New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-09-24
Southern Ouiragcs.

A meeting was held IN Columbia Law
for the purpose of giving an expression to
the sense of this community on the outrages
and treason in the South. The meeting was
not largely attended, owing, no doubt, to the
sneers of the daily press Of Washington at
the callers Of the meeting. 1t is a singular
fact that the so-called Republican daily
papers of Washington invariably attempt to
cast Odium upon colored men here who dare
to publicly express an opinion on questions
affecting the life, liberty, and happiness of
their race. There is nothing in the resolu-
tons adopted at that meeting that justifies
the sncers Of those editors of our daily papers
who dislike to see colored men take any but
a subordinate position in connection with
public affairs. The following are the reso-
lutons:
The war for the protection of the Union
from the reasonable efforts Of the adherents
of the Southern Coniederacy resulted in the
driving from the battlefield and the COM
polling the surrender of the armed hosts Of
the rebellion. The disrupted States at the
close of the war were without governments
in sympathy with the idea of a more ''per-
feet union" 1t became the unavoidable duty
of the United States Government to recon-
struct the States lately in rebellion. To do
this it became necessary to enfranchise the
colored people because of their unquestioned
loyalty and devotion to the Union. Through
the enfranchisement of colored men new
State constitutions were adopted, and the
rebelious States were admitted to partIclpa-
ton in the affairs of the General Government,
and to-day the United States owes its reunion
to the presence of that element of loyalty,
in the late rebellious States, known as freed
men.
The defeated rebels were deemed unworthy
to exercise the elective franchise because of
their treason. They formed class that was
hostile to the Government, Impotent to
vent their hostility upon the Government
directly, they have ever resOrted to vengeance
upon the class that by Its loyalty made re-
construction possible in the late slave States.
The victims of the wrath and vengeance of
the organizations in the South in sympathy
with treason are inoffensive, docile, and in
dustrious citizens. They have been made
the objects of the vengeance of treason in
obedience to feeling of hate toward the ma
ton because it made liberty, instead of
slavery, the rule. This vengeance is the
indication of latent rebellion. 1t awaits but
an opportunity to plunge the nation again
into civil war. BE it therefore
Resolred, That it is the duty of the Gov
eminent of the United States to afford ample
protection to the citizens of the nation.
Resolred, That the outrages, assassinations,
manning and whipping of negroes and Union
white men in the South IS the vengeance of
treason and are blows aimed at the perpe-
tuity of the Union.
Resoleed, That In order for o nation to
maintain its existence, il must protect its
friends and punish It's reasonable enemies.
Resolred, That the general amnesty of those
who were guilty of treason in the late rebel
lion was an act that, by the conduct Of Ku-
Klux Klans, White Leagues and rebel