Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-08-29


or. Having demonstrated in vain
against this outrage, the Commission.
ers and all Immediately connected with
them left the table before a dish was
served them, and although they had
been without food since early in the
morning. they remained fasting until
their arrival in Washington late in the
evening. The instructive feeling was,
that to do otl erwisc would be to sane
ton IN eXecrabc infringement upon
the rights OF fellow citizen.
This is the transaction of which Mr.
Sumner speaks when he says that Mr..
Douglass was ''thrust forth from the
Commissioners table. No choice of
language could be more unfortunate.
BY this mode of statement has the idea
been spread that Mr.. Douglass was
"thrust forth " with the sanction or
permission of his associates. Nothing
could be more wide of the fact.
! One point just here which throws
much light on some questions now be-
fore your people, When we remon.
strated with the chief functionary on
the boat, he was supported in his out
rage, apparently by all the Southern
men present They were long and
loud in argument, and the general
chorus, in which all joined, was, that
they would not submit to this "inter-
ference NTH their rights" in forcing a
negro on their society.
The same men are now clamorous
against the Administration, whose main
sin in their eyes is that 1t has carried
out the laws made to protect the col
ored men of the South; and it seems
somewhat ominous that the loudest
shrieks of these batfied oppressors are
now as then against the so-cal!ed 90 in
tertcrence With their rights" What
this means, my experience that day
! taught me. 1t meant then interference
with the right to keep the colored man
pariah what does the same cry in the
same mouths mean nOW 2
| Fifth---On arriving at Washington
the duties of Mr.. Douglass and Gen
eral Sigel were ended. The former
| had submitted a very careful report
| based upon his Investigations among
| the colored emigrants from the United
| States. settled in various parts OF the
Dominican Republic; the later had in
I
and possibilities of fortfiying SANTANA
Bay and other important positions on
/ the island-and with these reports their
duties ended After so long an absence
they were naturally anxious to reach
their families and their friends
and they separated finally from
| the Commissioners on the very
night of their arrival in Washington,
with the most kindly feelings on both
! sides. The Commissioners with their
/ Secretary remained to finish their re-
port. Having called TO present their
respects to the President, they were in
vited to dine with him. Had MIR.
! Douglass or General Sigel been present,
| have no doubt that they would have
/ been included in the invitation, for no
/ American Chief Magistrate had ever
more effectually cast TO the winds all
prejudice against color, than did Pres
! ident Grant in his selection and whole
/ treatment of the eminent colUred citizen
! Members of the Commission had
/ also been honored with invitations to
/ Mr.. Summers house ana table. Mr..
/ Douglass did not meet them there, but
! it had never occurred that his absence
was any more the result of prejudice in
! one case than in The other.
Such, sir, is the simple history Of
/ the transactions on which these charges
are based to you aud to candid col
ored citizens generally, [ leave them
for Judgment. =,
do not write to persuade yourself
/ You knew Benjamin L. Wade and Sam.
/ G.. Howe too well, in the times that
/ tried mems souls, to believe that they
could allow Mr. Douglass to be thrust
4 from their table. Neither need | speak
/ for myself to you, for we have lived in
/ the same place since my boyhood, and
Your simple story rs an escaped slave,
made me an abohtionist when family
/ and friends held the name in horror But
/ / write because last night a colored
man asked me regarding the story Up
to that moment had not dreamed that
statements so obviously dictated by
partisan bitterness could be believed
I bv any person, especially since Mr.
/ Douglass had refuJed them, hnt | send
these words to you to aid in disabusing
any minds still affected by these most
/ unjust charges. | remain, dear sir,
Very respectfully and truly yours,
ANDREW u. WRITL.
Hon. JAcoB MUELLER, Lieutenant Governor
OF Ohio. addressed large and enthusiastic