The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-25
GENERAL GRANT ON THE PREJUDICE
OF COLOR
From the ". Y. Herald.


From the " Y. Herald.
General Tate, the new Minister from Hayt,
who is reported as a handsome, intelligent,
and highly-accomplished mulatto, on present
ing his credentials to the President the other
day made very neat little speech. In the
course of it he said ''the exalted philanthropy
and the readiness to make amends to race
formerly oppressed in this country-those
noble principles which have led your admin
istration, Mr.. President, to select a man of
that race to represent the great and power
full republic of the United States in the re-
public of Hayti, have awakened in the hearts
of all Haytiens who eagerly desire the ad-
vancement and elevation of their race Just
sentiment of admiration and gratitude;" and
so on to the close.
General Grant, however, thus challenged
by the eloquent Haytien of African descent,
was equal to the demands of the occasion.
Striking at once into the main question he
said:-''H any proof were wanting of the un-
founded character of the prejudice which
until recently prevailed, at least in different
parts of this country, against the race from
which you are sprung, it might be found in
the high tone aid polished style of the re-
marks you have just uttered" A very neat
compliment indeed; but the General did not
stop here. In regard to this American pre-
iudice of color he went on to say, that, like
implanted, it must sooner or later yield to the
force of truth What truth is here referred
to? The truth of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence thai ''all men are created equal
a truth heretofore widely considered as only
"a glittering generality Next, speaking of
| the inevitable and natural results Of our great
! civic convulsion in reference to the African
race, the President said that among the con-
| cessions in their behalf lis their right to en-
ployment abroad as well as ht home, in the
! public service-a right which, as you say, has
been acknowledged in the appointment of
one of the formerly prescribed race to repre-
sent the United States in Hayti."
Here. then, we have the reason from Gene
raj Grant for his appointment of black men
! to Office, and for his advocacy of the fifteenth
amendment, providing for universal negro
| suffrage. He believes that all these preiu-
dices of race and color should be and will be
| swept away. He is far ahead of Lincoln in
this respect: for Lincoln inherited from Ken
tucky a strong prejudice against negro
equality, which, as developed in Lincoln's
| policy, was subsequently used as the founda-
| ton of the reconstruction policy of Andy
Johnson Secondly, from the ''happy accord
established between the United States and the
African republic of Hayti under General
Grant, we look for the early annexation of
| the Haytiens, with the Dominicans of the
other end of the island.
Meantime, let it suffice for cur doubling
politicians that General Grant is fixed in his
policy of equal civil and political rights,
| without distinction of race or color. Fixed is
the word The mind and the policy of
General Grant are fixed upon this subject,
and such being the case, we may regard his
ideas as fixed in the Government of the
United States. Looking at this fixed fact and
at the consummation of Southern reconstruc.
tion our leading Democratic politicians are
called upon to face the music. They cannot
go back now, they cannot stand still. They
must fall in line with the new forward move
ment of the Southern Democracy, or go to
| pieces.