New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-11-21
Gerrit Smith to the Anti.Dram-
shop Party.
A Mutual Disappointment
To the Anti-dramshop party:

To the Anti-dramshop party:
You were disappointed when you saw mt
favoring, in the recent political canvass, the
Republican party. You were disappointed
when you saw this in one, who had ever
been plying as deluded, or censuring as
heartless, the professed temperance mer
who go along with the anti-temperance po
litical parties. On the other hand, was
disappointed when l saw some of you going
with the Democratic party. 1 ought not
however, to have been surprised at seeing
those who had come from that party, return
ing to it, nor at seeing another class drawn
to it by the name of an eminent journalist,
who had for many years been their chief po-
| litical educator. Then, too, 1 was disap-
pointed in seeing not few of you going to
the Prohibition party. Less surprised, how
ever, should 1 have been at this than at the
other disappointment. For this party, like
your own, is made up of sincere and earnest
friends of temperance. Moreover, it had able
and good men for it's candidates for President
and Vice President. Nojust man who knows
them, can fail to hold in high esteem both
James Black and John Russell.
On the other hand, you should not have
been surprised at seeing me step aside from
the Anti-dramshop party to work with the
Republicans against the return of the Demo-
cratic party to power. Counting in the time
in which my abolition heart was misled by
the Probabilities of the Colonization scheme,
had toiled in the cause Of the black man
for far more than forty years. In all these
years, the most dreaded opponent of this
cause was, next to the Devil, the Democratic
party. Indeed, the Devil himself could hardly
have been more devilish toward the black man
than was this Democratic party. On the
other hand, the Republican party had proved
itself to be the black mans great benefactor.
1t had broken his chains and, among the
less ballot. When, then, 1 saw, in the late
canvass, the new and alarming expedent of
the Democratic party for getting itself again
into power, what wonder that should drop
all else, even the Anti-dramshop work,
and hasten to the rescue of the black
man! OF course, / mean by this expedient
the taking up of a highly intelligent and in
f1uential Republican, seemingly for the new
leader of the Democratic party, but simply to
be nothing else than its figure-head. The
party had not the least thought of being led
by Mr.. Greeley any farther than he should
consent to be led by it. The use of his name
was merely to draw off disappointed, restless,
and credulous Republicans. Not one doubt
had 1 that the Democratic party was feigning
repentance and righteousness, and that its
success in the election would result in the
restoration of "the white mans govern
ment," and the casting again of the black
man under the feet of the white man. Not
one doubt had I, whenever l heard it said
that the Democratic party was dead, and had
accepted its death meekly and sweetly, that
the old rogue was but "playing 'possum''
and pretending death; and that, on the first
occasion for it, it would wake up again to its
old wicked life and old wicked work. And,
surely, if had had one doubt of all this, it
would have been instantly dispelled by the
minority report on Ku-KluXism presented to
Congress, and welcomed by all the Demo-
cratic members. Bear in mind that it was
presented little after the Cincinnati Con-
vention and a little before the Baltimore
Convention. This report, OVERLOOKING with
murderOus hate of the black man, and look
ing cOmplacently and wishfully to his expul-
sion and even determination, doubtless ex-
pressed the feeling toward him of well-nigh
the whole Democratic party; and proved that
it did not mean to reverse its Internal policy
toward him by accepting Mr.. Greeley and
the deceptive platform, which accompanied
his nomination. Very significant facts to
this end are that Mr.. Blair, who, probably,
did quite as much as any other member of
the Cincinnati Convention to bring about the
nomination of Mr.. Greeley, was the first of
the eight signers of this accursed report, and
that Mr.. Bayard, who spoke SO vigorously in
the Baltimore Convention, was the next of
these signers.
The widespread and incessant complaint
that it is uncharitable to doubt the genuine
ness of this warmly protested repentance of
the Democratic party is unreasonable. Sup
pose we allow that it is possible, or even
probable, that, on a certain day night, last
July, repentance seized this wicked party,
and turned it, in sorrow and disgust, from its
hideous crimes of forty years against the
black man-are we at all inconsistent if we
require the proofs, which time, yes, and a
long time, toO-can alone afford of the re-
atty of its repentance and the sincerity of
its professions? If an old chief tell us that
he has at last repented, it is surely enough
on our part to hope that it is so. 1t would be
charity-run-mad, were we to put our goods
into his hands for safe-keeping, ere we had
put him on probation and required him to
bring forth fruits meet for repentance"
And shall we, on the strength Of its bare
professions, put into the hands of the Demo-
cratic party this great nation, which only so
recently it had come so near destroying?
Above all, shall we take the black man out
of the friendly and safe hands of the Repub-
with his blood? God forbid!
Let me here sayithat, whilst thought thus
unfavorably of the Democratic party, 1 did
not forget that many wise and honest men
thought otherwise. Nevertheless, it was
my duty to judge and act in my own light,
and not in what 1 believed to be their dark
ness. How, then, could do less than 90
with the Republican party-at least so far
as to vote for its principal candidates?
did so during the rebellion; and I did so
then, as do now, for the purpose of help
ing to save the black man and the country.
To have failed of doing so, either then or
now, would have brought me under load of
self-condemnation too heavy to be borne.
To return from this digression-I flattered
myself that, after this exciting and absorbing
Election had gone by, the members of the
Anti-dramshop party would resume their sus-
pended work. But, alas, its only editor has
proclaimed its death, and given up his Paper
to be edited by Prohibitionist! Hence. in
addressing this letter to the Anti-dramshop
party, expose MYSELF to the imputation OF
| speaking to the dead rather than to the liy-
| ing.
1t was my hope that this party would live
and grow and continue to press the Republi.
can party with increasing and ultimately sue.
cessful force to put an end to dramselline
But l now see, more clearly than before
that had no right to hope for any but a
very distant success of the Anti-dramsho1
a