The Brotherly Association of Charleston petitions to replace its white trustees with people of color. The Association "is composed of colored persons who at the time of it's organization were incapacitated by the laws of the State of South Carolina from exercising the rights and privileges of Citizenship. To obviate this objection and to enable them to carry out the charitable purposes aimed at by the organization ... they petitioned the Legislature for an act of Incorporation and prayed the appointment of certain white citizens as Trustees." In 1857 the legislature granted their request. The petitioners point out that the Civil Rights Bill passed by the United States Congress and "the subsequent repeal by the Legislature of South Carolina of all disabling Statutes touching the exercise of the rights of Citizenship by the Colored Inhabitants of this State" remove the necessity for white trustees. They further assert that "while your petitioners entertain a profound sense of gratitude for the manner in which these Trustees have discharged the duties of the Trust they cannot but feel that in the changed condition of affairs it would be more agreeable to all parties, That the Trusteeship of their Association should vest in persons of their own Color."
Result: Granted.
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Repository: South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina
