The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-03
LIE tier from Hon Horace Greeley to
Hon. IL. r. Perry.


Letter from Hon Horace Greeley tO
Hon. IL. r. Perry.
Sir:-Your letter OF the 18th ult is herewith pub
lished as requested. Hoping tO promote your object
in Writing It, assure the readers Of the Tribune that
1t expresses quite accurately the views and senti.
ments oil the more int Igent and consdefate class
of those who were engaged in the late Rebellion
do not think those readers SO Ignorant or mtsin.
formed as you presume them; but when Won and (
agree that your letter is TAR expression of the
views of the better class of recent SscSsSonIas II
seems that there should be for further dis
cusslon on the score of misrepresentation.
The journals that symDathIze with you will PRINT
your leter ana suppress my repy No tier: SINCE
further appeals TO lorce are repudIated, the truth
can afford that advantage to error.
You assure me that "there is no feeling of un-
Kindness ON the part of the former slave-oWners
towards their freedmen" l believe this IS true OF
the better class Of eXmssers, and that this is yery
large one. at the same time 1 kuOw-for the eyi.
dence is oVerwbeming-that most ex-slaveholders
hold that they have been wrongiuIly dvesed of The
services OF their freedmen-that emancipation was
and is robbery, whereby they deprived of what
isrPnt1ully thels. Can you wonder, then, that We
who have achieved that emancipation, IN spite OF
your weapons and your Northern allies denuncia-
tons and votes should hes tate to mtrust the right,
and privileges OF The freedmen to your uncontrolled
discretion, your unrestricted powerS Can you won
der that the blacks thus reed should object 20 beng
III, believe all ou say of abuses and wrongs in
hlctt on the blacks by Federal soldiers. Many of
these are low bred men and every W lite rufia1 or
Iowdy, drunkard reprobate, whether at the North
or at the SOUTH s natural, instructive hater and
persecutor OF the blacks The he's same gangs OF Rebel
the Tribune office, burned the co ored Orphan Asv.
lum, and hunted unofending fleeing olacks through
simply because OF their color. We who have long
hoped and struggled for emancipation, do not choose
to leave the freedmen at the mercy of these wi ans
no matter whether they be No tnern or Southern
Union or Rebel Can you biame us!
III. You say that your state has done for the
blacks pretty much all that the Iivll Rights biI
proposes to do except making thea citizens Of the
Staej and that 'there are Very few offonses [pen.
aluesY III our criminal code hIch do not apply to
the white men as " ell as the negro" thank You
heartily tor every step you have ,ak in this dree-
ton. thank President Johnson for every hint he
has given you that you must take them If you have
gone part way towards equal rights and equal laws
the q mcultY OF gong all the way has been nearly
~. As to the negIo's desire TO be fully enfran-
chsed, hold his own testimony as necessarily bet
ter than yours. know personally a great many
blacks, and hear from very many more, VINO were
res dents 'f various parts OF our Union. know
hui dreds who do desire the right Of suffrage; can
you find dozen who do notH The blacks OF most
states have ORGANIZATIONS, and nave held large con.
equal rights secured by equal laws unanimous and
hearty. Ii you OF the SOu'h wi submit the ques-
tion to an uncoIst aned unawed vote of the blacks
agree to abandon he demand for the light of sui.
rage II seveneighths of all who vote do vote to
claim ii.
". You say that the peero. if enfranchised,
ulc slNays vote a. directed by his employer"
Yet; in arother pace you talk of the "damning
punishment TO be inflicted Oh the "Southern
people" by "the leaders of the radIcal party in Con-
ercs3''-of their "fendIoh purpose" VIZ 8 FIRST,
the negro is to be invested with all political power
and en- the antagonism of in est between capital
and labor is to work out the resut-whioh is 10 be
q horrible tate" for your people!
Governor Perry, such fagranr, suicidal contraaic.
tions warrant me IN tel ng you that talk at ram
dom-tbat you are equally wrong IN asserting that
the negro "Would dtCdys vote as directed by his |
employer" ana that he would necessarily vote |
against mat employer, under the wild halucInaton
OF "a natural antagonism between capital and |
labor" trust you have too much sense to believe
In any such antasonsmi at all events, am sure
naturely, though not uniformly, incline to vote |
with employers who treat them kindly and respect |
their manhood when they do so without hazard.
ing the loss of their own rights have no doubt |
that those planters OF your State who treat the |
freedmen we'll and maintan their right to be treated
by all as men, could quite generally influence
votes. But while you stubDorny resist enfran- |
chisement and make no concessions of rights to the
blacks but such as are forced from You you seem TO
me 10 be squandenng precious opportunities and |
arousng fee ngs of dlstrUst and dislike that it were
better 10 preclude
VI. Let me say, once for al, that 1 make no pro. |
fesslOn OF love for the negro race aud that your
claim to superior regard" '1nteresl" IN the
bacB race Is wholly unriValed | do not love ne. |
RrOes as negroes; like whites better but compre.
bend that Justice rs al mems true interest, that
a wrong done TO the humbest, the most despsed rs |
an injury and peril TO all by superior regard for
the white race leads me TO protest against and seek
II to any C whatever. Are not you Chris
tan enough to realize tnat it is more amenable to
constantly Tepel this assumDtion that am impelled
by speca affection for b scksY
VII You tell me that the negro is inferior to the
white man (whch have never dIsputedl-and you
prove by citing the that the blacks OF Hayt
do not allow whites TO vote Ii thought the whites
of this country inferior to the blacks might seek
la ter from political rights. can quite understand
why the negroes OF this country If they possessed
monopoly OF political power, might seek to guard
and peTpetuate it from jealousy OF the superior men.
tai capacity OF the hies bat tor the whites to act
In that panlcky is an impeachment their own
relative abilities AGAINST which Indignantly protest
VIII, quite agree with you that population al
fords equitable basis of potcal power, provided
it is human population. 1t horses, mu es and oxen
are reeko1ed DO not agree to it. II any class is 6
TO be an element or su0stfRtUm of political power
then 1t Is fit to vote. And, all events, cannot
consent that hall the people OF your State shall be
good enough to balance an equal number OF white
tIeemen in New York, bur not good enough to vote
IL will not do, Governor be OF it'll There is
no analogy in the case of women and children. rhe
husband and father votes Ter his wife and children
he considers their interests the as his Own-hs
vote is representative, pat0rnal cOmpre henslVe-but
you whites OF South Carolina do not vote for the
blacks OF your State-yOu are in no sense their re-
presentatVe-your relation TO them Ia radically diff
fsrent from that which bn1s you to your wives and