The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-10-31
THE BULLETIN.
publication Onice, bulletin building,
Washington Avenue.
SENATOR SUMNER.

| ~ mn 'DIDkED tDNN EN1ION IN
| COLUMBIA ;. c. THE MASSACHUSETTS
SENATOR'S On SOCIAL ECUALITY-THE
GREAT BOON FOR THE coll
0KED RACE--THEIR RIGnTs IN
SCHOOL AND At THE BALLOT Box-
SHARP THRUsTs At THEsT. DOMINGO JOB
From the New.yorx Herald
WAsliINoToS, u. G.. Oct. 25 ISL
The following letter from Senator Sumner
was read at the convention of colored men
at Columbia, ). C., on Monday
Boston Oct. IL, 1871.
DEAR SIR am glad that our colored
fellow citizens are to have convention
Of their own. SO long as they are exclu-
ded from rights, or suffer in any way, on
account Of color they will naturally meet
together in order to find proper remedy,
and since you kindly invite me TO COM
municate 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 ! mean
not only those already accorded, but others
still denied, all Of which are: contained in
equality before the law. Wherever the
law supplies rule, there you must insist
upon equal rights. How much remains to
be obtained you know too well in the exc
perience of life. Can q respectable colored
citizen travel on steamboats, or railways
or public conveyances generally without
insult on account of COLOR Let Lieuten-
ant Governor Dunn, of Louisiana, describe
bis journey from New Orleans to Washing.
ton. Shut out from proper accommoda-
tion in the cars, the doors of the Senate
Chamber opened TO him, and there he
found that equality which a railroad con-
ductor had denied. Let our excellent
friend Frederick Douglass, relate his mel
ancholy experience, when, within sight OF
the Executive Mansion he was thrust back
from the dinner table where his brother
Commissioners were already seated. You
know the outrage. ] might ask the same
question with regard to hotels, and even
common schools. A hotel is legal in
stitution, and SO is common school. As
such each must be for the equal benefit of
all. Now, can there be any exclusion
from either on account of color? 1t is not
enough to provide separate accommoda-
tions for coored citizens, even if in all
respects as good as those of other persons.
Equality is not found in an equivalent,
but only in equality. In other words,
there must be no discrimination on ac-
count of color. The discrimination is an
insult and q hindrance and bar, which
not only destroys comfort and prevents
equality, but weakens all other rights.
The right TO vote will have new security
when your equal right in public convey
Anccs, hotels and common schools is at
last established but here YOU must insist
for yourselves by speech, by petition and
by vote. Help yourselves and others will
hely you also. The Civil Rights law needs
a supplement to cover such cases. This
defect has been apparent from the begin
ming, and for long time have striyen to
remove it. / have a bill for this purpose
now pending in the Senate. VIII not my
colored fellow citizens see that those in
power shall no longer postpone his essen
tlal safeguard? Surely, here is an object
worthy Of effort.
Nor has the republican party done its
work until this l. established. is it not
better to establish all our own people in
the enjoyment OF equal rights before we
seek to bring others within the sphere of
our institutions TO be treated like Fred
srick Douglas was on his way to the Presi-
dent from ST. Domingo? 1t is easy TO
see that small part of the means, the
energy and the determined will spent In
the expedition to st. Domingo and in the
prolonged war dance about that Stand,
with menace to the black republic of Hayti,
would have secured all our colored fellow
citizens in the enjoyment of equal rights.
Of this there can be no doubt.
Among the cardinal objects in educa-
ton which must be insisted on must be
equality, side by side with the alphabet
| 1t is in vain 10 teach equality if you do
! not practice it. Ii is in vain to recite
the great words Of the Declaration Of In.
dependence if you do not make them liv'
ing reality. What Is lesson without ex.
ample? A. all are equal at the ballot DO,
so must we all be equal at the common
school Equality in the common school il
the preparation for equality at the ballo
box therefore do put this among the es
sentials Of education.
In asserting your own rights you will
not fail to insist upon justice to all, unde
which is necessarily included purity il
the government. Thieves and money
changers, whether democrats or republ
cans, must be driven out of our temple
Tammany Hall and republican sell-seel
ers must be overtnrown. There should b
no place for either Thank God good me
are now coming TO the rescue. Let then
while uniting against corruption, insist up
on equal rights for all and also the suppress
sion of lawless violence, wherever it show
itself whether in the ku-klux-klan outrag
ing the South or Illicit undertaking. out
raging the black republic of Hayti,
To these inestimable objects add speci
payments and YOU will have q platform
which ought to be accepted by the Ameri
can people. win not our colored felloy
citizens begin TO do this good work lie
them at the same time save themselves an,
the country. These are only hints which
/ submit to the Convention, hoping tina
its proceedings will tend especially to II
good of the colored race. Accept IN,