The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-03-04
A MEMORIAL.

To the Honorable the Senate and
House Of Representatives Of the United
States, an Congress assembled:
We, the undersigned, citizens of
the United States and the District OF
Columbia, for ourselves and in the
interests of six millions of our fellow
citizens, for whom we feel it a duty
to speak, do most respectfully call
your especial attention to certain
clauses in the proposed Code for the
District of Columbia House Bill No.
l295) which, contrary to the pro-
visions of the Constitution, permits
an unjust and odious discrimin alton
against large class of the citizens OF
the District of Columbia.
The clauses referred to are foun
on pages SO, sec. 235, lines 4, 5;91,
Sec 238, lines l, 2 {; sec. 239, lines 2,
3, 4, 5; 81, sec. 239, line Is sec. $40,
the entire section 81, sec. 252, lines
10, II all of which are calculated to
foster caste the class legislation.
We respectfully submit that before
the law all citizens are equal The
Constitution does not recognize
kinds, classes, or grades of citizen
ship, having nothing to do with
white citizens or colored" clti-
zens as such still less has it a
syllable authorizing a different treat
ment of the one from the other.
The Constitution does not author
ize Congress even to go beyond or
below the simple fact of citizenship
in legislating for the people in mass.
The clauses referred to propose to
legalize by special enactment the
continuance of discrimination foun-
ded on prejudice and in the nature
of prescription, wholly foreign to the
genius of our American institutions.
We protest against the perpetu-
alton of these distinctions
Because, they violate the fundamen-
tai principles of the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitu-
ton of the United States;
Because they permit a notification
of the Fourteenth Amendment to
the Constitution, by abridging the
privileges and immunities of citi-
zens ofthe United States, and by de-
nying the equal protection of the
laws
Because, if adopted, such Legislation
will compel one citizen to send his
child farther than his neighbor to
enjoy the same school privil eyes,
solely because of color;
Because, it tends to foster senseless
prejudice born of antecedent con-
ditions, which have long since
passed away;
Because, it permits the combination
of all other varieties of American
nationality against one;
Because, the use of the words white .
and "colored has no place in
national legislation, and tends to
pander to and perpetuate dis
tinctions which are at once IMAM
erican and unconstitutional
Because, legislation of this kind is
reactionary in purpose and ten
dency
Because, here, at the capital of the
nation, of all places, the most ad-
vanced ideas of American liberty
and the equality of the citizen
should be illustrated
Because, Congressional Legislation
should be based upon broad prin-
ciples of justice and equity, rather
than upon caste and race preju-
dices and, finally,
Because, Congress should carefully
avoid any legislation which, special
or proscriptive in its nature, tends
to perpetvate an aggrieved class
among equal citizens Of common
country.
We desire, therefore, most SOL
EMMY to protest against the incor-
poration into the Code for the Dis
trict of Columbia of the lines and
sections referred to, and we earnestly
petition your honorable body that
they be stricken out before the final
passage of the bill
FREDERICK DOUGLASS, President
RICHARD T. GREENER, Secretary
FRED G. BARBADOS,
JOHN E. Cook,
GEORGE T. DOWNING,
Prof. JAMES NJ. GREGORY,
Rev. f. J. GRIMKE,
Mutton M. HOLLAND,
Prof. WILEY LANE,
G. P. PURv1s, M. D,
WILLIAM II. SMITH,
Committee on Memorial
A CARD.-The Committee of Ar
engagements for the Fair held at Mt.
Zion A. M. E. Church, Perry street,