The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1905-09-09

PIE since the eagles of Rome over
spread the globe, and at the splendid
efforts of our president, in conjunc-
ton with the great powers, to pre-
serve the peace of the world. - i q
1t Is a reasonable conclusion that
the termination of national sl,ntime tent
| outgroWing from the acrimoiies Of a
great civil war. has WrOue 1T for ma
tlOnal we'll being, and will continue to
do so, and that in the development
| OF this sentiment, aided by time, the
school and the church. together with
a persistent and a judicious conten.
ton for equal and exact justice in all
OF the relations of life. wrongs rooted
| in the conditions Of slavery will be
gradually supplanted by the accept
ance OF those fundamental rights
which iphere in the citizen and are
| assured to all alike by the constitution
of the Republic; for we have faith
to believe that the spirit of God con-
trolls and directs the tendencies of
this nation towards the highest and
best in the cooperation of men for
self-government and for self-help.
AS in all the past history of the
Republic the AfrO-American people
have borne conspicuous part in de-
Veloplng the Incompatible resources
in field and factory, and mine, and in
preserving its integrity by deathless
valor in the army and navy in every
war waged from Bunkers Hill to
San Juan Hill, thus making for them
selves a common heritage in the life
OF the Republic, SO do we cheerfully
| look forward to common effort of Ia
| Dor and sacrifice in the further growth
! of the Republic in wealth and moral
/ worth, and in prestige among the ma
tionS of the earth. We feel that we
are part and parcel of the American
people in thought and effort and as
piration, and that what benefits them
benefits us, and that what Injuries
| them Injuries us. We therefore ask
for justice and fair play under the
laws as legal right. and for an "open
door Of opportunity" in the effort we
are making for moral, social and ma
terial betterment as common right
which cannot be withheld from us
without injury to the whole American
people. A reunitiOn of national senti-
nient which does not include the Afro.
American people will prove in the end
as much Of delusion and snare as
the long and acrimonious effort to
keep the nation half free and half
slave.
CD 1t is a noticeable fact that al
though there have been several ag-
gravated caes of lynch law in the i'm
mediate past, there has been an ap-
preciable falling off in the prevalence
Of this demoralizing species Of law
lessness. This has been brought
set on foot by the Council and by a
recognition of the fact by the public
sentiment of the country, and espe-
cially of the south that such criminal
disorders not only reflect great dis
nation of thoughtful mankind through
out the world, but steadily undermine
the foundations of social order. in SO
far that government by law must ul-
timately give place to government by
individual license. 1t is proper and
fair that acknowledgment of the fact
! be made that many of the strong
newspapers, preachers and educators,
governors and judges of state and fed
eral courts have done much during the
past year to create a healthier public
sentiment with regard to mob law
lessness. While we relax nothing of
our efforts to hasten the consumma-
ton of result so much to be desired,
we express the hope that the time is
at hand when lawful authority shall
be respected in all parts of the land
by all the people, and that this more
general respect for the law may lead
to a decrease of all crime and the re-
slization of that equality of right
which is the heritage of every citizen
of the United States.
(2) We urge the Afro-American
people everywhere to a closer union
among themselves. and to firmer de-
termination to contribute of their
abundance to testing in the courts all
laws of states which deny to them the
equal benefits of protection of gov
eminent as guaranteed by the federal
constitution.
CD There must come a time when
AfrO-AmericanS shall cease to be the
objects of class legislation by states
of which they are citizens. but in the
conduct of which they have absolutely
no part because of disqualifying laws
obviously in contact with the funda-
mental law of the land. against which
we protest, and against which the
Aremican people will yet protest be-
cause of the injustice done them by
the preponderant political influence
enjoyed by the late slave states, be-
cause of basis OF representation
more advantageous to them than that
they enjoyed under the slave basis OF
proportionment in Congress and in
the electoral college.
(4) Reformation in the prison con-
ditions in the southern states is an
object of such vital moment that we
urge the thoughtful men and women
of the race to lend it their best
thought and effort by judicious appeal
to public opinion and to those who
make and enforce the laws providing
and governing penal institutions.
60 To encourage Afro Americans
| to leave the sections of the country
where they are most at home by rea'
son of climatic and econ pmic con-
ditions because' of vicious laws and
public opinion, and to move into Sec
! tions of the country where the climate
; is unsuited to them and where there
is no place in the economic life OF
, their new neighbors in which they
can secure employment necessary to
live and properly care for their de-
DendentS. is grave question which IS
provoking earnest discussion in the
responsible newspapers of the north