The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-02-13
THEY WANT THE EARTH.
MANIFESTO OFTHE COLORED con-
VENTION.
DisavOwing Interest in Government
Policy, They ask Congress to Enact
Special Legislation in Their Behalf.
Wilmington Star.1

Wilmington Star.l
WASHINGTON, February, 6.-The
Colored Convention to-day elected ex.
Governor P. B. S. Pinchback, presi-
dent of the national organization, and
issued the following address:
70 the b,oble ofMe United States:
The colored American citizens oi
the United States in Convention as
sembled, respectfully submit their
grievances to the country, and ask a
favorable decision at the bar of public
opinion.
We regret that there exists in certain
parts of our country a condition OF
affairs which renders it necessary for
the colored American citizens to meet
in separate body, for the considera-
ton of grave and important questions
that are national in their character.
Being part of the citizenship of this
country, we can assure our countrymen
that we do not meet in separate Con-
vention from choice but from necessity.
1t is because we have been made special
and distinct objects of attack and op-
preston, that we are compelled to
meet in separate Convention as colored
American citizens, and suggest ways
and means to remedy the evils of which
we complain, and to prevent, if posi-
bic, repetition Of them. We call at
tention to the fact-which no we'll in
formed person who has any regard for
truth will deny-that popular elections,
Federal as we'll as local,in many States
of the South, are in a great measure
nothing more than farcical formali-
ties. Votes of colored American citi
zens in said States are suppressed by
violence or neutralized by fraud. The
fact has also been made apparent with
in the last few years, that differences
of opinion among and separate party
affiliations on the part of colored
American citizens in those States afford
no relief and bring no remedy for
wrongs of which we complain. 1t
seems to be the settled policy of one
of the two principal political parties in
said States to regard "negro suffrage"
as an evil within itself; and that lead
ers and members of said party are de-
termined to violently suppress the votes
of colored American citizens, it mat
tiers not with what party said voters
may affiliate.
Contrary to the letter and spirit of
the Constitution and laws Of our Coun-
try, our rights and privileges in the
States referred to are not only curtailed
and abridged, but positively denied.
We are made special objects Of un-
friendly State legislation, our wives
and our daughters, our mothers and
our sisters, are forced, in conequence
of such legislation, to occupy seats
when travelling in filthy and inferior
cars. Colored American citizens who
may be convicted of petty offences
through unfriendly courts are subject
ed, while undergoing sentence of said
courts, to such cruel and inhuman
treatment as: to make their condition
worse than abject slavery. In addi-
ton to this colored American citizens
when suspected of having committed
certain offences, and while in custdy
of so-Called officers of the law, are in
many intances, and as we believe, with
the knowledge and through connivance
of said officers, cowardly lynched and
murdered without hearing and with
out even the semblance of a trial. Our
children in many of said States, are
not afforded school facilities to which
they are entitled and which is essen
tial to the future prosperity, not only
OF our race, but of both races in the
localities in which they live.
The labor system in most Of the
Southern States is unjust and unfair to
the colored Americans. Being the
principal laborers of that section, they
are necessarily sufferers to a greater
extent than any other class from any
unfavorable legislation on the subject
of labor. The present system, at least
in its results, is SO injurious to colored
laborers in many parts OF the South,
that they seldom, if ever enjoy fair
or reasonable portion of the fruits of
their labor.
Under the Constitution and laws of
the land we are entitled to the same
rights and privileges enjoyed by any
other class Of citizens, and yet, in de-
fiance of law, we find We are subject
to taxation without representation we
are compelled to obey laws that we
have no voice in making; we are
obliged, in many localities, to submit
to the verdict of juries and the decision
of courts in the creation and compost
ton of which we are not allowed to
participate. We therefore feel and be
lieve that it is our duty,as ii is certain
ly our privilege, to inform the country,
through the Medium of this National
Convention, of our grievances, having
full faith in the fairness and business of
the American people.
Public opinion, after all, especially
in democratic republics the supreme
law of the land. To that tribunal we
make our earnest appeal for Justice and
fair play. The political parties are the
instruments through which the will Of
the people is executed. Our purpose
is to impress upon the public mind the
justice and frmness of our claims
that no political party can safely ignore
them. If it be true, that all our friends
are in one party and our enemies in