New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-04
COLORED PEOPLE TO FAST.
THE NATIONAL AFRO-AMERICAN CoUN-
c1r ppncI AIMS ACAINSr nIrTRAGES

THE NATIONAL AFRO-AMERICAN CoUN-
GIL PRoCLAIMs AGAINST oUTRAGEs.
The National Afro American Council Of the
United States has issued a proclamation calling
upon the colored people Of this country to set
apart Friday, June q as day Of fasting and
prayer, and has called upon all colored ministers to
devote the sunrise hour of the following Sunday,
June 4, to special exercises In order that God. the
Father Of Mercies may take our deplorable case
in His own hands. and that II vengeance Is to he
meted out let God himself repay"
The proclamation invites prominent colored
clergy OF all denominations to cooperate. 1t sets
forth the Undesirable barbarous treatment of
the negro in this country. Reference is made to
the loyalty OF the negro in foreign wars. 1t de-
nounces the recent ynchings of colored persons in
the South in the most strenuous language. 1t says
in part:
We pay out millions OF dollars yearly to ride in
'jim-crow'' cars. some OF them scarcely fit for
cattle yet we are compelled to pay as much 1.o as
e1ee Indians Cinnamon and every other race
can travel as they please, Such unjust laws make
of the country we may ride for thousands of miles
and are denied cup Of tea or coffee because no
commodatc us with something to eat. while we
are ready to pay for it. Waving hundreds OF
awed by many States. and also by the general
Government in its Endorsement of silence and in
we are dragged before the courts by thousands
even executed without the them privilege Of having
jury composed In whole in part OF members of
our own race, while simple justice should guaran
tee us judges and juries who could adjudicate our
cases free from the bias, caste and prejudice in
cident 10 the same in this country.
In many sections we are arrested and lodged in
jails on the most frivolous suspicion of being the
perpetrators of most hideous and revolving crimes
and. regardless Of established guilt. mobs are
formed OF ignorant, vicious whiskey- besotted men,
at whose approach the keys of these jails and
prisons surrendered and the suspicioned party
Is ruthlessly forced from the custody of the law
and tortured. hanged. shot. butchered dismembered
and burned in the most fendish manner. Nor is
this dreadful fate limited to few unfortunate
and monstrous wretches which we. like other
people, doubtless have among our race, but in
stances have multiplied into hundreds. thousands
and tens OF thousands And. horrible TO conceive
these mobs no longer conceal themselves in the
shadows Of night. but in open day plumber the
and dehantly walk into courts and rob the sheriffs
without even time TO commune I'm prayer with
God, privilege that no barbaric age has de-
MED soul about to be ushered into the presence
OF his Maker
Owing to these and many other calamitous
ditions which time forbids recital of unhistoric.
unprecedented and dreadfully abnormal, are i'm
PEELED by sense of duty and the instincts of our
moral nature 10 appeal TO the Afro-Americans in
the United States TO put forth some endeavors by
ceasing to be longer silent. and to appeal TO
judiciary for help and relief. II earth affords
for our helpless and defenceless race we must APP
peal to the bar of Infinite Power and Justice.
whose Judge holds the destinies of nations in His
hands.