The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-08-07

peal to the citizens of the State of Vir-
ginia and to the Government of the
United States for that protection which
we so much need, and for which free
men in all ages have commended. We,
in our present condition, are without
protection, so far as the laws of the State
are concerned, and but for the strong
arm of the military, we feel that we have
nowhere to look for that protection
which is essential for the safety of our
persons or our property, our wives or
our children; for while we had in our
FORMER owners their protection, we have
now IN them none, and we are left to
the assaults of the vile and vicious to do
with us as they please, and we are left
without redress.
We claim, then, as citizens of this
State, the laws of the Commonwealth
shall give to all men equal protection:
that each and every man may appeal to
the law for his equal rights without re-
gard to the color Of his skin; and we be-
lieve this can only be done by extending
to us the elective franchise which we be-
lieve to be our inalienable rights as free
men, and which the Declaration of In
dependence guarantees to all free citizens
OF this Government, and which is the
privilege of the nation. We claim the
right of suffrage:
i. Because we can see no other safe
guard for our protection.
2. Because we are citizens of the coun-
try and natives of this State.
3. Because we are as well qualified to
vote who shall be our rulers as many
who do vote for that purpose who have
no interest in us, and know not our
| wants.
4. Because our representation as here
| tofore felt in Congress was not in accord
| ance with our own wishes, and there
| fore, we feel that it is right and our priv
| ilege to vote for the man who shall so
represent us.
| S. Because we believe that the time
has come when the colored people are to
be felt as power in this government,
either for good or evil, and that there is
| no way so calculated to make him sub
servient for good as to make him good
and loyal citizen.
| g. Because we believe it will be the
means of restoring the balance of power
which shall harmonize the conflicting
| elements which are now so rife in the
South.
| 7. Because we believe that if the white
men will look at the subject in its proper
light, they willsee the necessity of grant
ing us this privilege, as they will find in
us friends that will ever vote for men
who shall be true to the State and loyal
to the United States, and because moth
ing short of equality in law will ever Sc
cure to lis the wants which every free
man needs and must enjoy if he will be
at peace at home and in the community
in which he lives. With these consid-
erations we do most respectfully and
earnestly appeal first, to the citizens OF
Virginia that they give ear to our hum
BILE petition, that in the reconstruction
of the laws of this State. they do, in
Just God, so harmonic their laws as
there shall be no distinction before law
on account of color, and that every man
may expect justice before the tribunals
of the State, andthen shall righteousness
go forth as brightness and truth, as a
lamp that burneth.
| OUR WRONGS AND RIGHTS.
AS branch Of the human family we
have for ages been deeply and cruelty
wronged, and by people with whom
subdued not by power of ideas but
I ctOtN iOttOy thV uSPiiNCu INV OhAy va
many of our natural rights, butdebarred
/ the privileges and advantages freely &c
corded to other men. We have i n
made to suffer well nigh every cruelty
and ipdignity possible to be heaped
upon human beings. We have beer
tainted, with our inferiority by people
| whose statute-books contains laws in
/ tlctingthe severest penalties on whom
| soever dared to teach to us the art of
reading Gods word. We have been de-
nounced as incurably ignorant, while at
the same time debarred from taking the
first step towards Acknowledgement and
national and personal elevation. We
have been declared incapable of self
government by those who refused the
right of experiment in that direction,
and have been denounced as towards by
men who first refused to trust us with a
musket on the battlefield.
AS people we have been denied the
ownership of our bodies, or right to our
a0ives, our homes, our children, and the
products of our labor. We have been
compelled, under pain of death, to SUBJ
init to injuries deeper and darker than
the earth ever witnessed in the case Of
any other people.
| We have been forced to silence and in
action; to look on the Internal spectacle
ofour sons grooming under the lash; our
daughters ravished; our wives Violdted,
and our firesides desolated; while we our
selves have been led to the shdnabtes and
sold like beasts of the field.
When the nation in her hour of trial
| called her sable sons to arms, we gladly
went and fought her battles, but were de-
MED the pay accorded to others, until
public opinion demanded it, and even
then it was tardily granted.
We have fought and conquered, but
have been denied the benefits of victory.
We have fought where victory gave
| us no glory, and where captivity meant
! cold-blooded murder on the field, and no
black man jainched. We are taxed, but
denied the right of representation; We
are practically debarred the right of trial
by Jury, and institutions of learning
which we help to support are closed
against us.
Such being our wrongs. we submit to
the American people and to the world
the following declaration of our rights,
asking calm consideration thereof:
"All men being born free and equal,
no man or government has right to
annul, repeal, or render imperative this
fundamental principle, except it be for
crime; therefore we ask the immediate
repeal of all laws operating against us
as a separate class of people.
.1,hatas natives of American soil we