The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-08-07
The Colored virginians in Convention.
They Make an Eloquent appeal for
Their Rights.

being held in the Lyceum building,
corner of Washington and Prince streets,
Alexandria, by the colored people of
Virginia, met on Thursday morning Sd
inst, at ten o'clock. The platform occu-
pied by the officers of the Convention
was tastefully decorated with large
and handsome American flag.
The meeting was composed of the dele
gates and goodly number of spectators,
some of the latter being white persons
of both sexes, who listened with interest
to the proceedings of the Convention.
The President, r. ID. Beckley, of
Alexandria, called the meeting to order,
and announced that the Rev. Jordan
Smith, of Manchester county, had been
selected chaplain.
The chaplain commenced the exercises
with fervent prayer.
The roll of delegates was called and
the absentees noted.
Coleman Cole, Samuel Kelsoe, and
Edward Covington presented their ere
dentials as delegates from Lynchburg,
and Addison Washington as the dele
gate from the counties Of Amherst and
Nelson, and took their seats in the Con-
vention.
The chair announced that John Davis,
of Richmond, and Henry Malvern, of
Alexandria, had been appointed SER
geant at arms to the convention, and
they accordingly took their stations.
The thanks of the Convention were
voted to Capt. J. D. c. Lee, U. S. A., for
kindly rendering them the use of the
American flag.
The editor Of the Baltimore Comn,u-
nicator, Mr.. George T. Cook colored,
was announced and introduced to the
Convention by the President, after
which he was escorted to the platform.
No business for the Convention having
been prepared by the busines Commit
tee, Mr.. John Cary, of Yorktown, de-
livered an interesting address, thus &C.
cupying the time until the chairman of
the committee appeared and laid before
the chair the following papers, which,
after slight amen dment of the last one
were adopted by the Convention:
APPEAL.
We, the delegates of the colored peo-
pie of the State of Virginia, in Conven-
ton assembled at Alexandria, Va. to
act and advise what is thought bestto be
done for the interests of the colored peo-
pie of the State, and to give expression
of our feelings and desires, do hereby
appeal to the conscientious, sympathet-
ic, and just judgment of the American
people, solemnly declaring that we de-
sire to live upon the most friendly ana
agreeable terms with all men; we feel no
ill-will or prejudice towards our former
oppressors; are willing and desire TO for-
give and forget the past, and so shape
our future conduct as shall promote our
happiness, and the interests of the COM
L, ;ah 1.-Two. ar6 fhQt
believe that in this State we have still
many warm and solid friends among the
white people, and that this portion of
them will do all they can for our i'm
provement and elevation, that for this
thew have our kind thanks and our con-
slant prayers that the Lord of Hosts may
bless them, and strengthen them, that
they may strive to give us, as people,
that which is just and right before God
and the civilized world.
But, while we are free to acknowledge
all that we have said above, we must, on
the other hand, be allowed to aver and
assert that we believe that we have
among the white people of this State
many who are our most inveterate enc
mics, who hate us as class, and who
feel no sympathy with or for us; who
despise us simply because we are black,
and, more especially, because we have
been made free by the power of the
United States Government; and that
they-the class last mentioned-wlli
not, in our estimation, be willing 10 ac-
cord to us, as feeemen, that protecton
which all freemen must contend Tor II
they would be worthy of freedoms; and
that, while we confess that the state OF
things which now exist was not OF our
making, yet we believe it was the inten-
ton, and is the will of God, that it shall
be as it is, and for which we give Him
our everlasting thanks.
We have ever been people of docility
and obedience, though we have felt for
years that the condition of slavery was
a curse upon us, imposed by might and
not by right, yet we have submitted
without any act of ours to avenge our
selves upon those who had so long OPP
pressed us, as race of men. Many of
them treated us as brutes of the field.
In all this we confess we see the hand o.
an all-wise God, who has seen fit to hold
the passions of His African children un-
til He saw fit to stir the passions OF the
two sections of the country-that both
North and South should suffer FOR the
sin of slavery. This having been doue,
it has left us in a state of chaos and dis
organization; and while we sympath.ze
for the condition of the country, we do
believe and recognize in it the hand Of
an all-Wise God, and believe He will do
all thing Fright.
In this state of chaos and disorganiza-
ttnxS arn vua aeao m hIad have &n doxy A., -.