The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-08-05


papers of this morning, will create profound
pain and regret among your former polit-
cal friends throughout New England. Your
power to injure General Grant was exhaust
cd in your remarkable speech in the Sem
ate. Your power to injure yourself was
not fully exercised until you announced an
open alliance with the Southern secession
lists in their efforts to destroy the Republi-
can party Of the nation. .-
have but recently read with much in
terest the circumstantal and minute ac-
count given by you in the fourth volume of
your Works, of the manner in which you
were struck down in the Senate Chamber
in 1856 for defending the rights of the ne
gro. The Democratic party throughout the
south, an ! according to your own showing to
some extent in the North also, approved
that assault upon you. Mr.. Toombs, of
Georgia, openly announced his approval of
it in the Senate, and Jefferson Davis, four
months after its occurrence, wrote aletter
to South Carolina in fulsome eulogy of
Brooks for haUing so nearly taken your life.
1t is sale to say that every man in the South
who rejoiced over the attempt to murder
you was afterwards found in the rebel con-
spiracy to murder the nation. 1t is still
safer to say that every one of them who
survives is to-day your fellow-laborer in
support of Horace Greeley. In 1856 he
would indeed have been rash prophetwho
predicted your fast alliance sixteen years
after with Messrs. Toombs and Davis in
their efforts to reinstate their own party in
power. In all the startling mutations of
American politics nothing so marvellous
has ever occurred as the fellowship of
ROBERT TOOMBS, JEFFERSON
DAVIS, and CHARLES SUMNER in
Joint effort to drive the Republican party
from power and hand ever the Govern
ment to the practical control Of those who
so recently sought to destroyit.
1t is Of no avail for you to take refuge
behind the Republican record of Horace
Greeley. Con ,eding, for the sake of argu-
ment, las do not in fact believe,) that Hoo
race Greeley would remain firm in his Re-
publican principles, he would be powerless
against the Congress that would come into
power with him in the event of his election.
We have had a recent and striking illustra-
ton in the case of Andrew johnson of the
inability of the President to enforce poll
cy, or even a measure, against the will of
Congress. What more power would there
be in Horace Greeley to enforce a Re-
publican policy against Democra-
tic Congress than there was in Andrew
johnson to enforce a Democratic policy
against Republican Congress? And be-
sides, Horace Greeley has already, in his
letter of acceptance, taken ground practi-
.cally against the Republican doctrine so
often enforced by yourself, of the duty of
the national government TO secure the rights
of every citizen to protection of life, person
and property. In Mr.. Greeley's letter ac-
ccpting the Cincinnati nomination, he pleases
every ku-klux villain in the South by repeat
ing the Democratic cant about "locdt self
government" and inveighing in good rebel
parlaIIce against "cearalizatio1i," and final
ly declaring that ''there shall be no FEEDER
AL SUBVERSION OF THE INTERNAL
POLICY Of the SEVERAL STATES AND
MUNICIPALITIES, but that each shall be
left free to enforce the rights and promote
the well-being of its inhabitants BY SUCH
MEANS AS THE JUDGMENT OF IT'S OWN
PEOPLE SHALL PRESCRIBE" Isl,
The meaning of all this in plain English,
is ai!at no matter how the colored citizens
of the South may be abused, wronged, and
oppressed, Congress shall not interfere for
dheir protection, but leave them to the ten
der mercies of the focal self.goyernment
administered by the white rebels. DO you
as q friend to the colorcd man approve this
position of Mr.. Greeley 20 ~
You cannot forget, Mr.. Sumner, how
often during the last session of Congress
you conferred with me in regard to the pos
sibilty of having your Civil Rights Bill
passed by the House. 1t was introduced
by your personal friend. Mr.. Hooper, and
nothing prevented its passage by the House
except the rancorous and factious hostility
.of the Democratic members. lie | have
correctly examined the Globe, the Demo-
cratic members on seoenteen different occa-
.sions resisted the passage of the civil Rights
Bill by the parliamentary process known
as fillibustering. They would not even
allow it to come to vote. Two intelligent
colored members from South Carolina,
Elliott and Rainey, begged of the Demo-
cratic side of the House to merely allow
the Civil Rights Bill to be voted on, and
they answered with denial so absolute
that it mounted to scornful jeer of the
rights of the colored man. And now you
lend your voice and influence to the regec-.
;tion of these Democratic members who are
cooperating with you in the support of Mr..
eGreeley. Do you not know, Mr.. Sumner,
and will you not as candid man acknow-
ledge that with these men in power in Con-
gress, the rights of the colored men are alb
solutely sacrificed so far as those rights de-
pend on Federal legislation
Still further; the rights of the colored
men in this country are secured, if secured
at all, by three great Constitutional amend
ments, the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fif-
teenth. 10 give these amendments full
scope and effect, legislation by Congress is
imperitively required, as you have so often
and eloquently demonstrated. But the
Democratic party are on record in the most
conspicuous manner against any legislation
on the subject. 1t was only in the month
.of February last that my colleague, Mr..
Peters, offered resolution in the House
sof Representatives, affirming the validity
,Of the Constitutional amendment and Of
such REASONABLE legislation of Congress
As MAY BE NECESSARY to make them
in their letter and spirit most eifectual."
This resolntion-very mild and guarded as
YOU wi III see-was adopted by 124 YEAS to
IS NAYls; ONLY EIGHT of the YEAS
were DEM, crats; ALL the NAYS were
Democrats.
The resolution of Mr.. Peters was fol-
lowed, a week later, by one offered by MIR.
Stephenson, of Ohio, as follows:
A." Resolced, That We recognize as valid
and binding all existing laws passed by