Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-05
THE COLORED CATHOLICS.

THE COLORED CATHOLICS.
An Address to the People Unanimously
Adopted.
II SErS FORTH THE NEED OF xpUcAfIoN-rHH
LABOR ORGANIZATIONS APPEALED 10 ron yus-
rIcE 10 TIE COLONEL RAcR-rHx FORMATION
OF TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES REcoHMxNDxp, ETC.
At the closing session Of the colored Catholic
convention yesterday afternoon . number Of
papers were read and resolutions Of thanks 10
Father Walsh, Maj. Moore, the District Com
missioners and the members of the press were
adopted A resolution Of sympathy for the
struggling patriots Of Ireland was passed
Mr.. Rudd read . cablegram from Cardinal
Rampolla, in which he said: ''The sovereign
pontif gladly and proudly blesses you with all
his heart" After the deafening applause which
followed Mr.. W. Il. Smith, Of the committee
on resolutions, reported the amended address,
which was read, as follows:
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE.
Assembled in the capital Of our country, on
the opening Of the year 1889, in the presence
and under the patronage Of his eminence, Car
dinal Gibbons, archbishop of Baltimore, and
with the approval Of our Catholic hierarchy,
We, delegates Of the colored Catholics OF the
United States, deem it proper at the close Of
our deliberations to address to you, our fellow
citizens, the result of the work We have accom-
plished. Several hundred Of us in number,
gathered from nearly all the states of the
Union-from the Mississippi TO the Atlantic,
from the great lakes to the Gulf Of MEXICO
we opened our deliberations with solemn high
mass, of which the celebrant was Rev. Augustus
Tolton, our trusted and worthy brother in race
as well as in creed and in the presence Of Cardi-
nal Gibbons, who graciously condesended, by
his words Of encouragement, to bless and slim
ulate our efforts.
..For this meeting, even under such encour-
aging patronage, to consider in public man.
ner and for the first time in our history the
needs and claims Of our race, il was natural to
feel that herculean task awaited us. But re-
lying on the assistance Of the Holy Ghost,
whose inspiration we have no doubt prompted
the call Of this assembly, confding also
in the spirit of our ardent patriotism, of Chris
tian prudence, and humble forbearance actual
ing the hearts Of each and every member Of
this convention, and encouraged in our labors
by the uncommon but beautiful spectacle Of
nearly two hundred intelligent but Christian
men, representing every section Of this vast
country we congratulate ourselves upon, the
results at which we have arrived
although we did not at the outset presume
to think that this congress could be other than
an humble experiment, although we do not
even still presume to claim that its results be
other than an entering-wedge in the breaking
OF the mighty wall of difficulties lifted up for
centuries against us, and q mere preliminary
step in the march Of progress and the final re-
generation of our people, yet we feel that we
can safely present these results to the entire
world, assured that they will mark the dawn of
new and brighter era in the history of our
race in every land wherein 1t is established,
while we may well rejoice over the progress
made by our colored fellow-citizens within the
last quarter of a century since they have been
permitted to enjoy to some extent the inalien-
able rights given to every man in the very dawn
OF creation, we must admit-only to lament it
the fact that the sacred rights of Justice and
humanity are still sadly wounded-are still i'm
measurably bstructed-even in country where
iiberty-so long in exile, 80 long a wanderer the
refuge, permanent home, grand and lasting
temple. Knowing too well, however, that time
alone, accompanied and overshadowed by the
providential shaping Of an allwise God,
will eventually remove such obstruc-
tions; knowing, too, that our divinely
the friend Of the down-trodden-will,b by the
innate force Of her truth, gradually dispel the
prejudices unhappily prevailing among so
many Of our misguided people; and, therefore,
not to forestall the time marked by God for
bringing about this great work, we feel conf
ucut tuis 6Oltuu eXpTeeblOu Oh our con-
victions, of our hopes, and our resolutions will
have at least the advantage of proving that
we-representatives Of the colored Catholics Of
the United States-have thus contributed our
humble share to the Inauguration of the great
work which still remains to be accomplished
for the final regeneration Of our race"
EDUCATION, INDUSTRY, soBRIErY AND CHARITY.
Continuing, the address says: 'The educa-
ton of the people being the means to elevate
our race, We pledge ourselves to establish
Catholic schools, primary and the higher
grades, in colored communities. Aware of the
influence exerted by the literary assemblies
and societies, it is recommended that this con-
gress encourage all such associations. As man.
illness and sobriety go hand in hand, we advo-
cate the organization Of temperance societies
as needful to remove the whitening bane of
drunkenness from among our people. We ap-
peal to all labor and trades unions to admit
colored men on the same conditions as Others
We appeal to the proprietors Of factories, tele-
graph and railroad companies, to admit colored
men to their employ, if they be the equal Of
others in intelligence and morality. Conscious
trial schools, we sincerely advocate the estab-
lishment OF such schools. Hospitals and asy-
lums for our race should also be founded. We
condemn in the most emphatic manner the
custom of real estate agents in renting poorly
lighted and worse ventilated tenement houses
w Jul pCOpAc. We ucpiOIc tucH IeIuSal 10
rent suitable houses in eligible neighborhoods
to our people, or, if renting, charging a higher
rental than they do to others not Of our race.
In conclusion, after pledging ourselves to the
wishes of the plenary concil of Baltimore, we
ask that our brethren will help us in the work
We have in hand, to the end that 1t will tend to
our intellectual, social and moral advance
ment."
THE ADDRESS ADOPTED WITH ENTHUSIAST
1t was some time before the applause which
followed the reading of the address subsidized,
and then it was adopted unanimously.
Father Walsh then, in few well chosen
words, complimented the convention for adopt-
ing such broad and sensible declarations.
President Rudd responded to a vote of
thanks which was rendered him for the inn
partial way he had presided over the congress,
and the convention adjourned to meet again in
Richmond subject to call from its president
NAMING THE STREETS.
The Commissioners Think Steps Should
be Taken to Prevent Confusion.
The Commissioners have written a letter re-