Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-08-01
THE COLORED PEOPLE.
Their Meeting Yesterday-A Dele
gate Goes North to Solicit Aims.
An Appeal to be Made for Free Rations.

The meeting Of the colored people at
Cochran Hall yesterday resulted in a
member being appointed to go North to
solicit contributions to aid in sustaining
their poor and sick. The person left by
rail last night. In their preamble the
colored people say that they are informed
IN advance by the president of the Taxing
District that no aid will be given to per-
sons not going to camp, and that every
effort would be made to prevent the poor
from obtaining relief from any source,
they therefore resolved to assert their
rights boldly, to use every necessary and
proper means to relieve themselves, and
expressed a determination to unite in their
efforts to accomplish their object. They
also resolved to raise money to carry out
the objects Of the relief association and
declared solemnly that they would pro-
tect the property of their refugee friends
the same as heretofore. They call upon
absent merchants to assist them in re-
naming nthe city, as so many now have
charge of their homes. The resolution
committee embraced Rev. James Lott.
DR.. I. r. Morgan, E. R. Bell, A. Ste
phens, T. NJ. Holland, H. Froman, ST., and
d. w. Brown. Mr.. John Wheatley was
chairman of the meeting and Rev. R. H.
Countee secretary. Mr.. Ed Shaw and
others addressed the meeting,
THE MEMORIAL
which the colored folks adopted and are
to send before the country is as follows:
By the census of the city of Memphis.
just completed, it appears that the census
takers found remaining in the city limits
1910 inhabitants, Of whom 1925 are col
Ored, and 1888 white. 1t will thus be seen
that nearly three-fourths of our present
population are colored, according to this
imperfect account. We can, therefore.
safely assume that we stand three colored
to one white. By the last weeks mortuarv
report of thirty-fGaF d0Gtbs from yellow
fever, thlrty-One were white and only
one oolored. More than ten of the former
to one of the latter. These figures show
that while the death rate among the white.
for that period was nearly eight TO ono
thousand, it was among the colored peonle
for the same period only one to fdur
thousand, or about thirty-two whites
to one colored. Those figures clearly
demonstrate that we have but little to
fear from yel!Qw'feYer, as compared with
the whites. Hence, there is no necessity
for our leaving the comforts and con-
yenienees ofaHr humble city homes, leav.
ing our personal property EXPOSED "a
probable destruction aud exposing our.
selves to the certainty of CONTRACTING
those pulmonary diseases which are Sc
very prevalent and fatal among the col.
ored people in this damp and changeable
climate. Our people, knowing these facts
hrmly refuse TO 60 to camps, feeling that
they are more secure in the city than
they would be in camps anywhere in the
Mississippi valley. In this conclusion
we are in accord with the whites
who, with few exceptions, declin,
to accept the Inequalities of camr
life under military surveillance, witt
its attendant boTr9rs Of dcbauchery anC
OulldBei Us lney prevailed 1896 yhHp ~ The
camps established by the citizens relic
committee. For this determination to re
main at home we are denied any assist
ance whatever from those who have MS
sumed this authority to receive and dis
burse everything that may DO contributed
for the relief of the thousands thus rem
dered destitute and dependent. Thrown
thus upon our resources, we are or
ganizing pnr own mutual aid societies
and helping gH9 another 10 the extent o
our very limited meaGs, FEam u ma
voidable poverty we can do but little il
this direction. We therefore appeal to
generous public in those sections of GU
country more favored than this valley q
death, u lend us of their more abundan
means, that we may net Perish from stan
walton, which is now staring US in III
face,