OPEN LETTER

TO

PRESIDENT McKINLEY

BY

Colored People of Massachusetts.

“Not as Suppliants do we Present Our Claims,

but as American Citizens.”

OPEN LETTER

TO

PRESIDENT McKINLEY

BY

Colored People of Massachusetts.

“Not as Suppliants do we Present Our Claims,

but as American Citizens.”

The Colored People of Boston and vicinity,through the Colored National League, at a massmeeting held in the Charles Street Church, Tuesdayevening, October 3d, 1899, addressed an Open Letterto President McKinley.

The reading of the letter by Mr. Archibald H.Grimké, Chairman of the Committee, was listened towith marked attention and interest, and at the conclusionof its reading the letter was adopted by themeeting with significant unanimity.

The letter was forwarded to President McKinley,signed by the officers of the meeting and others.

Boston, Mass., October 3, 1899.

Hon. William McKinley,

President of the United States,

Sir:—

We, colored people of Massachusetts in mass meetingassembled to consider our oppressions and the state of thecountry relative to the same, have resolved to addressourselves to you in an open letter, notwithstandingyour extraordinary, your incomprehensible silence on the2subject of our wrongs in your annual and other messagesto Congress, as in your public utterances to the countryat large. We address ourselves to you, sir, not assuppliants, but as of right, as American citizens, whoseservant you are, and to whom you are bound to listen, andfor whom you are equally bound to speak, and uponoccasion to act, as for any other body of your fellow-countrymenin like circumstances. We ask nothing forourselves at your hands, as chief magistrate of therepublic, to which all American citizens are not entitled.We ask for the enjoyment of life, liberty, and the pursuitof happiness equally with other men. We ask for thefree and full exercise of all the rights of Americanfreemen, guaranteed to us by the Constitution and laws ofthe Union, which you were solemnly sworn to obey andexecute. We ask you for what belongs to us by the highsanction of Constitution and law, and the Democraticgenius of our institutions and civilization. These rightsare everywhere throughout the South denied to us,violently wrested from us by mobs, by lawless legislatures,and nullifying conventions, combinations, and conspiracies,openly, defiantly, under your eyes, in yourconstructive and actual presence. And we demand,which is a part of our rights, protection, security in ourlife

...

OPEN LETTER

TO

PRESIDENT McKINLEY

BY

Colored People of Massachusetts.