The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-24

ucnerui Grunt ON the freJudice oil Color.
General Tate, the new Minister from Hayti,
who Is reported as q 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 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:-'If any proof were wanting of the I'M
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 and 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-
judice of color, he went on to say, ''that, like
all similar prejudces, no matter how deeply
implanted, it must sooner or later yield to the
force Of truth" What truth is here referred to?
The truth of the Declaration of Independence,
that call men are created equal'-a truth
heretofore widely considered as only "a gilt
tering generality" Next, speaking of the in
evitable and natural results of our great civic
convulsion in reference to the African race, the
President said that among the concessions in
their behalf sis their right to employment
abroad as well as at home, in the public SER
vice-a right which, as you say, has been &C.
knowedged in the appointment Of one Of the
formerly prescribed race to represent 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
plOFluiub III uuiNcis1l HcRIO Sui
trage. He believes that all these preiudices
of race and color should be and will be swept
away. He is far ahead of Lincoln in this
respect; for Lincoln inherited from Kentucky
strong prejudice against negro equality,
which, as developed in Lincolns policy, was
subsequently used as the foundation 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 our doubling poll
ticians that General Grant is liked in his policy
Of equal civil and political rights, without dis
| tinction 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 al
this fixed fact and at the contamination o.
Southern reconstruction, our leading demo-
cratic politicians are called upon to face the
music. They cannot go back now, they canno
stand still. They must fall in line with The
new forward movement Of the Southern demo
cracy, or go to pieces.