Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-07-31

which is the Spanish part of the island
and shrinking at nothing, he began by
seizing the government war powers. il
| flagrant violation of the constitution
and then, at a great expenditure of mo
ney, sent several armed ships of the
navy, including monitors, to maintain
the usurper Baez in power, that through
him he might obtain 3
THE COVETED PRIZE.
Not content with this audacious dicta
/ toTship, he proceeded to strike at the in
/ dependence of the black republic in al
/ open menace of war, and all without the
I sanction of Congress, to which is com
mitted the war-Inaking power. Sailing
| into the harbOr of Port-au-Prince viii
/ our most powerful monitor, the Dictator
properly named for this seTvice-alst
! the frigate Severn, as cOns0rt, and Othel
monitors in their train, the Admiral
acting underinstructions from Washing
ton, proceeded to the executive mansion
accompanied by the officers Of his squad
ron, and then pointing to the great wal
ships in sight from the windows, deal
his menace of war, threatening to sinh
or capture the HaytieR ships. Tho
President was black, not white. The
Admiral would have done no such thing
to any white ruler, nor would our coun-
try have tolerated such a menace from
any government in the world. Here
was an indignity not only to a black
republic with its population of eight
hundred thousand, but to the
AFRICAN RACE EVERYWHERE,
and especially in our own country. Nor
did it end here. Form on this the navy
of the United States was lowering ON
the coast keeping that insulted people in
constant anxiety, while President Grant
was to them like a hawk sailing in the
air, and ready to swOop upon his prey.
This heartless, cruel proceeding found a
victim among our white fellow-citiZens.
An excellent merchant of Connecticut
praised by all who knew him, was
plunged into prison by Baez, where he
was immured because it was feared he
would write against the treaty annexa-
ton, and this captivity was prolonged
with the conniyance of two agents OF
the President-one of whom is found
constantly with him, and is part
of the military ring Immediately
about him. That such an out
rage could go unpunished shows
the little regard of the President for hu-
man rights, whether in white or black.
I confess my trials, as was called to
witness these things, always a supporter
of the administration, and sincerely de-
string to labor with it, shad never ut
tered a word with regard to it, except in
kindness. My early opposition to the
treaty of annexation was reserved, SO
that for some time my opinions were
unknown. Itwas only when l saw the
BREACH OF ALL Law,
human and divine, that was aroused,
and then began the anger of the Presi-
dent and his rings, military and Senate
rial. Devoted TO the African race, felt
for them, besides being humbled, this
great Republic, acting through its
President, could set such an example,
where the national constitution, inter-
national law and humanity We're all sa-
crifieed. Especially was | moved when
/ saw the indignity to the colored race
which was accomplished by trampling
upon the fundamental principles of in
ternatiOnal law declaring the equality
of the nations, as our
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
declares the equality of men. This ter
rible transaction, which nobody can de-
fend, is among the antecedents of Presi-
dent Grant, by which you can judge how
much the cOlored race can rely upon his
heartfelt sympathies. Nor can it befor-
gotten that shortly after the return of
the Commission from this island, Hon.
Fred Douglass, cOlOred orator, accom-
plished in manners as in eloquence, was
thrust away from the company of the
commissioners at a common table of the
mail packet on the PotOmOc, almost
within sight of the executive mansion,
simply on account of his color. But the
President, at whose invitation he had
joined the Commission,
NEVER UTTERED A WORD
in condemnation Of this exclusion; and
when entertaining the returned commits
sioners at dinner, carefully omitted
Douglass, who was in Washington at
the time, and thus repeated the indig-
nifty. Other things might be mentioned,
as showing the sympathy of the Presi-
dent, but / cannot forget the Civil Rights
bill, which is the eap-stone of that equal
ity before the law to which all are enti-
tied, without distinction of color. Presi-
dent Grant, who could lobby so assidu-
Ously for his
SAN DOMINGO SCHEME,
fell wrong to the eolored race, could do
nothing for this beneficent measure.
During the long session of Congress it
was constantly discussed, and the coll
Ored people everywhere hung upon the
debate; but there was no heartfelt SYM
pathy from the President. At last, just
before the nominating convention, he
addressed a letter to a meeting of eol-
Ored fellOw-citiZens in Washington,
called to advance this cause, where he
avoided the question by declaring HIM
self in favor of the exercise of those
rights to which every citizen should be
entitled, leaving it uncertain whether
the eOlored people are justly entitled to
the rights secured by the pending bill.
l understand that Mr.. Greeley has been
already assailed by an impracticable
Democrat as being friendly to this bill,
but nobody has lisped against President
Grant on this account.
Among the antecedents / deem it my
duty TO mention, is the little capacity of
industry of the President in protecting
the colored people and assuring
PEACE AT THE SOUTH.
Nobody can doubt that a small portion
of the effort andearnest will, even with
out the lobbying so freely given to the
San Domingo scheme, would have
averted those kukIux outrages which we
deplore; so that there would have been
no pretense for further legislation by
Congress. But he was disabled, both by
the character and the drawback of his
own conduct after violating the eonsti-
tuition and international law, to insult
the black republic; and setting an ex-
ample of insub0rdination, he was not in
a condition to rebuke the Iaw-breakers.
Second-Passing from aDtecedents, /
come now to the present position of
THE TWO CANDIDATES.
which is the subject OF your next in-
quiry. If in any former particulars the
two are on an equality, yet in all sub
stantiaI respects the obvious advantage
is with Horace Greeley. Each was
nominated by Republican Conventions,
one at Cincinnati and the other at Phila-
delphia. IN this respect they may seem
TO be on an equality, but it will not fail
to be observed that the convention at
Cincinnati was composed of able and
acknowledged Republicans, many of
whom have acted with the party from
its first formation, and who, without
previous organisation, came together
Voluntarily for the sake of reform and
purity in the government, while on the
other hand the convention at Philadel-
phia was composed of delegates chosen
largely under the
INFLUENCE OF oFFICE-HoLDERs
who assembled to sustain what is known
as Grantism. Seeing the personal gov
ernment and personal pretensions OF
President Grant, involving nepotism,