The weekly Louisianian. [volume], August 10, 1872, Image 1

About The weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1872-1882

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lite Louisianian.
| plDLIÖHKI) EVERY SATURDAY.
Office 114 Caroxdelet street,
" New Orleans Là.
JJm. (i. lïROWJV, —Editor.
fir I'kkms or Si iîs-. kiption:
Ove Yf.af.
su .Months
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t 30
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I jlwiiiMS Cards, Posters, etc., etc., guar
Wte 'l to sjive general satisfaction to all
m iv wish to secure our services.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS.
COLOliBD men's letter to
charles S umner.
SUMNER'S REPLY.
[ Iti ht Opposes General Grant and why
be Supports Horace Grrelry.
The followig correspondence lias
I bkeu place between Hon. Charles
I Sumner and the colored citizens of
he United States:'
' Washington , July 11,187*2..
Sir—Wc, the undersigned citi
I aus of color, regarding you arf the
I unrest and best friend of our race,
]•! admiring your consistent course
i the United States Senate and
Elsewhere as the speciul advocate of
I oar rights, and believing your
I course at this critical juncture in
Itbe period of our citizenship would
Ibe free from personal feeling or
■partisan preiudice, have ventured
I tu request your opinion as to what
■ action tbe colored voters of note
I should take in the Presidentini con
tost uow pending. The choice of
"Wfmple is now narrowed down
tu General Grant or Horace Greeley.
I Your long acquaintance with both
and your observation have enabled
1 yon to arrive at a correct couclu
j to as to which of the candidates,'
Ijtiilgiug from their antecedents as
I tell ;is their present position wili }
I :i elected, enforce tho requirements
the Constitution and Laws re
I specting our civil and political
rights with the most heartfelt sym
pathy and greatest vigor. We hope
I sud trust you will favor us with
»ach reply as will serve to enlighten
I uar liiiuds upon this subject and
impel our people to go forward in
'Jie right direction. Our confidence
a your judgment is so firm that, in
IT opinion, thousands of intelli
pnt colored voters of the country
N be guide« 1 , in their actio* by
I jour statement and advice. Hop
l®o to revive a reply soon, we have
^ ^nojr to be, with great respect,
• 'ßr obedient servants,
[it August,M. D„ JMSÜ»er,
(Sr., John H. Smith, Edward
Oruser, Win. A. Worraley,Wm.
Wilson, r. W. Tompkins, John
H. Brown, Henry Laoe^ W. H.
Bell, J. L. N. Bowen, M. D.,
Jacob Dewitter, Samuel Proc
tor, J. J. Ketchum, Charles N
Thomas, Wm. H. Shorter,
Henry H ill. Thurman J. Shadd,
George D. Johnson, Chris. A.
Fleetwood, Chas. F. Bruce,
Darid Fisher, Jr., David King,
Wm. Polkery. r ^
«Hon. Charles Ssïtifri _ V- *;. . j>
SENATOR SI'MNER'S LETTER.
Wa shi n g t on, êfxûé €9,1872.
en and Fdl<no-Vifäeti» —,
ave delayed answering your
ntnuiuiiication of July llfli, which
**» duly placed in wsj- hands by
committee, it is not because
^proper course for joapeemed
,4oubtfal, but because I.vnshedto
upon & and b.W ibte to
T_ b y information whkSk time
Binoe then I
^oniuch on bo& sides, but my
tho appeal you make. It if
T* ^ »friend of
* EM to be assunA in
your opinion I have hold a consist
tent course in the Senate and else
where, as tho special .advocate of
your rights. That course, by the
blessing of God, I ineon to hold. 1
know yonr infinite wrongs, and feel
for them as though they were mj'
own. You only do mo simple jus
tice when you add a belief that my
counsel, at this critical juncture of
your citizenship, would be free
from personal feeling and partisan
prejudice. In answering your in
quiries I can have no feeling ex
cept for your good, which I most
anxiously seek; nor can any preju
dice of any kind be allowed to in
terfere—the occasion is too solemn
—and especially is there no room
for personal feeling or for partisan
prejudice.
no max or pal'.ty
<!*n expect power except for general
welfare, therefore they must be
brought to the standard of truth,
that they may be seen in life and
act Von are right in saying that
the choice for the Presidency is now
narrowed down to President Grant
or Horace Greeley. One of these
is to be taken, and assaming my
acquaintance with both and my ob
servation of their livep, you invite
my judgment bStvrecn them, asking
me especially which of tin two,
judging from their antecedents, as
well as present position, would en
force the constitution and laws,
your civil and political rights, with
the most heartfelt .sympathy and
greatest vigor. Here I remark that
in this inquiry you naturally put
your rights in the foreground. So
do 1; believing most «sincerely that
the best interests of the whole coun
try are associated with the
completest recognition
of-your rights* so that the two race-s
shsll together in unbroken harmony.
I also remark that you call atten
tention to two things, the antece
dents of the two candidates* and
secondly, their present position.
You wish to know from these which
gives assurance of the most heart
felt sympathy and greatest vigor in
the maintainance of your rights; in
other words, which, judging from
the past, will be your truest friend?
Tke communication with which you
have honored me, is not alone.
Colored fellow-citizens in other parts
of the country, I may say in nearly
every State of the Union, have made
similar requests, and some complain
that I havo thus far kept silent. 1
am not insensible to this appeal;
but if my opinion is given, i* must
be candidly, according to my con
science. In this spirit I answer
your inquiries, beginning with
tbe antecedents OS WS two can
sdub.
Horace Greeley was born to pov
erty, and educated himself in a
printing office. President Grant,
fortunate in early patronage, became
a cadet at webt point, and w«w eduj
catedat the public expense. Otté
ntftrtftfl with nothing but industry
and a character; the other started
with a military commission. One was
tre«ed »as civilian; the other as a
soldier. Horace Greeley stood forth
as a reformer and abolitionist
President Grant enlisted as a pro
slavery Democrat, and at the dec*
tionof James Buchanan, fortified
by his vote all pretensions of fia«*
ry. i ncluding the Sn| fioott deci
sion. Horace Greeley, from -flwtfr
life, was eartHSt ^rf«^ opôÉtasit
against slavery, full ?
with the colored niéè, and
foremost in the great battle for öunr
his. President Gn^t, exéept as
war, never did an;
(iflfiiTft slavery, nor has he : at r anjr
tima showa any sympathy vrigyhb
Horace GmÛÔL
earttist^f danrti that our eohm
féRow -âtiaen* dxould vote, and ""
nààaA Graut «as
but Preeideßi
on
%
to
of human rights; always r»dy "for
— JLI 'l." .* * 1 - : f, » ■ ;,;v. -, ;
any good catwe, and never deterred
by opposition or reproach* #s when
for long years he |>efriouded your
people,,, AiU tH-il#§§i4l^ ? qpaiH^i
contiguous in hi» life, hi&
industry, whichleaye§ <§01
withoç*Mte
knowledge and açquai^tai^^ ^itb
history, the instinct and^grasp of
statesmanship, an au|iab]f natuie a
magnanimous sonl, And above all
an honesty which no suspicion has
touched, and you have a bri jf por
traiture. These are the
, antecedents of horace clleelkv.
Few of these things appear in, the
President. His great success in
war and the honor he has won can
not change the record of his conduct
toward your people, especially in
contrast with the life-time fidelity
of his competitor; while there are
unhappy antecedents showing^ that
in the prosecution of his plans he
cares nothing for the colored race.
The story is painful, but it must be
told. I refer to the outrage he
perpetrated upon Hayti, with its
eight hundred thousand blacks en
gaged in the great expriment of
self-government. Here is a most in
structive antecedent, revealing be
yond question his true nature, and
which is attested by documentary
evidence. Conceiving the idea of
ANNEXING DOMINICA,
which is the Spanish part of the
island, and shrinking at nothing, he
began by seizing the Government
war powers, in flagrant violation of
tke Constitution, and then, at a
great expenditure of money, sent
several armed 'ships of the navy. In*
eluding monitors, to maintain the
usurper Baez in power, that through
him he might obtain
^
4 -
the coveted prize.
Not content with this audacious
dictatorship, ho proceeded to strike
at the independence of the black re
public in au open menace of war,
and all without the sanction of Con
gress, to. which ia committed the
war-making power. Sailing into
the harbor of Port-au-Prince with
our most powerful monitor, the
Dictator—prttperly named for this
service—also the frigate Severn, as
consort, and other monitors in their
train, the Admiral, acting under in
structions from Washington, pro
ceeded to the executive mansion ac
companied by tho officers of his
squadron, and then pointing to the
great war ships in sight from the
windows* dealt his menance of war
threatening to pink or capture the
Haytien ships. The President was
black, not whiteu The Admiral
wonddi have done ao such thing to
any white ruler, nor would our
eosntry have tolerated such a men
ance from any government in the
world. Here was an indignity not
only to a black republic with its
population of eight hundred thous
and, but to the
aebican bace evebvwheee,
and especially in our own country.
Nor did it^end here. From this on
the navy of the United States was
hovering on the coast k eeping that
insulted people in constant anxiety,
while President Grant was to them
like a hawk sailing in the air, and
ready to swoop lipon üs prey. This
h^a$tlesa, cruel proceeding found a
rictim among oiu: white fellow-citi
Au excellent merchant of
Connecticut; praised by all who
knew him, was plunged into prison
by Baéz, where he was immured
it was feared he would
write against the treaty annexation,
aad Uw c.pti.itjr w« prolonged
with the contrivance of two agents
of the President—one of whmnis
toi id constantly with him, and is
part of the military ring immedi
ahonfc feinst That such an
shows
Mlneveruttànda
^«M^oppositionto
r «lÀwatiou vnui'tè
-rJtm
h
r some timo my
served,
in white
■Haglnthaaetbaigs,
•j.torf
opinions were Unknown, It was
only when I saw, the
hmuch gE all law, w
human and divine, that I was
aroused, and then began the anger
of the Preside^t^nd hi8 rings, mili
tary and Sexi^ria 1 . Devoted to
thes African, r-icc^ I felt for theui, be
side being iiuml^d» ^>is jgreat Re
public, acting thjroggh its President
could set suc|u.a% exai^plc^ where
the national -.constitution, .interna
tional law and humanity Were" all
sacrißced. Especially was. I moved
when I saw the indignity to the
colored race which was accomplished
by trampling upon the fundamental
principles of international law de
claring the e luality of the nations,
as our
DKCLABVriON OF INDEPENDENCE .
déclarés the equality of men. This
terrible transaction, . which nobody
can defend, is among the anteced
ents of President Grant, by which
you can judge how much the col
ored race can rely upon his heart
felt sympathies. Nor can it be for
gotten that shortly after tbe return
of the commission from this island
Hon. Fred. Douglass, colored ora
tor, accomplished in manners as in
eloquence, was thrust awny from
the company of the commissioners
at a common table of the mail pack
et on the Potomac, almost within
sight of the Executive mansion, sim
ply on account of his color. But
the President, at whose invitation
he joined the Commission,
NEVER UTTERED A WORD
in condemnation of, this exclusion;
and when entertaining the returned
commissioners at dinner, carefully
omitted Douglass, who was in Wash
inntom at the time, and thus repeat
the indignity. s Other things might
& mentioned, as showing the sym
pathy of t|iePresident, but I cannot
forgot the Civil Rights bill, which is
the cap-stone of that equality beforr
the law to which all are entitled,
without distinction of color. Pres
ident Grant, who could lobby so
assiduously for his
S Aii" DOMINGO SCHEME,
fell wrong to the colored race, could
do nothing for this beneficient mea
sure. During the long session of
Congress it was constantly discussed
and the colored people everywhere
hung upon the debate; but therj
was no heartfelt sympathy from the
President At last, just before the
nominating convention, he address
ed a letter to a meeting of colored
fellow-ciizens in Washington, called
to advance this cause, where he
avoided the question by declaring
himself- m favor of the exercise of
those rights to which every citizen
ia entitled, leaving it uncertain
whether the colored people are just
ly entitled to the rights secured by
the pending bill. I understand that
Mr. Greeley has been already assail
ed by an impracticable Democrat
as being friendlyto this bill, but no
body lisped against President
Grant on this aocount
Among tbe antecedent I deem it
my duty to menjtion, is the capacity
of industry of thç, President in pro
tecting the colored people and as
suring
peace àî the south.
Nobody can doubt that a small
portion of the eftort and earnest
will, even without the lobbying so
freely given to the Sou Domingo
scheme, would have averted those
ku-klux outrages which we deplore;
so that thcte wotdd hove been no
pretense for farther legislation by
But ha was disabled,
both by the eharcter and the draw
back of his own conduct efter viola
ting the constitution and intexnar
tional teWj, te insult the black re
public; and setting an example of
mrabordhuHSon he m» not in a
condition to rebuke the law-break
ers. -
Second—Passtog trwn -antece
dents, I aime up w- 'to the present
fositiaiioi^b' JssM ? f «IM
'* r; - TΠTWO CSUtMl>A*S8,
Whieh is the subject of your next
giqmry. If in any fc tfiftm p e a r tieul aro
.-J*»."
iç wift'
was
nominated by Itépublican Conven
tions, one at Cincinnati and the oth
at Philadelphia. In this respect
they may seem to be on an equality,
but iE will not fini to be observed
that the contention at Cincinnati
was composed of able and acknow
ledged Republicans, inany of whom
bavé acted with the party from its
first formation, and who, without
previous organization, came together
voluntarily for the sake of reform
and "purity in the government, whi|g.
on tbe other hand the convention
at Philadelphia was composed of
delegates chosen largely under the
influence of office-holders
who assembled to sustain what is
known as Grantism, being the per
sonal government and pretensions
of President Grant, involving ne
potism, repayment of gifts by offi
cial patronage, neglect of public
duty, absenteeism, military rule,
disregard of the constitution a? A
laws, with general unfitness, and
dignity to the colored race, all of
which is so unrepublicnn as to
make his support impossible by true
Republicans; therefore the Conven
tion held at Cincinnati. The two
platforms, so far as concerns espe
cially the colored race, all alike in
substance, but that of Cincinnati is
expressed in terms of the most
worth of
equal right?.
It states and claims that we recog
nize the equality of all men before
the law, and holds that it is the duty
of the Government in its dealings
with the people to mete out equal
and exact justice to all, of whatever
nativity, race, color or persuasion,
religious or political. In other re
spects the Cincinnati platform is
the most Republican, inasmuch as
it sots itself against those unrepub
lican abuses which have been nursed
by the President into pernicious ac
tivity.
From the two nominations and
the two platforms, I come to the
supporters of the candidates. And
here I look first at those immedi
ately about them, and secondly at
the popular support behind. Hor
ace Greeley has among his imme
diate supporters, in all parts of tho
country,
devoted and consistent republicans,
always earnest for reform and pu
rity in the governn^ent, and upon
whose lives there is no shadow of
suspicion, being a contrast in the
character of those rings which play
such a part in the present adminis
tration. The country know» -too
well of the military ring, through
which the President acts. Such
supporters are a very poor recom
mendation. Looking at tbe popu
lar support, the advantage is still
with Horace Greeley. President
Grant has at his bank a diversified
army of office-holders, drilled to
obey the word of command. All
speeches praising him are by office
holders and
members of tbe rings.
Horace Greeley finds Hocking to
his support large numbers of Re
publicans unwilling to continue the
existing misrule and as «lies with
them; a regenerated party, which
comes forward to unite in the -lab?
era! movement The Democrats in
joining Horace Greeley havecbangéd
simply as President Grant changed
when ho joined the Republicans,
except that he was rewarded at
onoe with high office. The change
is open, adopting the Republican
•platform, which places equal rights
of all under a safeguard of irréver
sible guarantees, and at the same
time accepting the nomination of a
lifelong Abolitionist who represents
pre-eminently the sentiment of duty
to thecoloéed race. They have set
tiiéir corporate seal to the sacred
covenant They may continue De
mocrats in name , but t hey are in
reality B^ubHcwasCT^ ^the same'
title th&fnbse
blica»s|or
ing jfcothe original rignificatiaa of
wo rd d e dic ate d fc*toe -
- BSMRti or «te üoftaüMM
Hic «Bato aij üt lowwflwfr
tiüt
nated. him are less Republicans bè
""""" the Democrats tmito #ith
cause
theni in support of cherished prin
ciples and the candidate who repré
sentethem. Conversions at-e always
welcome, and not less so because
the change is iti the multitude* other
than an individual. A political par
ty cannot if it would, and should
not if it could, shut thé door against
converts, whether converted by the
score, hundreds or thousands. So
we find that the supporter's of Pre
stSèk Grant adSmt^
sail triumph the adhesion of a single
Democratic politician, or a singh
Democratic newspaper; with equa]
reason and with higher pride may
supporters of Horace Greeley an
nounce the adhesion of one who,
turning from things that arc behind
the presses on to those that are be
fore. It is also idle to say that the
election of Horacc Greeley as Presi
dent with Gratz Brown as Vice
President, will be the return of the
Democratic party to power. On
the contrary, it will be an'iUaugura
tion of
REPUBLICAN PRINCIPLED,
under the safeguard of a Republican
President and Republican Vice
President, with Democïîts as
avowed supporters. In the organ
ization of his administration and in
the conduct of affairs, Horace Gree
ley will naturally lean upon those
who represent best the great pro
mises made of equal rights and re
conciliation at Cincinnati. If Dem
ocrats are taken, it will be as Re
publicans in heart, recognizing the
associate terms of settlement as an
irreversible finality. The hardi
hood of political falsehood reaches
its extreme point when it is asserted
that under Horace Greeley the
freedmen will be enslaved, or that
the colored people will in any way
suffer in their equal rights. -On the
contrary, they will have in his elec
tion not only the promises made in
the Cincinnati platform, but nlso a
splendid example for a full genera
tion during which tie has never
wavered in his assertion of his
rights. To suppose that Horace
Greeley, when placed where he can
do them most good, will depart
from the rule of his honest life is
insult to reason.
It is none the less idle to suppose
that Democrats supporting Horace
Greeley expect or desire that he
should depart from those principles
which are the gloiy of his character.
They have accepted the Cincinnati
platform, with its two-fold promises,
and intend in good faith to maintain
it Democrats cannçt turn back
who at 'the Convention, adopting
this platform, sang Greeley songs to
the tune of "Old John Brown, his
soul is marching on." Seeking es
pecially an establishment of charac
ter in the national government, they
will expect their President to be al
ways ..bue to himself, therefore I
put aside partisan allegations that
Greeley has gone to the Democrats,
or that he will be controlled by
Democrats. Each is without found
ation or reason. According to my
judgment they are attempts to avoid
what you recognizo as the .true
issue, being a question between the
two candidates, or perhaps they may
be regarded as scare-crows, to deter
the timid. Nobody who votes for
Horace Greeley will go to the Dem
ocrats; nor do I believe that when
elected Horace Greeley Will be un
der any influance except that of
m .. .,*ür ;TA- :
enlightened conscience,
which will keep him ever true to the
in thus
bim^H bea«»oökte$ àtffîi
Gentlemen, in thus answering
your two inquiries, ! have shown
why you, as colored fellow-citizens,
and also all who would uphold your
rights and save tlte cölofod tiftcio
from indignity; skoiuld ttefnse to
sanction theTO^ectionéfPreeident
Griät and^yoifr fnwt m %
Öreefey: x I ouglit to idS that mk
have known fcryeart * #!
AboMôittt' - HKo
r. • • -i.e. .*.■>•5" : «
goveynmentan unswerving devotion
to (»VfsteWl
by dictation jo % sdettofial préjudice.
Bésiâës* hll tiiisj which may fitly
guide you in determining between
tne two candidates, Tt ifly «tïiy to
United SUites^jw^a part of tho
country; fdûr welfare is indissoltcbly
associated witfi that of the whole
country, whew ali= »re prosperous
and free, will Be*pitiers. Therefore,
while justly carefuf of your own
rights, yöu eannotV I» inherent to'
the blessing
OF GOVERNMENT.
It is for you to consider whether
the time has not cojneior something
better than Sewafd, and whethcr
characters like Horace Greeley do
not give stronger assurance of good
government than can be found in
the insulter of tho colored race, al
ready famous from the rings about
about him, and his plain inaptitude
for civil life.
The supporters of President
Grant compel us to observe his of
fences and shortcomings. Their
challenge to comparison cannot bo
declined. It will be for others in
the present canvass to hold itbeforo
tiio American people. Speaking now
for myself, I have to say that ■ my
vote will be given for Horace Gree
ley; but in giving it I do not go to
the Democratic party,' nor am I any
less a Republican. On the contra
ry, I am so much a Republican that
I cannot support a candidate whoso
conduct in civil life has shown inca
pacity to appreciate Republican
principles,-and whose âdininjstiation
has been marked by acts of delin
quincy, especially toward the bolor
od rac^ by the side of which the alle
DESEBVE3 IMPEACHMENT
for higher crime and misdemeanors,
rather than a reno min ation ; and on
trial it would have been enough to
exhibit his seizure of the war pow
er and his indignity to a, black Re
public, with its population of eight
hundred thousand, in violation of
National Constitution and of inter
national law. And here a contrast
arises between him and Abraham
Lincoln. The latter, in his first an
nual message^ recommended a rec
ognition of what he called the inde
but it is at these that President
Grant has struck. One of Abraha m
Lincoln's first ac|s was to put tho
black republic ob equality tritt» oth
er powers; one of President Grant'»
acts
to degrade it.
I am such a Republican tha t I
wish to see in the Presidential chair
a lifetime Abolitionist I wish tho
President sincerely devoted to civil
service reform, bigining with tho
one-term principle, which General
Grant once accepted but now din
owns, I also wish a President who
sets an example of industry and
unselfish dedication to tho public
good; and I wish to see a President
through Whorii wo may expect'
peace and harmony, instead of dis
cord. ' President Grfcntfsafetas to.
delight in strife.
If ho finds hp enemy be fallu
Upon his friend^ as when ho struck
at tho Black Republic, insulted
Russia in hi$ annual message, of
fended both France and Germany,
and then in personal relations quar
reled generally. My own personal
experience teaches how futile is tho
chaige that whek Horace Geeéley
receives Democratic votes therefore
ho becomes a Deniitxärät Or lapses
into Democratic control I wish
the first choice to the Senate by tiio
coalition of > - af»
FKEE-SOLWKKS AND DiXOOftkXS.
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VOLUME 2.
"KEPUBLICA N-VA<!T V> ALL TIMES, AND üXDKIt ALL CI HC IT M STAN" CES."
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NUMBERS*,
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