Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-10-10

The following address to the col
ored people of Virginia emana'es
from representative colored men,
recently in convention at Lynch
burg, Va. We commend it to the
careful perusal OF our colored sub
scriberS:
To the Colored People of Vir-
ginia: " whereas we, colored reo-
ple of Virginia, believing as we do
that the time has come for us to
call halt in the unqualified sup
port we have given the Republican
party, do here in convention as
sembled srlemnly declare ourselves
politically independent in all mat
ters which pertain to us as citizens
and voters of this Commonwealth.
We have for twenty-five years adj
hered o our former political asSoci-
ates with unparalleled fidelity, be-
cause in those dark days of recon.
s5ruction the Republican party
proved that 1t was the only party
10 which the colored man of the
South could consistently ally him
self. To that end the colored vo
terS nobly responded, and raised
to power and place men who grew
wealthy while administering the
laws of the United States govern
n.ent in the Southern States. We
feel ever grateful for What has
been done, but now the time has
come for us to think, act, vote and
speak for ourselves, and especially
so since the Republicans have
practically abandoned LUIS i'll former
campaigns, and I'M all matters where
5lA jlf "rn "pabb5fr!Wr to voting
strength and intelligence. We
know. too, that many of our race
have been murdered in the South
ern States, but the causes which
led to these sad occurrences, which
have spilled our blood and created
a bitter race antaeonism which
now retards our progress and
makes it difficult for us to live in
the land of our birth, are largely
traceable to the miSmanagementof
the federal officeholders in our see
ton. These foregoing reasons lead
Us to adopt such methods and toso
dcmean ourselves as to make friends
of those whose interest are identi-
cal in every way with our OWN.
We therefore appeal to the col
ored people Of our native State to
look well to the altered condition
of affairs. and in the future to make
such political alliances as will most
advance our interests, educational
ly, financially and politically. We
feel sure that there is throughout
the broad limits of the Common
wealth general disposition Oh the
part Of the white people to accord
us all our rights before the law,
and to meet us heartily in every I'D
vance we make for the the uphold
ing of our people. 1t behooveS us,
then, to so use our ballotsin that we
may drive out all discordant ele
ments in Va, whether they be head
ed by natives or aliens to the State.
We also condemn the raising of the
race issue BY any class of men who
essay to lead the masses, because
it can do nothing but prove detri
mental to our cause and our inter
ests. We therefore ask a hearty
60 operation of our people in Vir-
sinia to the success of our move
ment. We have cause to he thank
full for the libcrality of the present
administration to our peo
pie in the South.
We also believe our relations to
the State debt are such as to justi.
f. us in hoping that Virginia will
he relieved from her present finan
clal embarrasSments by aid from
federal government, which will en-
able her better to provide for all
the material interests OF her citi-
zens ana bring abont that univer-
sal good feeling which ought to ex.
list between the two races.