Year: 1866




blessings it confers upon us new duties


new obligations, new responsibilities
and we trust new energies and new pur-
poses. We realize and accept the fact
that we have no wealth save our-hands:
no skill but what untaught nature gives
that we must work, must acquire prop
erty, must educate our people, and make
for ourselves and our posterity charac-
ters and regulations which will grow
brighter as time rolls on. We know the
position, we occupy In Kentucky; we
know that we do not stand upon the
same platform with the whites. We do
not desire nor expect social equality.


We know that there is a social barrier
which we cannot overstep, even If we
would. We know that some of the best
friends we now have lately held our
brothers in bondage, and when the chain
was snapped asunder, by no consent on
their part, acquiesced in the new order
of things. We have faith in the intelli-
gence and integrity of the great mass OF
the American people, as well as the
people of Kentucky, ,and are fully persua-
ded that they will yet do us justice. We
believe that when they have settled
down to realization of the change
which does exist i'm our relations, they
will help, rather than retard us. in our
desire and efforts to elevate our
selves. We see in the earnest en-
deayors of some of our late largest
Shareholders, now foremost in
the cause of humanity, bright omen,
happy augury OF the future. We do
not believe that the great Common
wealth of Kentucky can afford TO let us
live and drag out miserable existence
amongst her people, stepped in igno-
rance and degradation. We can see in
the enactments of the past Legislature
even, faint glimmer of the coming
day, and believe firmly that they will
grant us ere long our just and natural
rights. #tG ;,
"We have not lost confidence in tire
President of the United States. We do
not believe that he will leave us in the
wilderness, but that the pledges made
by him while Provisional Governor OF
Tennessee. and since he has become
Chief Magistrate OF this great Repub-
lie. will be fulfilled. Nor are we with
out confidence in the General Govern
ment and its determination to protect
lis in our freedom. We will inculcate
into the minds of our people desire TO
become landholders.


awe are native and to manor born
We are part and parcel of the great
American body polite. We love our
country and her institutions. We are
proud of her greatness, her glory ana
her might. We are intensely American
allied to the free institutions of our
country by the sacrifices and the deaths
our sons, brothers and fathers, whose
patriotism led them to pledge their
lives to the maintenance Of freedom and
the majesty other laws, and here we in
tend to remain


The following resolutions were
adopted:


WHEREAS. Education, wealth and
character are essential TO the elevation
and prosperity ofany people; and where
as, it is our duty to ourselves and to our
posterity, to cultivate all those habits of
life which tend to create, foster and sus-
tain among us those courses of conduct
which bring to mankind those essential
elements of national prosperity and hap
piness; therefore,


Resolred, That we, the colOred people
of Kentucky, in mass convention assem-
bled, here and now, pledge ourselves to
each other and to our country. relying
upon God, who has brought us out of
the dark land of bondage, and conferred
upon us freedom and the possibilities
of disenthralled humanity, to labor to
the utmost of our poor ability to infuse
into the minds of our colOred fellow-cit-
liens desire to educate themselves and
their children, to establish and maintain
well-ordered and dignified characters,
and to secure by manly endeavOr, in
honorable industrial pursuits. wealth
with all its attendant material blessings.


Resotred. That we claim each and ev-
ery right and power guaranteedto every
American cititizen. including even that
of suffrage, as naturally belonging to us
to-day.


ReS0lred. That we are not only CRATE
full to Almighty God for our emancipa-
ton in this country. but for the full rec
ornition by the General Government OF
our citizenship, based upon our nativity,
thus making this land our home, and
by law our rights, and many
of the blessings attendant upon our tree
institutions.


Resolred. That this country is indeed
our home. Here we intend to remain,
mingling our efforts with the efforts of
our white fellow citizens to sustain and
perpetuate it's liberties and interests,
and making our destiny one in common
with the destiny of all other Americans.
= ReS0lred, That the gallant and heroic
behavior of the colOred soldiers OF the
army in the late rebellion, is not only
worthy of their noble sires, who fought
the battles of this country in her strug1
gle for independence and the war of
1912, but it challenges the admiration of
the civilized world and the respect and
favor of their fellow countrymen.