The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-08-19
PRESIDENT GRANT AND FREDERICK
DuIJEIASS

1t is not many months since the Demo
cratic newspapers were prophesying the
social, moral and political ruin of the
country because President Grant appointed
MI. Frederick Douglass, colored citizen
of the United States, Secretary to the San
Domingo commission. There was some
thing very touching in their sorrow over
this conspicuous mingling of races" and
the white people were called upon to re-
bukc the attempt to establish "social
equality" between the two races.
Now these same papers are terribly ex-
ercised because President Grant did not
invite Mr.. Douglass to dine with him, and
are imporing the colored people to rebuke
the insult to their race by voting for Mr..
Greeley. Mr.. Douglass, however, has but
an indifferent appreciation of this gratutous
wailing, and very frankly tells the afflicted
Democrats that he finds no fault with the
President for neglecting to invite him to
dinner. lie explains the circumstances
under which himself and several other gen.
tlemen who were connected with the San
Domingo Commission were overlooked in
the Presidents invitation. He says:
81 have often been called upon to recon-
cile my exalted opinion of President Grant
with the fact that failed to be invited with
the Commissioners of Inquiry to Santo Do
mingo to dine with the President at the
White House. | have two answers TO
,,,hp - L.
First--The failure of the President to invite
me could not have been because my per-
sonal presence on account of color would
have been disagreeable to him, for he never
withheld any social courtesy to General
Tate, the Minister Plenipotentiary from the
Republic Of llayti, a man of my own COM
pleXion, and in this connection | may state
that during the war he showed himself as
free from Indian prejudice as negro preu-
dice, by retaining upon his Staff General
| Eli Parker. ...-
sit is, besides, impossible that color is the
! explanation of the omission to invite mel
! because the gentlemen whom he did invite
had dined with me daily during ten weeks
on an American ship, under an American
hag, and in presence of representatives of
the leading presses Of the United States,
and this, doubtless, by the Presidents spe-
cial direction. 1t is further obvious that
color had nothing to do with the omission,
| because other gentlemen accompanying the
expedition to Santo Domingo equally with
myself, though white, failed to receive an
invitation to dine at the White House. The
only Commissioners provided for by the
act of Congress were Messrs. B. L. Wade,
Andrew d. White, and S. G.. Howe, with
one secretary, Mr.. Allan A. Burton.
"These gentlemen called in body upon
the President and were invited in an infor-
NAL way to dine with him. | was not in
company with the Commissioners when this
call was made, and did not see the Pres-
dent until afterward. Had / been in COM
pany with the Commiss oners at the time
Of their visit [ have no question but that
an invitation would have been extended to
me as freely as to any of the gentlemen ofthe
Commission who were invited. Ny second
answer is that my devotion to General
Grant rests upon high and broad public
grounds, and not upon personal favor.
see in him the vigilant, firm, impartial and
wise protector of my race from all the ma
lign, reactionary, social and political Gle.
ments that would whelm them in destruc-
ton. lie is the rock-bound coast against
the angry and gnawing waves of storm
tossed ocean, saying thus far only shalt
| thou come" ....s....' .... E-..... .. g.,