrong, imPolitic and unwise. YoU
cannot legislate for one class in a community
to the injury of another, without doing a serioUi
wrong 10 the individual as well as the State -
To this cause may be attributed all the evil
! that grow out Of our State and National Legis
laticn, and the dark forebodings Of the future
Two-thirds of every Congress is taken up IL
3 discussing the question, "What shall We d,
% with the niggerl" as though the Negro wa
a not MAN When will American statestAel
learn this fact And the quarrels and fight
of members indicate the storm that is rising
7 which will sweep everything before it, unles
= equal ard exact justice is dealt out to all tn
inhabitants of the Republic, without respect t
color.
Citizens, we call on you to do whatever is il
: your power to redress these grievances, an
4, stay these public wrongs. 1t cannot be don
in day, month, or a year but by frequent
: " meeting together, you can sgitate the cues
e ton, put it IN cOmmotion, spread light befor
: the people, and urge the use Of the sacred righ
Of Petition, and who can doubt the success o
your cause We call upon you BY eyerythin;
y that Is sacred, TO come out Hlasse TO the Con
# vention. We ought to have at least five hun
' jred delegates. Let every Ward and Township
in the State be represented Send your bes
men, and send them with statistics concerning
n the number Of Churches, Schools and Societie
4 among you, the amount Of your wealth, an
the taxes you pay. Let the farmer leave hi
plow, the blacksmith his anvil, the painter hi
7 ! brT,sh the shoemaker his last the earDente