The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-03-06
Address>of the Bishops of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church.
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

numerous organization OF coloFed'
persons in the country, we beg per-
mission to lay the distresecs. OF our
people before your:
Never Observation-Disclosures tuJI6t0rh2
ed to witness the despoiling Of their.
fiocke, 'as we have been. Before free
dom We we're the haplesssvictims of =
wrong, we'll characterized ls3A the
great Wesley as the '.sum' of all vii.
lianies." Since freedom, while we
expected ohr iberty'to cost us -mAtl,
yet did I'VE console oairselres with the
belief that thg stt5ng arm that hdd
shivercd the chains wlfictr did fetter
us would secure protection; thfhught
out the trying ordeal. But, alas we
have been doomed to measurable
disappointment. The freeameu's bu-
reau, by which the commonest rights
we're conserved, has long since been
abolished. In so far as it operated 10
protect us in the fruits OF onr labor,
while We and our wives and little
| ones have been made TO feel its alb
scUScc,, ,'et'did we patiently accept its
withdtawar;:' bit which it took its
helpful hand from those who were
qualifying us and our children for the
high duties of American citizenship,
then indeed were we fist maae'to feel
that it might be the purpose OF our
friends to let go our hand, 'ant:' allow
us to rerahin' ih' t.arkhess and Certain
helplcssness; of slavery. Aid ii is
notable fact tllar, since tie day this
work'of goodness ceased, our rising
manhood has Lcen SLOW, for how can
TO a. people rise when despolIed
on the'ont hand and not helped on
the other. Itis of'latG, howMcr, that
our distresses nave comc'upoh us With
unwontcu fury. Brough, in IS by a
very thunder clap-to wit, the failure
of the Frce,iman's Bank-tLeir' fiiry
has only been aggraTated' w1tts' The
couriiig Of each day.. until nowEae feel
that we arc at the very moaelSor an
other lions den, at the very Aoor Of
ano'iicr fiery furnace; nor t;;s so!..e
Of those whom We saave selalsd With
the utmost G,lelity seemia hesItate 10
push us in. ga 7is
Alas T. The change! ,:IifAe was
~ y sssTaff
/ your escaping sSbosssin5 bllSs.' and.
/ gave them sure refuge I, nlIsif our
very hclp!cssness was hailed E you,
| sivmGtopporiu3ity, as'ie did, 70 man
ifaSs! tic gratitude aha1 eIiiNalry OF
yot;l liear;s: th,l on lhc otlisas lIand, !,
prcsnniins to address e,sa IN .iien
of the Soutll--time was whets, yo.iif
witts and 'chiidre:i were unita within
our grasp, ycSwidA' q Meli,y SCARCELY
eqnalcd on the pages Of iiissa1sess, ~, We
were true to the trust lmnoseEl. and
kept sacred vigil over your hearth
stones. But, alas = all is Changed,
and instead Of securing uss ali equal
chance in the race Of life, wc are
called upon to answer for tllcE c0dn!
try's woes. "Art thou he thai troti-
blcth Isracl| p is asked lis on every
side; yet We fotfsatf tb ahswdr with
the prophet. 81 haze not troubled
israel ). but t'lou and thy fulilcrss iiaye,
in that ye have forsakcn the COM
mandments of the Lord, and thou hast
followed Baalim." We address not
ourselves to you for the purpose of
| tearing open sectional wounds that
ws would only rejoice to sec healed.
We do not ask ycu to avrnge us on
the men of the South, for ,licy are
our colttftrymep. with whom we have
lived ahd expect to live, Moreover,
VIC feel tile absolute necessity OF the
nation coming t5getlicr, assured us
we are that honse divided against
itself cannot stand and'wlio istwan-l
dial enough, be his indivitlual' suffer-
ing what it might, to be willing II bsca
his country go down. No; VIC sint-I
4 =