The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-11-14
COLoRED MEN APPEAL FOR JUSTICE.
The Nations Dark Skinned Citizens
Ask Redress for Wrong.
What Dame Rumor Says of the
Presidents Message.
Senator AIIison's Romance Among
the Mountains Of Alaska.

WASHINGTON, November 13.-The Cen
trail Bureau of Relief of Washington, com
posed of colored men, has issued an appeal
ito the earnest advocates of the equal exer-
else of political and civil rights for the col
ored American citizens" in which they
state that an organization has been formed
Tor the purpose of cooperating with the va
rious organizations in this country for the
purpose of obtaining the free and equal ex-
ercise Of political and civil rights and priv
ileges for colored American citizens in the
United States as guaranteed by the constitu-
tion and laws of this government. 1t calls
attention to the fact that in parts of this
country colored citizens are prevented by
force and fraud from exercising the rights of
American citizens. Their property is wan
less to defend or protect the sanctity Of their
families. The appeal continues: This dis
graceful and barbarous condition of affairs
Is assented to, II not encouraged, by the To-
cal governments of those states. The gen.
eral government has for 10 years failed to ap-
ply any redress or remedy against these in
human outrages upon its cOlored citizens.
Believing spirit of justice exists among
the American people and public sentiment
condemns such acts of barbarity; believing
euoe oi bhuC CitlLouo WILL give ulUIdi support
to all proper efforts to remedy these wrongs;
believing that united ard continuous effort
by the colored people will help to change
this dangerous condition of affairs" the or
ganizatlon earnestly appeals to all just and
humane citizens, without regard to
sex, race, creed or political faith, to assist
this effort to remove this foul blot upon
American civilization by petitions to State
legislatures and Congress for such state and
national legislation as will remedy these
wrongs. They ask the ministers of every
church In this country to offer on Thanks
giving Day special prayers against these out
RACES and invoke such divine influence upon
the minds and hearts of our citizens and law
makers, judges and state executives as may
cause them seriously to reflect that the con-
tinuance OF these crimes Is an alarming men.
ace to the safety of this government.
The bureau has issued a call for nation
al convention to be held in Washington, ID.
u, on the first Monday of February, 1890, to
organize national association of colored
American citizens by which united and con-
tinuous effort may be made to relieve them
from the personal 0utrages inflicted upon
them in the Southern States, and obtain all
the rights of American citizens now denied
them In parts of the country; to ascertain
the opposing influences that retard the
growth of their educational moral and ma
terial interests; to invoke Congress to pass
such legislation as will enable colored
Americans to exercise the right of the fran
chiSe in the Southern States without fear or
Inolestation and to pass the Blair educational
bill and theibill to pay the depositors in the
freedman's Bank in full OF their deposits.