New-York tribune., 1869-01-22
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
ADDRESS OF THE coLoRED MEMS BORDER STATE
CONVENTION TO THE PEOPLE or THI UNITED

ADDRESS OF THE coLoRED MEMS BORDER STATE
| CONVENTION TO THE PEOPLE or THE UNITED
STATES.
The undersigned. appointed Committee by
the colored Mems Border State Convention, held in Bal
tu,orc August and g. 1863 would, in their behalf. re-
snectily and In few words address you. That Conven'
ton was composed OF delegates from Delaware, Mary
land virginia Tennessee, Missouri New York, HewJer-
sey and Pennsylvania and called TO consider the po
tca condition Of the eoored men OF tho Border States
and Of the colored people generally That Convention
adopted address to the coored voters Sf The
educational Improvement OF their brethren 10 us was
Ss voters Of the country We do tins by addressing
until after the election for President and now confidently
| entreat you 10 " hear us for our cause
THE FACTS. III. .... -
TGaSy .D oq0sfS Maine Srg Se0S
ehusetts and Rhode Island Sf the New England states
Tennessee ygnie North Carolina South CSrSns
Gs9rS SS the Southern States They arc voters
aiso n tho Dsrtct OF Columbia and In sone OF the Ter
o. @ sStS
oSo OF the Western States Notwithstanding her
one '' handredihs Of socHiied " white blood" p
their yei99S-o' who are more than half
in Michigan and in Wisconsin by sucranee rather than
By enactmsnt while in Connecticut OF the New England
the Middle States In Meryland Kentucky, and West yir
igan, Illinois Missouri. wisconsin, Kansas, and other
States OF the West coored men ss such arc not by law
permitted to vote at all BY the census OF iSG0 the col
ored population Of the whole country eRresented
DO Illl $50 They are now 1900 more" The colored
population In the States and Territories which just
In isGO SOo5io The colored population In states
where rights withheld, 1852 800 80 that by the
Just action Of Congress- and OF individual States three
fonrths OF the coored people Of the nation repre-
sented.
The wrong which must DO apparent TO you Is that oil
these men, the represented aud the are
Constitution "a originally framed but declared so to be-
first by the highest law officer ofhe Government second
o the United saes And Yet the sarnS
fact remans that citizens even in States for many years
free, systematically deprived OF suffrage, the 1rst
the crowning right OF citizenship.
The WAY REPAIR THE WRONG.
We respectfully but earnestly ask you to mako the
Government action consistent with ITSELF and invest the
the natonwth the elective franchise, and thus forever
this source OF contention from has egislatOn
mpeSe The action Of CoHfess and the Sea PsaC OL now
complaining OF that portion OF the XIYth Constitutional
mand 10 tho tender mercles Of individual States As
loyal men. must submit sometimes TO that which Is
Amendment. oolored men arc made citizens not merely
OF tho United States but Of the individual States where
by law, and to declare that colored mon be-
ing D, ca0Ss 16r sSan Sos at least Ss az slso
demur through its Legislature the penalty OF nourepre
sentaton 10 the House of Representatives should apply
promptly We ask this because we know that according
10 the second section of Article vi Of the United states
Constitution, "Ths Constitution and the Laws Of the
United states which shall be made in pursuance thereof
shall be the supreme law OF the land; and the
Judges IN every state shall be bound thereby anything
In the Constitution laws OF any State to tho CONTRARY
notwithstanding" But ask Congress 10 do somehInT
II nothing better give MS Constitutional Amendment to
secure the right of sutlrage-and give it to US now
THE DEBT DUE.
Ts Is due 10 US from citizenship. But 10 IA also
duo account or our devotion to common country
contributing have dono 10 It's wealth peace and
standng for Its defense In time OF war; We have helped
70 fight the countrys battles we have stood shoulder 10
shoulder with white In every contest from ITT0 70
1888 Have not served out our probationi Have we
not the recognition OF citizen righs In the latest
contest may say, and say mOdosy, and without
any dispaTagemen OF the brave white soldiers OF the
Union that colored oheerfuy filled the grave which
the nation made for us from Harrisburg TO Petersburg
20 Richmond, TO atchers Rum TO Wagner TO Oustee 70
Mlliken's Bend TO Vloksburg TO Fort Pillow along the
Tennessee the Ohio aud the Mississippi the Gnl mn
tho Red River to Brashear city, and they helped nv
dying 20 give tho nation resurrection and Immortality
Our dead live In the life Of the nation today viii the
nation cast of us who have been It's defendersi
NO PREMIUM UPON COLOR, AND NO DENIAL BECAUSE
or IT.
We ask premium TO be put upon color and no denial
because OF t We ask simple justice Aud wo nsk that
this Justice he awarded not merely without delay but
awarded that individual States not like Pennsyva
MIA aud North Carolina Of old IN OedeRee 10 blind pref