Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-12-06
Memorial OT,he CSloTcd Con
yeHtiOn.

To the IIonorat Senate and House ol
Representatives assembled: We yOurhum
bic petitioners. would respectfully repre-
sent that we have been loval defenders oi
the government in time Of danger. and we
are entitled 10 the uSual care, protection
and favor of it: anil we further repre-
sent that the necessities of our race grow
ing out of the changed CONDITION of near
ly four millions of them from slaves to free
men. compel us to appeal to you To assist
us in our efforts to educate and fit them fol
useful citizens.
We only ask such assistance Is commsii
justice demands, which you have been un-
Justly Withholding from us-only snch as
sistance rs oar new relations demand. In
granting this legislators. you are doing a
credit to the State as well as great favor
to the colored race. For our ignorance
we claim you are, 10 Il great extent, rcspon-
siblc. You have closed every avenue oi
instruction against us and then meet us
with the unjust charge of ignorance
| Thousands of ignorant poor children are
turned loose upon our hands whom we
wish to educate and prepare for useful citi-
zcnship. which we are unable to do under
the present circumstances, and We pray
your assistance.
We are loyal citizens and are willing to
help bear the burdens of the State. and ask
the right to share its honorS and benefits.
We. many of us, defended it in time of
danger. and ask its protection and assis-
tancc in time of peace. We ask for Our
children and the children OF the father
whose bones are mouderin. i'm the grave
| in which he unfimely fell battling for the
country. for freedom andegual jusiicc--we
ask YOU TO repeal the law which works 81
much wrong to oIir chi.,lren in exempting
the property Of colored people for school
purposes, and denies them the benefit
of the common school fund of the State.
We further pray YOU TO provide an cqnal
amount of the school fund in proportion
to the number of oolored people in the
S.a;e, TO keep seper;,te schools from the
white schools for the education of the col
ored children OF the State. and that said
schools shall be under the supervision ofa
board of colored men. elected in the same
way a. the board for the white schools by
the colored men of each school district.
where there are thirty school children.
We also pray You for the credit Of the
State To- declare all de- d black laws of tho
state a uullity. Thoug', believing as we
DO that the right of suffrage is ours by right
and Ours by Inheritance. we will wait with
patience the siire and Inevitable results
and certain,ieS of future human events
which are full of promising ONE ms.
We respectfully represent that we num-
Der over thirty-fivc thousand. and are own
ers of millions of dollars worth of real es
tate, and about the same ,.mount ofperson-
nj property which iftaxed a. above request
ell, will add TO the school, fund. We have
| in the State school districts in which ther,
are at least twenty children between the
ages of six and sixteen, which school will
cost for teachers thirty doilars per month
making in the aggregate sum Of.
/ And we further petition your honorable
body for the right of suffrage, and the repea
of al laws that make n disiictiOn of race
and color. (Signed) Daniel Webster
chairman; Jos. \. Weaver, JAS. S. Kinton
|. t. Mahony, /. Williams, committee.