The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1871-11-11
Letter from Charles Sumner.

recently in session at Columbia, South
Carolina, Mr.. Turner, of Georgia, sub
mitted the following letter from the
Hon. Charles Sumner:
BosToN, October 18th, 1874.
DEAR SIR am glad that our coll
Ored fellow citizens are to have a Con-
ventiOn of their own. So long as they
are excluded from rights, or suffer in
any way on account OF color, they
will naturally meet together in order
to find a proper remedy. And since
you kindly invite me to communicate
with the Convention, | make bold to
offer a few brief suggestions
In the first place, you must at all
times insist upon your rights, and here
Imean not only those already accorded,
but others still denied, ali of which
are. contained in equality before the
law. Wherever the law supplies a
rule, there you must insistupon equal
rights How much remains to be OBJ
tanned you know too well in the ex-
perience of life
Can respectable colored citizen
travel on steamboats, or railways or
public cOnveyances generally without
insult on account of color. Let Gov
ernor Dunn, Of Louisiana, describe
his journey from New Orleans to
Washington, Shut out from proper
accommodation in the cars, the doors
of the Senate Chamber opened to him,
and there he found that equality which
q railroad conductor had denied. Let
our excellent friend, Frederick Doug
lass, relate his melancholy experience,
when, within sight of the Executive
Mansion, he was thrust back from the
dinner table, where his brother COM
missioners were already seated. You
know the outrage.
might ask the same question with
regard to hotels, and even the COM
mon schools. A hotel is legal insti-
tuition, and so is common school. AS
such, each must be for the equal benefit
of all. Now can there be any exclu-
sion from either on account of color {?
It is not enough to provide separate
Accommodations for cOlOred citizens,
even if in all respects rs good as those
of other persons. Equality is not
found in equivalent, but only in equal
ity. In other words, there must be
no discrimination on account of color.
The discrimination is an insult, q
hindrance and a bar, which not only
destroys comfort, and prevents equal
/ ity, but weakens all other rights.
| The right to vote will have new sc.
cuIity when your equal right in public
conveyances, hotels, and common
schools are at last established. But
here You must insist for yourselves by
petition and by vote. Help yourselves
and others will help also.
i The civil rights law needs sup.
plement to cover their cases. This
defect has been apparent from the be-
ginning, and for long time, | have
striven to remove it. / haxea bill lfor
this purpose now pending in the Sen
ate. Will not colored fellow-citizens
see that those in power no longer
postpone this essential safeguard
Surely here is an object worthy of eff
fort nor has the Republican, party
done its work until this is accom-
plished,
Is it not better to establish all ou1
own people in the enjoyment of equal
rights before we seek to bring others
/ within the sphere of our institutions, to
be treated like Frederick Douglass on
his way to the President from st. Do
mingo? 1t is easy to see that small
| part of the means, the energy and the
determined will, spent in the expedi-
ton to ST. Domingo, and in the pro-
Ilonged war-dance about that island
with menace to the black Republic of
Hayti, would have secured all our col
Ored fellow-citizens in the enjoyment
of equal rights. OF this there can be
no doubt. ss1 e al
| Among cardinal objects is education,
which must be insisted on. Here
again must be equality, side by side
with the alphabet. 1t is in vain to teach
| equality if you do not practice it. 1t
is in vain to recite the great words OF
the Declaration of independence if you
do not make them living reality.
i What is lesson without example,? AS
all are equal at the ballot-box, so must
all be equal at the common school.
Equality in the common school is the
preparation for equality at the ballot
box. Therefore do i put this among
the essentials of education.
In asserting your own rights, You
will not fail to insist upon justice to
all, under which is necessarily includ.
ed purity in the Government. Thieves
and money changers, whether Demo
Gratis or Republicans, must be driven
out of our temple. Tammany Hal
and Republican selfseekers must be
oyerthrown. There should be no place
for either. Thank God! good men
are now coming to the rescue. Let
them while uniting against corruption
insist upon equal rights for all, and
also the suppression of lawless violence
wherever it shows itself, whether in
the Ku-Klux Klan outra ging the South
or illicit undertakings outraging the
black Republic of Hayti. :.
4 Tn these inaStimahla objects 3dC