Year: 1867

ADDRESS OF THE CoLoRED CONVENTION TO TIE


PEOPLE.


A Committee OF the late Convention OF colored
people, which held its sessions in Mobile. has issued
an address to tho people Of the State in which they
say:


Asthere seems 10 be considerable difference OF opinion
concerning the illegal rights of the colored man. u viii
not be amss 20 say that claim exactly the rights
privileges, and minunities enjoyed by white
ask nothing and will be content with nothing
abolished THE word white ia stricken from our laws
and every privilege which white men were formerly per
mited 10 enjoy merely because they were White men
low that that word Is stricken out are entitled to on
the ground that we are men Coior can no longer be
every public right, privilege and Immunity is enjoyable
by every Individual member Of the public This is the
touchstOne that determines all these points 80 long
lSe n entire tire public has the right to use IT, 50 long
ss Sal al OT o IT, and ali alike who
alike. The law no longer knows white or black, but
pubic conYeyances hold Office sit on uries and do every
thing else which we have IN the past been prevented from
doing solely the ground OF color OF course II Is
understood by all that lay no claim to social privileges
dess and associates with who%soeSer he peases@pro
vided they are willing 70 associate with him. This 10
we scorn to thrust ourselves e society OF those who
do not ike us, & we protest against the Idea incn
sitting in Jury steamboat cabins are social acts
aud privileges. We have said that we intend TO
fiends that It ia the hight Of folly on their part to With
hold them any longer One half Of the voters Alabama





tire reorganization of the State Government The new
oflcers-legislative, executive, and judicial-wl owe
their election largely not mainly TO the coOrcd people,
and every must clearly that the voters will then
be certain 20 require and the officers to compel cessation
Of all illegal determinations The question which every
man now illegally discriminating against us
has TO decide Is, whether 1t Is politio TO
insist upon gratifying prejudices during o few
dull months, with tho certainty, by doing, OF In
curing the lasting dspeasure OF half OF tho voting
population OF the State. We stand II II they can but
We assure them that they being watched closely and
that their conduct will be remembered when We have
power.


All over the State OF Alabama-all over the South n
deed-the colorcd people have with singular unanimy
arrayed themselves under the Republican banner upon
the Republican platform, and 1t Is confidently predicted
that nneenths of them will vote the Repu can ticket
DO you ask why is thisi We answer because: l. The
Republican party opposed and prohibited the extension
OF Slavery 1t repealed the Fugitive Slave law g. It
abolished Slavery In the District OF Columbia IL abol
Ished Slavery In the rebellious States 1t abolished
Slavery throughout the rest OF the Union II put down
the rebellion against the Union. z. IL passed
The Freedmen's Bureau BILL and the Civil Rights bill.


IL enfranchised the coored people OF the District OF
columbia o. 1t enfranchised the coored people OF the
nine Territories 1t enfranchsed the colored people
ton OF new Constitutions and State Governments In those
ten States ia It passed homestead laws, enabling
tbe moor TO obtain land In short has on step by
step doing first thing for us and then another and
now proposes to enranchise our people all over the
Union 1t is the only party which has ever attempted to
extend privileges and as ~ has IN the past always
been irving 10 do this II is but natural that we should
trust 40 for the future It is sometimes alleged that the
Republicans Of North have not boen aotuated hY love