The Tennessean., 1866-07-18

county, NY.
Declaration Of Sentiment and Resolutions ,
the First Convention of Colered Men .
Kentucky, Held In Lexington, March %
%, "a and 20, 1866.
| Recognizing the hand of the AL
mighty Ruler of the Universe, in th
course which events have taken in th
last few years acknowledging that i
was His power that overthrew tha
accursed system under which we Sc
long grOaned, which crushed out ev
cry high aspiration, debased us to
level with the beasts of the field
robbed us of every attribute of hu
manity, and prostituted our wives
our sisters and our daughters; AND
not being unmindful of the stupend-
GUS change, which makes us this day
freedmen and citizens, we are CRATE
ful for all the blessings which have
been showered down upon us, and
with hearts overflowing with joy, hail
the day OF our emancipation, as the
brightest IN the calender of the nine
teenth century,
We hold these truths to be incon-
trovertible: God hath made of one
blood all the people of the earth, and
implanted in their bosoms the desire
for elevation and higher order Of
existence.
We are not unmindful of the fact,
we have just been released from bond
age; that we are just stepping out of
the dark, into the full beauty of Gods
bright day; that freedom does not
mean idleness, or exemption from la
Dor; that with all its blessing, it con-
fers upon us new duties, new obliga-
tions, new responsibilities, and, we
trust, new energies and new purposes.
We realize and accept the fact, that
we have no wealth but horny hands,
no skill but what untaught nature
gives; that we must work, must ac
quire property, must educate our
people, and make for ourselves and
our posterity undying characters
regulations which will grow brighter
as time with rapid whirl rolls on the
ages.
We know the position we occupy in
Kentucky; we know that we do not
stand upon the same legal platform
with the whites. We do not desire,
nor do we expect, social equality
we know there is social barrier we
cannot overstep even if we would.
We know that some Of the best
friends we now have, lately held our
brothers in bondage, and when the
chain was snapped asunder, by no
consent Of theirs, acquiesced in the |
new order of things.
We have faith in the intelligence |
md integrity of the great mass of
he American People, as well the peo- |
Die of Kentucky as the other States, |
md we are fully pursuaded that they
will yet do us justice. We believe
hat when they have settled down to
! realization of the change which
loes exist in our relations, they will
ather help than retard us in our de-
ire and efforts to elevate ourselves.
We do not believe that the great
commonwealth of Kentucky cana ford
0 let us live and drag out misera-
lie existence amongst her people,
teeped in ignorance and degrade
ion; we can see in the enactments OF
be past Legislature even, faint
limpse of the coming day, and we
elieve firmly that they will grant us
re long our just and natural rights.
We have not lost confidence in the
resident of the United States. We |
% not believe he will leave us in the
but that the pledges made
y him while Provisional Governor
f Tennessee, and since he has be-
ONE Chief Magistrate of this great
republic, will be fulfilled; nor are we
7ithout confidence in the general
government and it's determination to
rotect us in our freedom.
We win inculcate in the minds of
ur people desire to become laEd-
olders; to own a little spot which
hey may call their own, around
7hich they can gather all the com
orts of home, and have spot up
n which their bones and the ashes of
heir fathers may be laid away in
eace. i Eggs FISH ss
We are 80 native and to the manner
orn )" we are part and parcel of the
reat American body polite; we love