Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-16
NASHVILLE. TENN,
THE NEGRO:NATIONALs.
Their Platform and Resolutions.


adopted:
Regretting the necessity which has called !
into existence a colored convention, and |
deeply sensiole of the responsibilities which |
have been entrusted to our consideration, |
We hereby acknowledge our gratitude for |
past triumphs on behalf of equal rights and |
respectfully submit our peculiar grievances |
to the immediate attention of the American |
people in the following platform and resolu- |
tons
l. We thank God, the friends of univers-
al liberty in this and other lands, the brave
ry of colorad soldiers and the loyalty OF the |
colored people, for our emancipation, our
citizenship and our franchisement.
The Cincinnati Convention.
2. Owing cur political emancipation in this |
country to Republican legislation, to which
all other parties and political shades OF
opinion were unjustly and bitterly opposed,
we would be blind to our prospects and |
false to our best interests, did we identify |
ourselves with any other organization; and |
as all roads out of the Republican party |
lead into the Democratic camp, we pledge |
our answering devotion and support to the |
nominees of the Philadelphia Convention.
U. $. Grant. i
8. We sincerely and gratefullyfndorset the |
administration of President U. s. Grant in |
maintaining our liberties, protecting our |
privileges aud furnishing our enemies, IN the
dawn of the recognition of the claims OF
men without regard to color, by appointing
us to important official positions at home
and abroad; in the assurance that he has
given to defend-our rights; and that while
we in our gratefulness acknowledge aud APP
preeiate his efforts in behalf of equal rights
we are not unmindful- of his glory as sol
der and his exalted virtues as statesman
4. Our thanks are due and are hereby
rendered to President Grant for overriding
the presidents of prejudice in the better
recognition of the services of men without
regard to color, in some parts Of the country,
and we earnestly pray. that the colOred Re
publicans of the States where there are no
Federal positions given to cofored men may
no longer be ignored, but that they will be
stimulated by some recognition Of Federal
patronage. -. 49,. u.
Charles Sumner. j
5.NIsYoHld-be an ingTatitude loathed by
men and abhored by God, did we not &C
knowledge our Overwhelming Indebtedness
to the services of Hon. Chas. Sumner, who
stood alone long time in the Senate of
the United States, the Gibraltar Of our
cause and the north star of our hopes, who
forfeited caste in the estimation of a large
portion of his countrymen by his unsTerv-
ing devotion for :. equal rights, has been
maligned for his fidelity to principles, who
has been stricken down by the assassin for
advocating liberty throughout all the land
| and unto all the inhabitants thereof; and in
whose giant body rising as it were almost.
out of the grave to marshall the hosts Of.
| impartial Justice, with his mighty ideas
| going to the farthest part Of the land aud
! finding a responsive echo in the triumph Of
| liberty over slavery, we have the assurance,
of good, great and beloved patriot that he
will be as faithful to the Republican party
in the future as the past.
Schuyler C6Ifax.
6. That whil6men protesting strong Radi
cal sentiments and who were elected to
| Congress by overwhelming maiOrities Of
! colore6 voters are found voting against the
! Supplementary Civil Rights bill in the Sem
| ate of the United States, we honor that
manly exhibition of devotion to the princi-
! pies of the Republican party which has in
| fluenced the Hon. Schuyler COlfaX, Vice
| President, to honor the cause Of justice by
! recording his casting vote as President of
the Senate in favor Of equality before the
laws indicated in the Supplementary Civil
Rights bill, as it passed the Senate by virtue
aforesaid Of the casting vote.
"Refned."
:. Having been by the solemn legislation of
the American Congress raised to the dignity
of citizenship, we appeal to the law-abiding
people of the States, and especially to those
III IN, 1,o IF NO ff1Tri low
exhOrted obedience TO statutes, how
ever offensive, to protect and defend us in
the enjoyment of Just rights and privileges
upon conveyanCes which are common car
rieTs, at all resorts of public amusements
were tastes are cultivated, and in all places
of public character or corporate associa-
tons which owe their existence 10 the legis-
lation of the nation or the State, against
the spirit of slavery which attempts
to degrade our standard of intelli-
gence and virtue by forcing our refined
ladies' and gentlemen into smOkiLg-cars
amid obscenity and vulgarity; which
humiliates our pride by denying us first
class accommodations on steamboats,, COM
polling us to eat and sleep with servants,
for which we are charged the same as those
that have the best accommodations, and
furnishing colOred persons, however wealthy,
intelligent or respectable they may be,
while these public places and conveyances
welcome and entertain all white persons,
whatever may be their character, whs may
apply. Now, in view of the disgraCeful
inconsistency of this affectatiOn Of preiI-
dice, this rebellion against the laws Of God,
humanity and the nation, we appeal to the
Justice OF the American people to protect
us in our civil rights in public places, and
upon public coHveyances, which are readily
accorded, and very justly to the most de-
graded specimens of our white fellow Citi-
zens.
A Warming.
S. That whenever the Republicans have
BETRAYED their colored constituency We
recommend that better men be elected to
succeed them, aud especially do we pledge
ourselves to elect successors in Congress
wherever we have the power to every Re-
publican who voted against or lodged The
supplementary civil rights bill recently IL
troduCed into the United States Senate by
Hon. Chas. Sumner and also the successors
to those who shall not show a satisfactory
record on the civil right bill now in th'
United States House of Representatives.
, Resolutions.
A series of resolutions were adopted
: The first commends the action of Vice
= President Colfax for aiding and giving sup
port to the civil rights bill in the Senate
The second declares the difference between
I civil rights and social rights and recognize:
{ the fact that the social standing Of man j
determined by personal merit and individ
ual achievement. The third expresses graf
itude for the prayers of the friends Of free
dom in this and other lands. The fOurtl
refuses to support for office all who canno
rise above the preiudices Of color and race
The fifth recommends system of common
a school education such as prevails in New
r England. The sixth asks that some patron
age be extended the colored Republicans Q
b, Kentucky and other States where none ha
a heretofore been given. The eighth denies
& the statements made in certain papers tina
f forced school equality is one Of the dOmi
= nant ideas of the convention and animal
: verts on the practices of amalgamatiOn
= The convention took recess TO Up, NJ.
r LATER-NOthing Of Importance tonight
f Fred Douglass and others address an as
2 semblv at Mechanics Institute.