Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-02
THE COLORED MANS COMPLAINT.
The Baptist Committee Presents an Ad-
dress to the President.

The Baptist Committee Presents an Ad-
dress to the President.
| THEIR GRIEVANCES AGAINST WHITE CITIZENS OF
THE soUTH-THEY ASK NATIONAL AID TO HELP
| THE ooLoRED PEOPLE TO 60 wEsT-AN APPRo-
PRIArIoN OF $50, ZOO, 600 WANTED.
The committee appointed by the National
Colored Baptist convention to present to the
President statement Of grievances suffered
by the colored people of the south assembled
at the Bee Office yesterday and proceeded to the
White House, where they were accorded an
interview by the President. The committee
presented to the President the following sd-
dress.
| THE ADDRESS.
The address was as follows:
To the Hon. BENZ. Harrison, President Of the
United States:
| Sir: At the American National Baptist meet
| ings held in indianapolis September is to II
the following resolutions, having been read and
referred to the committee on resolutions, we're
reported back to the house and after amend
| ment adopted:
And whereas our political leaders are few.
ana even those We have cannot reach the
people, therefore it becomes our duty to
speak out upon all questions that affect
our people, socially and economically
as well as relgiously; and whereas
goo mas always, in all ages, instructed and
ruled the people through his own chosen and
called men; therefore, be it resolved that this
convention believes that the truest interests of
our people are in their accepting the Horace
Greeley doctrine of Young men, go west"
where they may obtain recognition and grow
up with the country; resolved that the poor
and oppressed people have always migrated
westward, where they could get lands in new
countries. and thus grow up with them and
become the great men of those new communi-
ties; resolved that We ask the President of the
United States to recommend to the United
states Congress an appropriation of $50, 000, 900
to aid the colored people to leave the south"
MIR. President: We, the undersigned, were
appointed committee to lay these resolutions
leave to recite the wrongs their brethren un-
dergo as just cause, in the opinion of honor
able, industrious and air-minded men, why we
appear before you. We feel that righteous
statement OF our case should be made to our
great executive head and to the law-making
power OF this vast republic. Our wrongs
date from 1920, AID, to 1889. AID.
From the time we landed few in number until
now we are great in number. but still weak in
the means of self protection. We pass over
the long siege of American slavery, because it
Is familiar to the citizens Of the world We
pass over our record in the war, as it has be-
come a matter of fame how as soldiers and
slaves we attracted the admiration of the
world. And we come to our condition since
the war and beg leave to tell the suffe rings of
our people in the south.
Though outraged and slain in many quarters
we have borne the slightest insults and the
most bloody murder with equal fortitude. We
have appealed to our President and to the Con-
gress OF the United States before and we can
not see that we are protected from any source
Our friends seem powerless and high crime is
still rampant. Occasionally there is an inves-
tlgation or long debate, but our lives and
property are still insecure and outrageous laws
are still being made against us.
We do not appeal to you nor to Congress as
partsans, yet, as the long, lifetime allies of the
sentiment your party expresses and by which
you hold power today, we do hereby request
that our wrongs be righted. We make the fol-
lowing indictment against many sections Of the
lower south. Lett be remembered that we do
not speak of every section of the south, for
many sections are quiet and peaceable:
THE INDICTMENT.
We charge: /. That we are murdered with
out cause. 2. That we are not given justice
before the law. g. That we are driven from our
homes and our property destroyed by fire. T.
That we are denied the right to vote. or, if al
lowed to vote, our vote is destroyed by fraud
3. That when elected we are elected from
office by revolutionary proceedings. 6. That
we are kept in constant dread by the parade of
arms and denunciatory threats through every
campaign. z: That our churches are burned
and our meetings are disbanded. 8. That the
opposing press can say whit it peases while
our press is muzzed. 9. That our progress is
checked in every way, living under such I'M
happy and miserable circumstances
Now, since these things are so, we have come
TO ask you to lay before Congress these resolu-
tons and this memorial, praying that
$50, 10000, more or less, be appropriated to
aid those who are thus situated to leave the
south and settle on western lands 1t is no fault
OF ours that we are outraged and murdered. We
would gladly have our people stay in the land
where they we're born, for we all love the
south. Indeed, we love its people, and would
gladly live In peace with them.
We are not anarchists. communists nor social
lists. but true Americans that love our country Ii
the pilgrim fathers could come across the
waters for peace and safety, why should we not
go west among friendly people? 1t is useless
to hope for change OF sentiment in these Sec
tons OF the south. Hope deferred maketh
the heart sick"
Nearly generation has passed since the war
and this state OF affairs still continues If it be
argued that the United States can do nothing
fob US 1t would seem that We are not citizens of
the United States, but citizens of the states in
which we live.
II this be so it is apparent that we have no
redress within the state, and the only remedy
then would be to leave unfriendly states and
go to friendly ones. The colored people are
poor, made So and are kept SO. Some NAV dis
pute the propriety of this appeal, but the best
yindication of our effort herein will be to give
these people chance to leave these sections.
The exodus of the Israelites from Egypt will
be small sized excursion compared to the
move there will be in the south. The commit
tee representing 1862 273 communicates who
are your petitioners, do not bear any malice
nor i'll will to the people of the SOUTH nor do
our constituents. We are sure the newspapers
will daily corroborate our indictment in some
form or other. Trusting we may have your good
VIII IN this matter and no desire to be
unfair to the quiet and peaceful sections of
the south, but only to speak of sections known
to cover the descriptions mentioned, we are
ntfullv q