Meeting of colored citizens in Boston held at
the infant school on Thurs. Eve Oct. 7.
To consider the imprisonment of colored seamen in foreign ports,
and to take measures for petitioning Congress and the state legislature
in their behalf Benjamin Weeden was called to the chair and Charles
A. Battiste, appointed secretary.
The following resolutions were presented by Victor
A Barker and after being ably discussed, were unanimously adopted:
Resolved, that the legislative enactment of South
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, prohibiting
all free colored citizens of the United States entering those
several states under penalty of imprisonment, are manifestly unconstitutional;
insomuch as the constitution declares that the citizens of each
state shall be entitled to all the rights and immunities of citizens
of the several states.
Resolved, that Congress possesses the power to
invalidate any state legislative enactment which tend to restrain
the liberties of any portion of the citizens of the United States.
Resolved, that the voice of the Massachusetts legislature should
be heard in the Congress of our nation. Demonstrating against
the unjust and unconstitutional deprivation of her citizens, by
Louisiana.
Resolved, therefore, that we, the colored citizens
of Boston, memorialize congress, and our legislature, at their
next sessions, for the action in this case; especially that on
some fitting occasion the point may be carried by this state before
the supreme court of the United States, in order that such laws
may be pronounced unconstitutional before that tribunal.
A committee was appointed to prepare and circulate
petitions and also to correspond with our friends in several states
to awaken an interest in behalf of their own seaman.
Committee as follows, V12., William C. Nell,
Victor W. Barker, Robert Wood, Benjamin Weeden, John Thompson,
Charles A. Battiste, Eli Cesar.
Benjamin Weeden, chairman
Charles A. Battiste, secretary