The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-06
WASHINGTON. August 5.

WASHINGTON August S.
| Senator Sumner has addressed the follow
| ing reply to Speaker Blaine's letter, dated at
Augusta, Maine, July 3lst, accusing him of
treachery to Republicanism in his support OF
Greeley, and OF turning his back on the mill
lions 10 whom in past years he had stood as a
shield and bulwark of defence -
WASHINGTON, D. c., August 5, 1872.
Dear Sir-I have seen the letter addressed
| to me by you through the public prints, and I
lnetIce especially that while animadvertlng
upon my support OF Horace Greeley, you say
not one word in vindicallon of that compound
OF pretension known as Grantism, In con-
iradistinclion to Repubicanism, which you
would ins:all anew in the government.
You are greatly concerned about the company
i keep. To quiet your solicitude, beg leave
to say that in Joining the Republicans, VINO
brought forward all original Aoolltlonlst. l
| ind myself and so many others deVoled 10 Lne
cause I have served always, thac haa not
missed you until you fastened 10 report ao-
| sence, nor had taken account OF the "Soutn-
| ern Secessonists" who, as you aver, are now
cooperating with me In support OF this origl.
nal Abolitionist, except to rejoice that II
| among former associates some like yourself
hesitate. their places ore supplied In an unex.
uected quarter. You entirely misunderstood
me when you introduce an Incident OF Lhe
past and build on 1t an argument why l
should not support Horace Greeley. What
has Preston Brooks TO do with lhe Presiden-
tial election Never while sufferer did any
body hear me speak of him In unkindness,
| and now after the lapse OF more than halt
generation I will not unite with you IN drag
Iing him from The grave where he sleeps 10
aggravale the passions Of political confict
| and arrest the longing for concord. And here
is the essential difference between you and
me. At this iuncture l seize the opportunity
to make the equal rights of all secure
| through peace and reconciliation, but this
| Infinite boon you would postpone.
Seven years have passed since we lald
aside our arms, but, unhappiy during all this
period there has been hostile spirit towards
| each otl or, while he rights of colored fellow
| citizens have BEEN in perpetna! question.
| Seven years mark natural period or human
| life; should not the spirit be changed with the
| body? Can we not, after seven years, COM
| mence uew lite, especially when those once
our foes repeat The saying, THY people shall
he my people; thy God shall be my God !" |
declare my preference for an original Aboli-
ZIONIST as President, and you seem 10 create. q
diversion by crying out That Democrats Will
support him, to which | repiT 80 much the
better; their support is tn, assurance
| that the cause he has 30 constantly
guarded, whether Of equal rights or
|
and this is the pledge Of true union beyond
anything in our history. 1t Is victory Of
ideas, without which all other victories must
fall. To Intensity yonr allegations, you insist
| that l am ranged with Jefferson Davis and
Robers Toombs. But, pardon me; NOBODY
knows how the former will vote, while
Robert Toombs is boisterous against Horace
| Greeley, and with him are Stephens, Wise
and Mosby. This is all very poor, and men-
ton It only to exhibit the character Of your
attempt. In the same spirit you seek to avoid
the REAL issue by holding up the possibility Of
what you call Democratic administration.
and you have the courage to assert as within
my knowledge that, with The election Of
Horace Greeley, Congress will be handed over
to the control oil the party who have positive
ly denied the rights OF Ihe black men. You
say that | know this. Dir. Speaker,
Snoy no such thing. and you should oe suf-
ticlentiy thoughtful not to assert 1t. am en-
tirely satisfied that canvass like the present,
where The principles declared at Cincinnati
are openly accepted on one side and not con-
tested on the other, must result In larger
number of Congressional representatives SIN
cerely devoted to the rights Of the colored clti-
zens than ever before. The Democrats Will oe
pledged, as never before, 10 the ruling prlncl-
pie That all men are equal before the law, ana
ulso to the three constitutional amendments,
with the clause in each empowering Congress
to enforce the same by appropriate Legislation;
but, besides Democrats, there Will oe
Liberal Republicans pledged likewise, and
also your associates, who, l trust, Will
not belray the cause. Senators and re-
representatives., calling themselves Repuo-
licans, have been latterly 10 large ma.
iority In both houses, but the fual measure OF
civil rights, to which you refer, though urged
by NE almost daily, has failed 10 become
law-lees. fear, from Democratic opposition
than from Republican lukewarmness and The
want of support in the Presidential office.
The great issue which the people are called 10
decide in November Is on the President, and
nobody knows better than yourself that the
House OF Representatives, chosen at the came
time, will naturally harmonic with him. SO
it has been in our history. Now, harmony
with peace freely Involves what most desire.
With such President, Congress will be
changed, and, for the first time since the war,
the equal rights OF all will have declared
representative, at the head Of the gov; GOV;
ernment, whose presence there Will
be OF higher significance than that OF any vic.
tor In war, being not only testimony but
constant motive power. In this great cause,
oppression, whether open hostility or mere
subtle treachery, will yield to the steady inf1u-
ence OF such representative. therefore, III
looking 10 the President, look also to Con-
gress, which will take It's character IN large
measure from him. In choosing Horace
Greeley, we do the best we can for the whole
government, not only In the executive but 10
the legislative branch, while We decline 10
support nepotism, repayment OF personal
gifts by official patronage, seizure OF tne war
powers, Indignilies to the black Republicans,
and the various incapaclties now exhibited by
The President and the Rings by which ne gov
erns, none OF which you can defend. you
know we'll that the Rings are already con.
demned by the American people. For myself,
say plainly and without hesitation that prefer
Horace Greeley with any Congress that is possi-
BILE on the Cincinnati platform to President
Grant with his presenslons and hi5 Rings.
vote for whom involves the support of all
his pretenslons with prolonged power In all
the Rings. There must be another influence
and another exempe. The administration In
all its parts is impressed by the President.
Let his sonl be enlarged with the sentiment
of Justice awakened by industry, and not
only the two houses of Congress, but the
whole country will feel the Irresistible au-
thority over-sDreading, prevailing, permeat-
Ing everywhere. Therefore, in proportion as
you are earnest for the rights of colored cill-
zens and place them above all partisan
triumph, you will be glad to support the
candidate whose heart has always thEoooed Tor
humanity. The country needs such motlVe
power In the White House. 1t needs generous
fountain there. In one word, 1t needs some
body different from the present incumbent,
| and nobody knows this better than Speaker
/ Blaine. The personal charges you make upon
me repel with the Indignation of an honest
1 man, | was q faithful snDDOrter of the Presl.