Huntsville gazette., 1883-09-29

| the following address and adJourned sine
| die
| Il. That we are grateful for and rejoice
in the miraculous emancipation that came
to our race 20 years ago. The shock Of
embattled arms WAS the lullaby of anation
born in day. We do not, we canpot for
get, the great sacrifice of women and hero
ic men, who made possible the struggle in
which treason and slavery were consigned
to common sepulchre; nor would we be
unmindfuI of the measure of devotion and
patriotism that 166,0l7 colored soldiers
| rendered to the nation in war for the pres
ervation of the nation.
| % We are not insensible to the fact
that Congress of the United States has
spread upon the statute books many laws
calculated to make US secure in our rights
as citizens, ror would we be forgetfal of
the magnificent amendem mts to the Con-
stitution intended to render forever i'm
possible the crime of human slavery.
"3. We do not ask any more class legis-
lation. We had enough of this; but we do
believe that many Of the laws intended to
secure us our rights as citizens are nothing
more than dead letters. In the Southern
States, almost without an exception, the
colored people are denied justice in the
courts, denied the fruits of their honest Ia
Dor, defrauded of their political rights at
the ballot-box, shut out from learning
trades, cheated out of their civil rights by
inn keepers, common carrier companies,
and left by the States to an inadequate op
portunity for education and general i'm
proyemept,
a. We regard the labor question, edu-
cation and sound moral training paramount
to all other questions. We believe that
question, especially in the South, needs re-
casting, and that plantation credits and
mortgage systems should be abolished and
honest labor should be remunerated The
| land holders of the South should recognize
that this question is to be solved by en-
couraging the negroes to industry, trugali-
| ty and business habits. By melting them
to habits Of thrift, by assisting them to ac-
quire an interest in the soil, by paying
them honest wages for honest work and BY
making them contented and happy in the
land of their nativity.
6. The Froedman's Savings Bank and
Trust Company was established to receive
the earnings of persons heretofore held in
bondage and the descendants Of such per-
sons. II was established by the government
and thought solvent. In changing the
charter the trustees transcribed their au.
thority and thereby made themselves liable.
The government in appointing sIe .ial MAJ
chinery to close the insolvent institutions
violsted the United States statutes on bank
ruptcy, and should therefore reimburse the
creditors of the bank.
7. The distinction made between white
and colored troops in the regular army is
unAmerican, unjust and ungratefnl; white
men can enter any branch of the service;
colored men are confined to the cavalry
and infantry services. And Ia aPpyiGtl491t
of civilians to the regular army We believe
it the duty of the President of the United
States to consider the claims of colored men.
This distinction is carried Tito the army as
we'll
s. II is not our province to dictate
policy Of action fer our fellew-citlzrns II
she several Ststes. [; is q matter that their
cireuu7i .nc,-s and p,frirtia'n Should shape
9 AS r-..s struggling AMI c'nien'iin4
for our fnatic.,i aud civil rights sc are net
.tu.nir ;.tai II -sv e,Eoitt q. isel.nt to gain
1-r - h,a iad 40 extend 10 cur Irish
friends ,soF .uaI - 5Dp.iA, a"i onr best
wishes.
10 w earnestly desire ;ar abolition OF
the chain gang Or convict sY-t n and the
a mi. sit.n to trades unions ol utn u
race aud employment il commercial pu:-
suits
H. In nearly every State in the Unior.
both North aud South the people OF our
race are not allowed 10 enter freely into
the trades or gain employment in higher
walks of life This is unworthy of our in
stitutions and hartful to tie reputation Ct
our country at home and abroad.