The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1871-11-18
noualosolrbllle Gbief.
ADDRESS
Of the Southern Colored Convention to
the People of the United States.

In the convention OF the c0lofea
people of the Southern States, begun
20 be holden in the City of Columbia,
South Carolina, on Wednesday, the
eighteenth day of October, 1871, the
following was submitted by the Com
rnittee on Address:
TO the People Of the United States
Of America
FELLOW CITIZENS = The colored
people of the States of Alabama,
Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mis-
sissippi, North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Tennessee, Texas and the Dis
trict of Columbia, have delegated to
us, their representatives, assembled
in Convention, authority to give ex-
preston to their purposes, desires and
feelings, in view of the relation they
bear to the Government and the peO-
ole of the United States, under the
course of events that has arisen since,
and as a consequence Of the war OF
rebellion.
We owe to the Almighty God and
the spirit of liberty and humanity
shat animates the great body of the
people of this country, the personal
liberty and rights of. citizenship that
we enjoy, and shall, under the pronspt-
ings of duty, labor for the permanenee
and perfection of the institutions that
have served as the great instrument
Of concentrating this act of justice.
In seeking more perfect recognition
ms members of the great political fam
ily to which the interests of humanity
have been peculiarly committed, we
desire to recognize OUR obligations
and responsibilities as members OF
this great family, and to assure the
American people that we stand among
them inlbued with national spirit
with confidence in and devotion to
the principles of representative popr-
lar government, and with ideas OF
policy that embrace every individual
and interest of our common country.
The fruits of the great legal meas
ures that were intended to establish our
rights and interests OH common foot
ing with all other citizens OF the
nation, have, TO some extent, and in
particular locations, been withheld
from us by the peeiudices and pas
sions OF the hearts of portion of eur
low-citizens as remnant Of former
ideas and associations. We need
your aid and sympathy to complete
the great work begun and carried on
in our behalf We desire TO lay
before you the facts of our case in a
brief, but truthful statement. We
have not at command the all-impOrt-
Il ant instrument of a local public press,
as the medium of communication with
r you; the press of the South, with n
few exceptions, being in the hands of
those interested to lower us in your
esteem. We have deemed a conven-
ton of our representatives as the
most efficient means of laying before
YOU the true state Of our condition
and feeling.
Since the close Of the war, a settled
policy has controlled the public and
private action of the great body of
The white people of the South towards
ns. They have sought to hold lis in a
condition of modified servitude, so
that we should not be able to com
pete with the industry of the country.
They have not been contented to
employ the advantages of that CAPT.
Sal and experience in public and pri-
vate affairs confer, but resorted to
compulsory means, unsanctiOned by
the laws of the country, the spiyit
of American institutions, and the
practice of civilized nations.
The first great effort to carry info
effect this line of policy, was, perhaps,
most conspicuously displayed in the
adoption of the code of laws, com
monty known as the Black Code .
passed by the provisional government
of South Carolina, in the year of 1865
and followed by other States. 1t is
unnecessary to give in detail tht
features of this system. 1t established
caste of the Oriental type. 1t furn-
ished courts for the trial of questions
of caste. 1t provided for legal com
pulsion, as a means of procuring Oul
labor, and fixing the rates of compen.
sation and rules of performance
1t provided separate laWs-civil anC
criminaI-and secured separate courts
for their enforcement Finally, j
allowed us no voice in the passing o
the laws that were to govern us
or hand in disposing of the proceeds
of our labor taken from us as taxes
for the support of the government o
our respective States.
The action of the military authori
ties, followed by that of Congress
and, finally, the amendments to til,
Constitution of the United States
took from the hands of those seekins
20 establish system OF slavery scarce
~ less objectionable than that which
S.ad just been overthrow, the means
ofaccomplishing their purpose through
che forms of law
The next resort was to suhSidize ant
control, through the motives of favo
slnd fear, the political and civil pow
Nrs conferred by the iberality of thu
Government On the one hand. tn,