New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-08-28
The CoiOred Convention at SbtI-
liColhe. Ohio.

vention at Chiliicothe on the ODD instant.
There was a large gathering Of leading coll
ored men from all parts Of the state.
Singular unanimity and unusual interest
attended the sessions Of the convention.
We present elsewhere the temperate,
pointed, and excellent speech Of Peter Ii.
Clark, Esq. No Just OF liberal-minded man
in the country can read Mr.. Clark's after
ances without being convinced Of the Justice
of our demands
Fully apprsed of the rights Of di.ni.ied
American citizenship, a manly sell-rcspect
COmpcls Us to leave no stone unturncd until
we are fully invested with the same The
best interests Of the Republic dictate that
there should be no unjust discrimination in
public rights.
The resolutions introduced AMI adopted
in the convention are presented below.
They contain, in 4 nutshell, our grievances.
the promises of the party to accord u fall
justice, and our respectful but positive de
mand that these promises be carried out I'M
mediately, and in good faith The colorcd
citizens of the District of Columbia send
cordial greetings to the colored citizens of
Ohio, and assure them that We are alive to
the question Of equal rights here. We call
upon, and are ready to unite with, the people
all over the country in lawful, bold, deter
mined, and manly effort to obtain our full
measure of rights as American citizens
RESOLUTION. ofthe Cow sntion at ChIIIicoth.
Onto.
Mr.. Easton, from the committee on rcsolu-
tons, submitted the following:
Whereas the National Republican Convrn-
ton at Philadelphia, on the 9Th day of June,
1872, adopted, among other clause, of it,
platform, the following:
" Complete liberty and exact equality IN
the enjoyment of all civil, political, and pub
lie rights should be established and cfcc-
tually maintained throughout the Union by
efficient and appropriate State and Federal
legislation. Neither the law nor its admins
tratiOn should admit OF any discrimination in
respect Of citizens by reason of race, creed,
color, or previous condition of scrvtu,lc."
Also
THE recent amendments to the national
Constitution should be cordially sustained,
because they are right-not merely tolerated
because they are law--and should be carried
out according to their spirit by appropriate
legislation, the enforcement Of which can
be safely trusted only to the party that
secured these amendments"
And whereas we believe the spirit, ii not
tho law, declared in these principle, has
been disregardcd or ignored by the Rcpubli-
can party Of this State, as specified by the
committee in their call for this convention,
to wit:
" There are still many rights withheld or
grudgingly accorded we are still far from
being fully enfranchiscd. The Republican
party, which claims to be the friend Of the
colored man is pledged by the Philadelphia
platform and numberless other declarations
OF political principles, to do more than merely
free him and permit his approach to the bal
lot box. The time to redeem those pledges
has come.
;" TO sustain its claim Of being the special
friend Of the colorcd man, it has now become
proper for the Republican party to do some
thing for him to which il j. not driven by
necessity.
THAT something is found in the enactment
Of comprehensive civil rights bill, which
shall guard the rights Of colorcd men a.
closely az the rights Of white men are
guarded which shall compel all public nsti-
tutions and all common carriers 10 treat every
man alike, without regard to race. color. or
preyiOu. condition Of serytufc.
The right OF voting should carry with Il
the right Of being voted for, and the duty Of
the party, in which we are almost TO a man
enrolled, l. to see that that right + respected
and enforced.
Instead Of generous raa ignition vi these.
claims 10 protection and consideration. 10
our regret, We find that Congress contain
ing majority of Republican, while Il can
find twO.thirds vote in favor Of amnesty to
rebels, cannot find majority IN favor Of a
satisfactory ciVi!-rightg bill
- Meantime, to schools and other bubble
institutions the cOlored man j. either denied
admttancr or compelled 70 accept an inferior
substitute, railroad and steamboat managers
refuse him the accommodation for which he
pays, and in every way his pursuit of haup!-
ness Is hinlcred.>
" Republican constituencies in the North
fail 10 recognize the merit Of colored men
among them, although generous example
= gwen by colored constituencies in The
South, who not unfrcquentlv set aside their
own iayorite man 10 show their devotion To
the Republican dogma that rights and polit-
cal preiernent should depend upon merit and
not upon the mere accident. Of race or color
II stranger visiting Ohio should consider
the race OF the men appointed TO Office by the
national authorities, or if he should make a
tour OF the Court-houses, the state house. the
asylums, aud other buildings controlled by
the Republican party, he would be justified
IN believing that there are no colored men In
the state belonging 10 that party, 20 ri,dly
are We excluded from anything which nl.yLt
look Ike an equality Of right in ofiice-hold-
ing"
Therefore. be il
Resoteed, That We, the cDl0red voter, OF
The state Of Ohio, ia convention assembled
d" protest against the unjust discrimination
toward W. BY the representatives Of the party
whom We aid in securing official positions.
Resot1ed, That the cOlored voters OF the
state do not consider Themselves under eter- /
naI obligations to party who dlsayows US
as a class only IN proportion as it il driven .
By its own necessities.
Re'oteed, That the co!ored men OF the
Slate are hereby urged % refrain from uncon-
uIIonally pledgIng themselves 10 the nomi-
neea 81 their local conventions, and that tbey
use Their best discrimination in determining
for. " VIC
HstpIesd, That committee Of three he
apo ted "a executive