New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-07-28

How the COl0red Men VIII Y0te-The
Views Of BOston's ColOred Lawyer.
The Boston Post reports as follows an in
teresting interview with Robert Morris,
distinguished colored member OF the Mas
sachusetts bar:
Reporter-Do 1 understand it that yOu
are what they call Greeley man
Mr.. Morris-Decidedly, sir; decidedly
l made up my mind long since that Horace
Greeley was the man of all others who
would look ont for the best interests of the
cOlOred people, and am firmly impressed
with that idea. have concluded to cast
my vote for him in November.
RepOrter-Then you are not disposed to
regard Mr. Greeley's nomination merely as
pig Joke" as some people dol
Mr.. MorTis-NOt at all, sir. On the con-
trary, ] regard it as the best nomination
that could have been made. MF Greeley
has shown by his whole life that he is
capable, upright and honest man, and that's
the kind of man we need at the head OF
the government. He has always stood by
the black man, and when think how he
has arisen from the humble condition of his
bOyhOOd up to his present proud eninence
by his own eXertiOns can not believe he Is
going TO be swayed from the path which a
conscientious regard for the interests of
the black man points out.
hepOEIef-lnGn you nave cCuCLuuGu lO
fOrsake the Radical ship
Mr. MOrris-Jf by that you mean voting
| the Liberal ticket, may say that l have.
In fact sir, the Republican party has
cheated us about long enough. Ever since
the negro came upon the political stage the
Republicans have never ceased to Halter
him and make great promises. But there
they have stopped. Whenever an opportu-
nifty came for fulfilling their promises they
have bod tba aside hnIn them
responsible for all this, and shall Lot for
give them.
Reporter-DO you think you speak the
sentiments of the cOlOTed people generally!
Mr.. Morris-Well, l can't say positively as
to that In fact, l should prefer TO have it
understood that l speak for myself rather
than for nybOdy else. The cOIOTed people
everywhere are anxiously waiting for Sena-
tor Sumner to speak out, and then We sha
know how they will stand in the coming
contest. | may say that my action Will be
influenced by whatever Mr.. Sumner says
also.
Reporter see that the Grant party is
disposed of late to put men like Mr.. Sumner
on the back seat.
Mr.. Morris-Yes, it's strictly in conform
| ity with whatever else they have done. l
| consider the treatment which Mr.. Sumner
| has received at the hands Of the Republi-
| cans a direct insult to the cOlored men,
whom he has always defended. l hold
| that party responsible for the defeat of all
the measures which have been brought
! forward for the amehUratiOn Of the CON
| ditiOn of the colOred men, and l hope they
! will soon learn lesson showing them the
| folly of such proceedings.
RepOrter-Then you think a great deal
| depends on the action of Mr.. Sumner!
| Mr.. MOrris-Oh, yes. We all look upon
| Charles Sumner as our tried and trusted
| leader. He has unhinchingly stood up for
us all through our struggles for our rights,
! and we feel confident that he will continue
! to defend our cause and tell us who are our
! friends and who are our enemies.
| Reporter suppose you are hoping that
| he will pronounce for the Liberal candI-
dates
Mr. MOrris-Yes, sir. But of course l am
not able to forestall his opinion After
| what he has said of the present administra-
! ton, do not see how he can tell us to vote
! for the Republican nominees, and then
| you know Mr.. Greeley has stood up by Mr..
! Summers side for over twenty years, fight
| ing for the black man, and this fact, TO-
| gether with the high regard l have for Mr..
| Greeley's personal character, has decided
| me in my choice of candidates.
| RepOrter-YUu make the cause of the
! colOred race the first plank in your plat
! form, then!
Mr.. Morris-Indeed l do, sir. In fact,
! IL : lD6 tights Oh TIE Dldck man UEsl, Will
| me, and the country afterward. l want to
! see a party pronounce unequivOcally for
| the black man. The Cincinnati platform
! was not 50 emphatic III this respect as
! could wish, but l entertain great hopes of
! the party which adopted it, nevertheless.
| There are some great and good men at the
! head of it, and | believe they are going to
| do something more than make promises
! without intending to fulfill them.
RPnOrtpT-Yhat is sound doctrine. Don (
!. you think, too, Mr.. Morris, that the time
! has come when we ought to forget past diff
| ferCnces and join hands for good govern
ment7
Mr.. Morris-You've hit it there, sir. The
! Republican party has spent all its time and
! energy il taking measures for what they
! call the protection of the black men of
! the South But what has it all amounted
| to ! The only result of their labOrs has
! been lot of carpet-baggers, who have
! gone far to destroy every vestige of good
! government in the South. If they had
! just let the negroes alone, and let them
! have the right to protect themselves, there
would never have been such an organiza-
ton as the KuKlux heard of.
RepOrter-In your opinion, then, the Re
| publican party is a failure so far as meas
ures to bring about good government are
! concerned!
Mr.. Morris-A complete failure. I am
NDL1N tuNCS lhctC CAAC pttA AA4S5Lo4 - NhNCNs
and that since emancipation it has accom-
| pished nothing worth recording. In my
| opinion-thOugh, as I have said, / don I
| pretend to know much about politics-there
is going to be new party in the field soon,
if there isn't already. 1t is going to be
neither Republican nor Democrat. but a
national party having for its foundation
good government and the equality Of all
| men.
Reporter-By the way, Mr.. Morris, if
am not OBTAINING you too long, l should
like to hear your opinion Of General Grant.
Mr.. Sumner, you know, has expressed his
opinion rather freely on the personal char
acter of the man, and / should like to in
quire whether you indOrse his sentiments
Mr.. Morris-Ha! ha! ha! Well, sir,
guess we hadn't better talk about that.
When I've got poor opinion of a man
make a practice Of keeping it to myself
sleep better for it. And then, you know, if
a man isn't just what he ought to be, he
knows it without being told Of it, and SO
does everybody else
A curious case was up before a London
magistrate lately, involving the right Of two
men to eat a dinner at apublic dining saloon
which had been ordered for one Of them
alone. 1t appears that Mr.. Perkins accepted