Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-04
A PROCLAMATION
From Afro Americans. Dcnouncing Barbarous
Treatment Of the Coiored Race.

New York. May 3.-The National Afro
American Council of the United States.
has issued Il proclamation calling upon
the coorcd people Of this country tn SET
apart Friday. June >. as a day Of fasting
and prayer. and has called upon all col
ured ministers to devote the sunrise hour
Of the following Sunday, June !. to Spr-
Cial exercises in order that God. the
Father Of mercicS. may take our dcplnr-
able ease in His own hands and that +
vengeance is to be melted ouj IL. Gol
Himself repay.
The proclamation invites an the prom
inent colored clergy Of all denominations
to cooperate and consists of lengthy
setting forth Of the present "indcscrib-
ably barbarOus treatment OF the negro
in this country. Reference IS made To the
loyalty of the negro IN foreign wars. and
the recent lynChingS Of colOred persons in
the South are denounced in the most
strenuous language. The circular says in
part:
I'VE pay out millions Of dollars yearly
to ride in Jim Crow cars, some Of them
scarcely fit for cattle, yet we are COM
PEELED to pay as much as those who have
every accommodation and convenience.
Indians. Cinnamon and every other race
can travel as they please. Such unjust
laws make the railroads highway rob-
berS. In some sections of the country We
may ride for thousands Of miles and arc
denied 4 cup Of tea or coffee, because no
provision is made. or allowed to be made
to accommodate us WIFI something To
eat. while We are ready 10 pay for t..
Waving hundreds Of minor incon-
Vcnicnces we are practically OutlaWel hY
many states and also by the general gov
ernment in its endorsement Of silence and
Indifference.
I'VE are dragged before the courts BY
thousands ana sentenced to every form
of punishment and even executed without
the privilege of having a jury composed
in whole or in part Of members Of our
own race Will" simple justice should
guarantee US Judges and jury who could
adjudicatc our cases free from the bias.
caste ana prejudice incident To the same
in this country.
I'm many sections we are arrested ana
lodged in iaiIs on the most frivolous suS-
picion Of being the perpetrators 0t most
hideouS and revolving crimes. ana regard
less Of established quit, moDS are fofmc; !
of ignorant. vicious. whiSkey-besOttcd
men. with whose approach the KEYS Of
these iailS ana prisons are surrendered
ana the SUSp.ciOned party IS ruthleSSlN
forced from the custody OF the law ana
tortured. hung. shot. butchered smcm-
bered ana burned in the most hendish
manner.
few unfortunate and mOHstroUS wretcheS,
which we. like other people, doubtless
have among our race. but instances nave
multiplied 10 conceive, these mnDS H1
longer conceal themselves in the shadows
of night, but in open day plumber the
prisons for the victims Of their laWlesS
vengeance ana detiantly walk into courts
and rob the SheriffS and judges of their
prisoners and butcher them without even
time to commence prayer with God. q
privilege that no barbaric age has ever
denied q soul about to be ushcred INTO the
the presence of his Maker.
Owing to these and many other Caidal-
itous conditions which time tofDluS III
citaI Of. UnhStOric, unprecedented ana
drcadfully abnormal. we are inpeliro DH
a sense of duty and the instincts of our
moral nature 10 appeal 70 the Atro-Nih'I-
leans liz the United States 70 put lorth
some cndeav0rs by ccasinE to he longer
Al Z,