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Meeting Of Colored Citizens In Detroit

Meeting Of Colored Citizens In Detroit image
Parent Issue
Day
23
Month
January
Year
1843
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

On Tuisöay Evening, December 2Qlh, 18 2, the colored vigihnt Conunittee of the city of I)oiroit, met in the basement ol the seci! I? i tisi Church. The meeting was opcr.au wiih proycr by Mr. Frcnch. Thc Chairmar, Wm. C. Munroe. staied the object of the meeting "as t? nppuint usub-Committeo from the board to draft n peiition to the Ligislntt-ie rayinp: ihat we, the culored cnizens of tho state of Michigan, may enjoy our right ol ufirage. On motion, Messrs. Lightfoot, Lnmbert,and Banks, wcre appnin'ed thnt cou-mitice. On moiion. tho following preamble and resoluion were ndop'eii.. Whcrens. We the colon?d vigilant committco f theciiy of Detroit, wcro appointeiJ nnd elecred y our peopie to draft their peiiiion to the Legisure, and to do any oiher business whitli we may ecm of vitnl importnnce to 'hem nnd oursclves. Tlierefore. Resolved, That it is our duiy lo all a public mcciing at the City Hall. to layour eople's claims as American citizens, upon our overnment for iisjirotcciion. Resolved. That Messrs. Wm. C. Monroe. tobert Banks nnd Wm. Lambert, shall address ie püb'fic in the behalf ot our pcople. Resolved, That the Sccretary prppare an anual report, to he read on the ocension.Resolved. Thnt our public meeling be Iielrl on ie pecond weck in Jonuary, previous to the preentntion of our petition to (lie Legishiture. On motion, the committoc adjourned, to cnll a ublic meeting at the City il-l!, on the second ""nesflay in Jnnuary. On Tues'lny evening, J.inurry TOih, at 7 o'lock, the committee metjn the City Mal! aoqrding to adournmeni ; Wm. C Monroe in ie Chair, and Wm. Lambort, Sccretary. On moiion. the proceedings of the previous neeiinrr w,-s cnlled for, and read. On motion, t'ieTo!IovinLr rfpor' was read : ANNUAL REPORT filie Colorcd Vigila nt Commillee of the City of Detroit. Tlie committee would respect fnlly report, iat tlieir efibrts for the pastyear, thotigh few nd feeble, have f ir exceeded our most sanguine expectations. Al the time it was flrst )ropnscd to organize a Committee of Yijjtance from omongf our own people, to watcli ver our interest? - to draft our petitions ïo e Lefrislatnre, prnying that ve mny enjny ie eloctive franchise, in common with otlier men, or to do any other business which they lav deern of vital import anee to our people. t was argued by some, ihat the"e was no nee?sity forstich a committee, as wc had mende vho were already advóCBflng our cause, and ndpavorinjr to elévate us to our rights. - Therefore, we ehonltl stanil PtJl, lest we hould take n burden upon our own shnclders, hal we were not able to henr, nnd therebv etarc1 the great enterprize which they were abunt to achieve. But the more reflecting portion of up, heinjr well satisfied that the ong lost righ!s and liber tics of our pei.ple i bis community, orinany oiher, co-ild only )e regained by our own exert'mns. e'ected nnd orirnnized a committee of nine persons from imnng otirsflvpi1, nnd fent tiiem forth to r.ct in iclinlf nf onr wlinlc peopte. As a matter of ccufse the want of experienre in ihevarions rjutiès to he n?!f)rn:ed, causëd mucli difficult fn deciding npoa bemft defin 'e rilan of openlinsr calmly, upon those difficult cases which have hitherto heat ed ihe minds of our ppoplr wih inflnmnd passion, ana called forth tlieir nhysicnl forct, to consummafe in riot nnd in b'ood sfied, that which should have heen donp 'almly, peBceably, and with delibérate rea.-on. Tlnis have the committee l"arnp(l from tlie past tranaetions ofoiir-peoplp, ns well as irnni liistory, thut tlie spirit of phvsical conquost, led on by ignorance, was nhvays formad in enmity, pursurd in ha) red. infl.-imed by passion, nnd conmmaird in riot and in bloodslied, andoften without accomi)lishing the objtct f ite d 'siffn. And as the object of the committee was to Iny thfi foundation for the tritimph of the jnst principies of liberty, and the rigJit pf =il rnen to enjoy an equal protectinn, nuder llie government in wliich they live. and tliis to be done midi r the dominion of' caltn mid de- l'berate reason, have ado-ted morality ns iheir ■"hield - edncntion, a.s '.lieir armor. ond unparn'lied triitl as their wrnpon to carry on tliis moral and poliücal wartare. Froin tliesa instruments, the Committee have learned that cduoation is the principul mean? by vvhicli on enslaved nnd derrradod people can be elevated; and thnt our moral, nprightj and correct deportmcnt will be one of tho strougest aríjuinents we can present, in favor of our universal elevation to onr civil, religión and polilla] In laying down tliis plan, the committee have Piideavored lo mpref-s upon tle mimls of omt propk the rreat nccessity of layinjj asirle those lij.'lt nnfl fHvploiifl amn?finents of the gi'ldy nml tlip jjny, for tlic more c-ilm, èhidioijs and reflcctng mind of i h.e Phi!o?opher, and tnereby brinor onriclves and posterity wi'liin the benirrii infliienco of ednc.it ion, tëmperance and morality. i Tlie commitlee wuld now resppctf'illy report that they have seen their efforta nbund;intly blcssed. They ire now oble lo point to tlie namps of from 60 f o 70 indivjdnals, from our j own people, the majorily inving no children of their own to edúcate, have resolved totribute a portion of thetr dily earninnrs to support a day school, vrhere nll sects and denominations mny be ïaught free of charge. - Tlie committee aro now. able fo enter into a dny school, supportcd principally bv our people, nnd tnufrht bv n man of our color, ond there boliold 'ü6 scholars, mnking rnpid trifles in moral nnd niellctunl improvempnt. Tlry ure also nblc to count the mrrips ofa hundred individur.ls wlio hnve liid asidc the irjlo.vicating' bowl, nnd camo nnd sitrnrd the "renip.r anee plt-dge." They can also refer in n Yoimg Mn's Society, their debating Clu, their Reading Room, with a Library of H6tonc.il ork.--, ll estabhshed by llivir o.vn individual excriinnp, to deWinioulo a general 'diíTtisión of knowJedge ammg oiir pVoplf. - The commitiee have beheld, wit Ij imiulijov, the orgniiizntion of two Socictics, wlioae objec:s appear to bo, oclucniitlii, tempernnco, etfonoRiVj and the universal reformalion of the prest-m, &8 well aa the th'e ribing gefieraiions. It is true tlt.it t iio cörmftittee liave liad causo to grieve, on secing the -pini ofinorance risinsr p in l!ie rnidst of onr people, to draw n división, nnd thereby presenting iiself an obst.-icle and stunibling block in the way if our general elovation. But ns ignoranro is the ninther of inis(rtunc, and its wars jihvays füru cd in enmiry, pjijraiifd ín hntred and influmod with passion, ilways destroys itsflf and sink-; Lo is own levflj without accompli liing üs dotigns. Snch liaheen the f:i!e ofihose o'jst:c''s which presf-niedthemselves to cetard tlie &eperj refor rrmtion whicii wfi are pbou.c to achievc. Tlni.s have the Comrnittee learned from oxoerience as well as froin liistory, tlie snperioriiy of moral and intcllectnal power over th:it of ignornnce or physical ('orce. Tho c:?e of Nelou HacKett, the fugitive slave from Arkansn---, is itriking evidence of the supeiiurity of colm nnd delibérate reason, over that of heat cd and i iflamrd píisíioh. VYhen N'clson ÏIac!:e: t wms arrested in Chatliatn, b-might nnd cast intp Sandwich jiil, informa'. ion was fotwntued :o oiir convniitee that a slave had been pnrsued int o Caijiadq.br, h ia mister, who had nffèrea five luindred dollars fór his arrest, and hü hadboen arreatcd :iikí cast no Snndwidi jiil, o nvvai! his ;nal nt the Court of King'.-í Buriel). A port ion f ottr Cominittce uiade t thoir bu sinoFs lo altend tlint Court, and Hiere leamed from the prcfiding Jmlge that. Nfl.-on lluckett had been arre.-'ed on n charge of felooy, nrn! wonld remain in jiil a certiík-d lime, and If sufficient proof sliould be bronght wittiin Ihat time, tlie case would po beibre the (cverrió , and as tiiere was no treaty sMpulatmn (hen) binding the two p-ovemmr-nis to deliver up fngiiivop, ir.d as Nc'snn Ilackett was a lavé, il .vfs his decii'ed opinión lbat lic would not bcgiven up. The committce returiied to De troii and repor.'ed. General infiirfnatfon of ihe case was circnlaied iinong our peöple. reconimendinn' to Verp a vk'ilant eyc upon the course puriiied by liritisli law, in ihe ca.-e pf a ülave claimed on British sj;i1, undir ïlie cliargo offolony. Nelyon Uackett rt'inain d in Sandwich jai! Por scvnil moinhs. Inqniry was mnde, time after lime, by the cnmrai'.UT, respect in ir Ne'son [lacketl'a ca?e, anJ all ilie infbrin.-i.ion we could receive ÍVoin our peopic in Sandwich was, t'icy had b'cn ii.forme.l thnt lie had bnn s;t at übery, 3'et no une had iecn Iiim. ThiH the cae tl.ed gradnally awav, and faded froni tlic inintis öf inany. - B'.it the inysieriousnese of the case excitoii the Mispiciii of our comrpiititp, nnd ciu.--ed them to keep out an eyi; of vigilance to ferret out the whoie procoe('Jnís. On tl e niglit nfthe öih of Ffbmary lü 42. at a dárk and late liour of nijrlif, Nel-on flariie'tt was taken out ofS .mdwicli ju!, convoyfd across the riverrnvl óigtíii in our ciy priíon, unkiiown to the inhnbitatUá if San;l wicli. ir ti:c aiod chizens of D tmit. B t n vioïtarit evo encompo'sífíá tlie 'vholo nffair. - Gpnerfil notice Ivas circulated nmbhg our eop!e, cnlm and cleüberntR rf-ason w;is récóhjmmled as thebasi. of r.ction; onr frifndy and ab'e cnn-el was cousul'ed. u-ho aOer ex'imining tlie pnpors gave it ns tlieir opinión ihat rliéy hadJjnrn rorrcclly made out, and a!l httd bfon IPLr:illy dnii", ns he was a felón, it was better to It hïm g back to the prNon lionèe rtf floviry, l! an to briiifr a r'-pioad npon the eatwe of ertianpjpntión by Instïlutins a snit in his hehiilf. Dut the cmm ttee fcplme tlirmfelvesduty bmm'l lo act m his behalf ralil o jrenorul meeting of our people an;! resolved to piibÜih the whole éffair to the wt.rld, and therebv fot a Iwll in ui'i'ion tliat wonld mli iiüo the Briii.-h Iioiiso of CofMiiiftffs; It imd its dosired efftict: feveral lottors Weredintel)' ro:eived from diáímo-m li el yersons m Carmín, calling on llie c'ó'mmittée tor morp infúrmátio'n upon tho stihjocf, nn-1 wére :ill unmpdiaiely nnswered. On iíip 2G h ol'July 1342, n letter vvns rece') ved f rom Eii_l.inl, calMii"- on tlie corr'miitee for the nimis of all thueé concerned in ilieatfiir, willi such oílier nfonmtioñ as tho committpe wosalile to colkct, siicli fiicrts astlio commiltee were in possession of Wirre immedinlely furwarfled. It isiruo tlmt Nelpon Hnckett was returned fo thc pnson house bondage, bul t lie mime uf "Nelsrn H c":c!t is imw éoUffdiog un iho li;r!i(st ñores in the B itish House of Lords' 'Pluis have the coinmittec loarned from experieiice, the pupprioniy ul'moial ftnd ntellocttial powêf, grnide.l by cahn, nnd dfüoerate reasoH, nver that of ipnranco and phyricsi] forco, iruiiied by hea'ed ai d infl 'ined pa.s?ion. Thé committee while emloavoring to sectir jnstice iir onr own people fiave also endeavored to inipress ttpcip tüeir miada íhfegreat necesíiiy of(.bst?rvmg t.'ie law r.n.l becotniag gböfl and pea'ceable citizen. 'J'lie co-nmi;tee was présent fheinselveí, boíore t!ie gr,o, inliabitnnts of thi-icomintinity, to l.iy o'ir p?op!es cJaims upon your nfiOpatify to act in our behalf. The mpeMiirr was then addrosed by Messrs. Win. C. Monroe, Rlei-t Binks, an.l Wm. Lambert. After which the house ndjoumed.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News