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Show HAVE DONE WITH ' THE REPUDS. I Colored Citizens of Virginia Declaring De-claring They Will Act, Vote and .'Speak'for 'Themselves. ; . . .. , " 1 Lynchburg, Va.,' September 30.U-The State Convention of colored, men assembled assem-bled here to-day;'. J. BtSpyhr, of. Alex; . andria, was "elected temporary" chairman. I M. V. Beckley, of Richmond, addressed the Convention, saying; the Convention had not assembled as Republicans or Democrats, but as citizens , of .-Virginia, claiming the right of freehieii3He hoped their , deliberations would demonstrate they were worthy of the citiaenship. ;lle was elected permanent chairman and W: V. Backus secretary. The followihg"address was presented amid grout cheering: . . .': . r-; r ; . , .. To the Colored . People, . of Virginia : Whereas, we,: as : colored, people of Virginia, Vir-ginia, bfjjevuig vaswc, do ther time, has come for us to call, a halt In the unqualified unquali-fied Bupporu we tove'enThlTRelpuTin-" can party ,dohere in convention assembled solemnly declare ourselves . ; ; ; POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT IN ALL MATTERS Which pertain to, us as citizens and voters of this commonwealth.' We have for twenty-five years adhered to our former political associates with unparalleled fidelity, because in those dark days of reconstruction the Republican party proved that it was the only party to which the colored man of the South could consistently con-sistently ally himself. To that end the colored voters nobly responded and raised to place and power men who grew wealthy while administering the laws of the United States . Government ifi the Southern States. We feel ever grateful for what has been done, but now the time" has come for us to think, act, vote and speak for ourselves, and especially so since THE REPUBLICANS HAVE PRACTICALLY ABAN-' ABAN-' " . - DONED US In the former campaigns, and in all matters mat-ters where the negro ought to have had recognition in proportion to - voting strength and intelligence. We know too that many of our race have been murdered mur-dered in the Southern States, but : the causes which led to these sad occurrences which have spilled our blood and created the bitter race antagonism which now retards re-tards our progress, and makes it difficult for us to live in the land of our birth, is largely traceable to mismanagement by the Federal office-holders in our section. These reasons lead us to adopt such methods and so to demean ourselves, as to make friends with those whose interests in-terests are identical in every way with our own. We therefore appeal to the colored people of our native State to look to the well altered condition of affairs, and in future make such political alliances as will most advance our interests educationally, educa-tionally, financially and politically. We feel sure that there is throughout the broad limits of the Commonwealth a general disposition on the part of the white people to accord us all onr rights before the law, and to meet us heartily in I every advance we make for the upholding uphold-ing of our. people.. It behooves us, then, to-eo nse-our ballots that we may DRIVE OUT ALL DISCORDANT ELEMENTS IN VIRGINIA, Whether they be headed by natives or aliens of the State. We also condemn the raising of the race issue by any class of men who essay to lead the masses, because be-cause it can do nothing but prove detrimental to our cause and our interests. We, therefore, ask the hearty co-operation of our people in Virginia to the success suc-cess of our movement. We have cause to be thankful for the liberality of the present administration to our people in the South. We also believe our relations to the State debt are such as justify us in hoping that Virginia will be relieved from her present financial embarrassment by aid from the Federal Government, which will enable her better to provide for all the material interests of her citizens and bring about that universal good feeling which ought to exist between the two races. The address was adopted aud the convention con-vention adjourned sine die. |