The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1868-11-13
Wendell Phillips to Gen. Grant.

Wendell Phillips to Gen. Grant.
Wendell Phillips, the man that sup
plies the Republican party with brains,
in his Inti- Slarery STANDARD of last
week, thus notifies Gen. Grant what he
must and must not do in order to carry
on the government: "n
Abolitionists and all earnest Radi-
calls arc now summoned to address
themselves to the work which Is vet to
be accomplished. The negroes and loyal
whites of the South greatly need the
means of solf-dcfcnce. The question of
.coniiscatioii, especially with reference
to the large amount of land fraudulent
" conveyed from the possession of the
United states government, in the inter-
est OF the landlcss blacks, to whom, by
virtue of their past unrequitted toll, the
soil rightfully belongs. The measure of
primary importance now to he properly
initiated and adopted on the re-asscm-
bling of Congress. is an additional
amendment to the Constitution forbid
ding acknowledgements, or prescription
from official trust, on account of race or
color. in any State or Territory of the
Union. 1t is urgently demanded to
guarantee the ballot to Southern color
ed men. and to enfranchise many thou
sands [negroes in the Border and
Northern States. This measure should
not be postponed for the consideration
of the Forty-F'irst Congress, but should
be promptly acted upon and adopted by
the Fortieth. Let us have peace" has
been many times reiterated during the
campaign just closed. One danger be-
fore us is the assumption that the Act
of Grants election in itself will insure
"peacc,' at the South. With the trium-
plant reelection of Gen. Butler. and
the well-known desire of most of the
new Southern members for the revival
of impeachment, we have strong hopes
of the successful consummation of the
impeachment and deposition of John
son by the beginning of the new year.
With Wade even two months i'm the
White House, and such tools of treason
as Rousseau, Steedman and COMPANY.
OF New Orleans, replaced by Sheridan
and other trustworthy, loyal men
with the reconstruction laws properly
revised and amended with suffrage and
right to hold office vouchsatcd to the
negro everywhere. the nation may be
well OH the way towards peace" hay
ing secured its essential conditions, be-
fore Grant is inaugurated. While de-
libcrate and organized injustice to the
negro is perpetuated, the irrepressible
conflict" will continue, no matter who
may be President.
Our many triumphs in the past have
been won under circumstances of adj.
verse opposition much more formida-
BILE than anything we are likely to have
TO encounter in the near future. Oppo-
sition we are undoubtedly to have, but
now, as hitherto, logic and right are on
our side. We have but to press urgent.
ly and perseveringly our demand and
our past successes are q guarantee of
ultimate complete triumph. The Times,
the Post, the Herald, and the "conser-
vatives" for whom they speak, already
eXultant at what they deem the eclipse
of Radicalism, reckon without their
host in suppOsing it to be with the pow
er of General Grant, if, as they allege,
it is his disposition, to materially OBJ
struct the progress of Radical reforma-
ton in national politics. If the Repub-
lican party consents to be the instru-
ment of that beneticent reformation all
will be well with the party and the
country. If it refuses, it will only be
the worse for the party"
Gen. Grant, therefore, will please take
notice. He is warned in time.