Our Brethren in Mississippi All Alive

Our Brethren in Mississippi All Alive

Report on the 1865 Mississippi State Colored Convention held in Vicksburg, MS published in The Anglo-African

Article

1865.MS-09.18.VICK.ART.02

Our Brethren in Mississippi All Alive.

At a mass meeting of the colored citizens of Vicksburg, held at the United Brethren’s (?), on Monday evening, September 18t, 1865. Sterling Stiles was called to the Chair, and Henry Mayson was appointed Secretary. The Chairman explained the object of the meeting and was followed by Mr. Head, who delivered a lecture upon the “Duties of the Hour.”

On motion of A.M. Ross, the Chairman appointed a committee of five to report resolutions for the consideration of the meeting, which was adopted, and the Chairman appointed as said committee Messrs. A.M. Ross, P. Keltoe, R.D. Jones, C.P. Head, and F. Rowan. During the absence of the committee the meeting was addressed by Mr. Thomas Jefferson, of Missouri. The committee, through its chairman, Mr. Ross, reported the following resolutions, which were supported in a few brief remarks by Messrs. Rowan, King, and Jefferson, and were unanimously adopted by the meeting:

Whereas, the Convention called by his Excellency W.L. Sharkey, Provisional Governor of Mississippi, to amend and alter the constitution of Mississippi, has met and passed an amendment forever prohibiting Slavery in the State, save for the punishment of crime whereof the party shall have been convicted; and whereas in said section of said amended constitution occurs the following words: “And the Legislature, at its next session and thereafter, as the public welfare may require, shall provide by law for the protection and security of the persons and property of the Freedmen of the State, and “guard” them and the State against any evils that many arise from their sudden emancipation.”

And whereas “a system of warrantees” for the Freedmen of the State, (which it is but another name for Slavery,) has been urged in editorials by the editor of a newspaper published at the State capital, and said newspaper received the endorsement of the convention by the convention electing its editor official printer;

And whereas, from calls made through the press of this city upon certain persons to become candidates for members of the Board of County Police, to be voted for the first Monday in October next, we are told in said call that the next Legislature will commit the Freedmen to the charge and control of the Board of County Police;

Therefore, be it resolved by the colored citizens of Vicksburg in mass meeting assembled, that we now view with alarm the efforts now being made by men in power in Mississippi to nullify the “Proclamation of Emancipation:”

And resolved, that it is our firm conviction, and we hereby put on record, that should Mississippi be restored to her status in the Union under the amended constitution as it now stands, that her Legislature, under pretext of guarding the interests of the State from the evils of sudden emancipation, will pass such proscriptive class laws against the Freedmen as will result in their self-expatriation from the State, or their practical re-enslavement.

On motion of Mr. Jones, the Secretary was requested to furnish copies of the proceedings of this meeting to the Anglo-African, the N.Y. Tribune, The Christian Recorder, and the city papers for publication, after which the meeting adjourned. Sterling Stiles, Chairman.

Henry Mayson, Secretary.