The New York herald., 1869-12-09
EQUAL RIGHTS IN AFRICA.

| The COl0red Men of the United States TO
| Their Brethren ia Liberia-Thcy Advise
| Equal Rights for the Whites.
WASHINGTON, Dec. T. 1869.
| At a meeting OF the National Executive Commits
tee Of colored men Of the United States Saturday
Rev. Sella Martin made the following report as
Chairman:-
| MISUNDERSTANDING been appointed a national
commlttee by the Convention ol Colored Men, which
asseiubei III washington, d. c. in January, 1862
to look aie the general Interest and the Welfare OF
| our race III TIE United States and believing that
Liberia wOult be as greatly benefited as our Coun-
try has been by the abolition OF all prosciptiye lea
lures IN tue National laws we lake the liberty Of
addressing You on tne subject, breezy out lovingly,
ana We do so tne nore reldiy because OF the grow
ing recognition of the al an1ages OF free tul and
honest iutegcnanoe oi ieeaJgs ana convictions
among nat.ous ANA peoples. We have, for instance,
an example y tae 5000 euects oil such intercnang-
ing OF IDEAS iii the address OF the women oi En- gland
to their sisters III the United States, urging
devote themselves to the ABOLITION OF slavery and
the lraieIna response 10 IT, together with the
cesSlul result following tAerer0n. We have always
hailed vita Satisfaction any measure ol success
attending your Efforts TO establish nation, though
we have always opposed the fostering agency OF your
original colony aud any acquescence III LIS apparent
purposes, because " avoW.u as the motive VI It's
sstance the maintenance ol slavery and oppression
OF the free coorcd men OF this country aud because
we nave iet that the battle OF prescription SHOULD
be fought mere III ITS greatest stronghold and that
the most enlightened coiored men should remain 10
nsnt it.
| yours which tended TO bring the heatEen OF
own race under the vigorous appliances of CIV
liization ana within the blessed influences OF tue
| gospe OF peace since tae abolition OF slavery and
| tie securement OF clU rignts by people we
| have entered upon Il career Of usefulness which
grasps the smallest possibilities OF acquisition and
seems TO Us the full enjoyment Of PROM nent ana
| distinguished positions.
We nave every reason to believe that the emanci-
patton anl enIranensement oI our race Will result
after emigrants from this country to yours viii
cape the Chilling influences Wntch inevitably spring
IRON compllsion; they VIII not now leave their Old
home wtn the feelings oil an exile nor accept Lhe.r
new one WI tn the emotions OF martyr or refuse 10
60 altogether, under the belief hat patrIatIon
the OF their patrons. The feelings oi patriots
Ism beng losteled ana grained mere VIII be trans
| planted with them. Tue enthusiasm oi voluntary
and joyful adoption when tney come TO you, and
emigration from your shores to ours VIII,
| we hope, be reciprocal IN numbers and in-
nuence. Education Il Tie parent OF enterprise,
and enterprise exhibits some of the daring
1eatuIcs III voluntary emigration, and igno-
rance which slavery iostereu Is being rapidly dis
PEELED by the various educational agencies OF our
country, benevolent and governmental 1t can but be
that the llorDid scnsitiseness winch always charac
teriZeS the victims OF prescription ana tlaL lack OF
PRIDE Of race which springs from the contempt too
generally felt among victims OF oppression them
pendence to haDlLs Of sell-relance and sentiments
| OF mutual respect among the race. But " secure
| as much freedom and protection as they leave
behind them we, therefore. pray that you will
TO alter your constitution ana laws by striking out
the word 'white' Is to put your republic In accord
with the laws OF the Uniled States-with those OF all
other Tree countries. Constitutional restrictions
which have the erect to create prejudice against
color may eventuatc III the disruption Of strong
the dearest relationships Of lie. by put
ting the husband against the WIFE, the Gather against
the child, Ine prOlner against the sister, whenever
either them wnlte or even appear be White.
such restrictions carry with them tue threatening
possibilities OF war Of complexions, worse even
tnan u war OF races.
We refer ali tne more freely to the clause In your
constitution dlsiranchsing wnlte persons, because
weuppreclnte the reasons winch led TO Its adoption
aad because the STRIKING out oi tne word white
IN ali our national laws has already been
complished. The inconsstence, may we not say
injustice, OF this restriction referred TO Is
nt Illustrated by the iact tnat Liberia mas to-day at
the Court oi ST. James most estlnaDie and elcient
white gentleman AS CoIoQ General, VINO has elected
all tue European uealies OF anlty and commerce
with Liberia, VINO yet, were he resident Of your
country, could not lie sally own much a nome-
stead. indepGuueug oil tue intrinsic injustice OF
making distinctions Oh account OF race OF color and
| the incongrulty Us q republic beng more restrlc-
tive than any known despots, we can Dut THINK the
policy ltseli suicidal. As race we nave been syste-
| inatcaiy robbed, and during the infancy OF your
national life your supp0stion Inat tue roDuer mignt
| IOow you to your new nome Was natural, buG tnc
conditions Tar changed that you are, we think
| rooDng yourselves by Keeping out OF your country
Jhrougn prescription tine enterprise ana wealth OF
the race which present possess them III tile most
abundance AS race we have been systematically de-
graded ana therefore need Lle more to avail our
selves social culture auu political knowledge OF
those VINO have them tospare Asa race we have oeen
sysIemaIcaly prescribed; you felt tue gross inJus
tice resented 1t ny leaving The prosecutors To found
q nome III wilderness ana therefore yoi cannot
proscriDe Others, because yoa nave tho power witn-
| out virtually acknowledging that your loTner OPP
| pressors were bamees3 IN pro5crblng you. Besides
all this we feel assured thar tne material interests OF
Liberia, hitherto only partially developed, under the
| influences OF the change oI pohcy winch we
advise viii be greatly stimulated, and tnas
your activity and excellence In manufactures,
The growth and extension OF commerce
through the agencies or emigration and
capital will all unite 10 lead your republic, now put
ltbic Deyond It's ancy, goroasy on In the pathway
| or national ren0wn and tnus speeu.ly consunnate
through these ana benign Influences tue patrl-
otc aspirations OF race, Dotn here ana there. lor
the complete regeneration or Africa. Brethren, We
beseecn YOU to JIrow open your doors, aud thus
teach the heathen that repuolicanism ana Chris.
tlany afraid Of nothing but dong inJusticc
SHOW the White race that though you may nave
deemed IL necessary meet oppression win It's own
weapons we are now Wiling 10 meet freedom on its
own terms and let the word see that as race we
know b01i Row 10 win battle ana 10 use tue VIC
tory Tor the advancement VI human rights ana Ior
the glory OF God.
Respectfully submitted by order OF the Acting
Board. GEO. T. DOWNING, President
4. u. BARBAD0ES, Secretary.
>. j. Murray, Name j. q. cutler, New hampshire;
- -, vermont; r. q. DarpadOes, Ma5sachu'
| sets; q. T. Downing, Rhode Island; 4. J. Cowes,
Connecticut; Wni. Rlcn, Now YORK; }. M. Williams
| New Jersey; VIM. NcsDit Pennsylvana; ". II. Day,
Delaware; Rob. Sorrel, Maryland; Colin Cruso,
District OF Columba q. III. LaDgston, Kansas; y.
Dunn louisiana; q. +. RUDY, Texas; u. UeBaptist,
Mchigan J. Mahoney, lndIana Joseph Farr, MIME
sofa; A. A. Bell California; Fields Cook virginia: a.
r. korrk, North Carolina; r. :. Cardosa Soutl caro-
llnaj 4. w. Long, FLORIDA; w. q. Strohg ALABAMA;
| ID. watkins, tennessee; W. III. Gibson kenucsy; J.
M Langstoa, OHIO; X. DeBaptist Illinois. 1. W.
| Strlnger, hissssippi; Noses Dickson, Missouri;
Alex. Ozark, iowa; J. d. ,anderson, oregon; L. u.
Dougass. Colorado; W.. j. Wilson, Dakota; J. ,.
Martin, wyoming; T. r. Deter, Idauo; !. r. COOK,
Washington Territory; u. IL. Vashon, New Mexico
J. !. Spsliman. Alaska; COMMITTEES.