The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-04
FASTING AND PRAYER
Suggested as Means Of AIIevlating
Sorrows Of Negroes.
Denial Of Jasics Endorsed by Indifference
Of the G0Y3Tnmeat

New York. May 4.--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 2, as day OF fasting
and prayer. ana has called upon all coll
ored ministers 70 devote the sunrise
sour of the following Sunday, June 4, TO
special eN s1cises In order that God, the
father Of mercies, may take our deplor-
able case in his own hands, aud that IL
vengeance - 10 be meted out let God
himself repay
The proclamation invites all the prom
ihent co!ored clergy OF all dcnomina-
lions TO cooperate. aud consists OF a
lengthy sta cement setting forth the pres
ent 'indescl lba bic barDarous treatment"
Of the negr in this country. Reference
Is made 20 the loyalty OF the negro In
foreign wars. and the recent ynchings
OF colored persons in the south are de-
nounced In the most strenuous language.
The circular says in part.
We pay out millions OF dollars yearly
To ride in Jim Crow. eaEsr seEs4e Of them
Narcely MT for cattle, yet We are COM
peNed TO pay as much as those who have
everN accommodation and convenience.
lndiaDe, Cinnamon and every other race
can travel as they please. Shch unjust
laws make the railroads highway rob
bers. In SO ne sections of the country
We may ride FOR thousands OF miles and
are denied cup OF tea on coffee because
no provision is made, or allowed TO be
made, 90 accommodate Us with some
thing TO eat while we are ready TO pay
for II. Waving hundreds of minor in
conveniences we are practically out
lawed by many states and also by the
general government I'm its endorsement
OF silence and Indifference
1--WE are dragged before the courts by
thousands and sentenced to every form
Of punishment. and even executed with
out the privilege of having jury com
posed In whole or i'm part OF members OF
our own race, while simple justice should
guarantee us judges and juries who
could adjudicate our. cases free from the
bias caste and prejudice incident to the
same In this country.
I'm many sections we are arrested and
lodged I'm jails on the most frivolous sus-
picion of being the perpetrators of most
hideous and revolving crimes, and re-
gardless of established guilt: mobs are
formed of ignorant. vicious, whisky
besotted men. with whose approach the
keys of these jails and prisons are sur
rendered and the suspscioned party is
ruthlessly forced from the custody Of the
law and tortured, hung. shot, butchered,
dismembered and burned i'm the most
fendish manner
Nor is this dreadful fate limited to q
zfr..t
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 plunder the
prisons for the victims of their lawess
vengeance and defiantly walk into courts
and rob the sheriffs aad Judges OF their
prisoners and butcher them without
even time 20 commune i'm prayer with
God. "a privilege that no barbaric age
has ever den,ed a soul about to be ush-
cred into the presence of his maker.
Owing TO these and many other ca
lamitous conditions which time forbids
a recital Of unhistoric, unprecedented
n dreadfully abnormal. we are inn
PEELED by sense OF duty and the in
stincts OF our moral nature TO appeal to
the Afro Americans in the United States
to put forth some endeavors by ceasing
To- be longer silent and to appeal to some
judiciary for help and relief. If earth
affords none for our helpless and de-
fenseless race. we must appeal 10 the bar
Of infinite power and Justice whose judge
holds the destinies OF nations in his
hands
The proclamation then recommends the
day OF fasting, as stated above.