New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-03
Treason or Ignorance.

1t is human selfishness in its grossest form
that finds its qualification in the abuse OF the
weak by the stronger. Vanity finds it ex-
ceedidgly sweet to have a neighbor on whom
a man stands in the social or intellectual
scale, the more memorable he will always be
found in asserting his superiority over him,
whom he can place half degree below HIM
self. The colored race Of all others, has al
ways been made the victim of this DISPOSE
ton, yet We have been called upon to wit
ness the disgraceful spectacle of colored men
who with unexampled servility are fostering
this very spirit and wandering to it. They
actually writhe and wriggle round the heel
under which they were held so long, endeav-
oring to creep back again for shelter; they
kiss the hand that cracked the whip over
them and beg for its kind protection. For
exactly this it is, what the gentlemen are
actually doing, who assembled in conven-
ton few days ago, in Louisville, (Mr. Saun-
ders, charman,) and whose resolutions we
print in another column. These resolutions,
as might have been anticipated, consist mainly
of a rehash of the old Cincinnati love feast,
warmed up with no less stale gravy of very
sanctimonious and sentimental cant. Hor-
ace Greeley and his supporters, down to men
like Banks and Trumbull, who never have
done anything to endear them particularly to
the colored people, are enthusiastically in
dorsed and eulogized at the expense of Gen.
eral Grant, Wendell Phillips, and the regu-
lar Republicans generally, who are soundly
abused, denounced and held up for universal
adherence for their alleged implacable hatred
to the poor, oppressed, and loving Southern
brethren.
We should not lose one word about this
rather lengthy document, if We could believe
that its authors were acting in perfect good
faith. But there are so many perversions Of
truth in it, so many artful distortions, SO
many telling facts are completely ignored,
and-above all, it breathes spirit of such
unmitigated malice against the foremost men
who for the last four years have faithfully
and energetically protected the cOlored peo'
pie in the enjoyment of their rights, against
the inroads of the old enemy, that we can.
not suppress the suspicion that they know
better, and are cunningly resorting to trans
parent sophisms for tho object Of binding
and befogging the ignorant classes Of the
race. If they, themselves, were illterate
men, fresh from slavery, unable to read and
consequently compelled to gather their in.
formation from hearsay, to form their judg
ment on authority, we might excuse them on
the ground that they had been taken advant
age Of by the willy Liberal leaders, had been
led away by the names of Horace Greeley
and Charles Sumner; and in grateful recol
lection of those mems former services to theil
cause, were following in the van Of their sup
porters as innocently as a flock Of sheep will
follow their leader right to the butchers
den. Quite the reverse! They are gentle
men who claim the honor of being counted
among the representative men Of their race
Doctors and Reverends, men of learning ani
standing, who would Indignantly resent thu
attempt to excuse them on the ground o
stupidity or ignorance, and who by this time
must realize that Horace Greeley is the mere
hgure-head of the genuine old Democracy
that he with the handful Of sorcheads who dc
serted the Republican party with him, would
be utterly powerless in the hands of Dem.
ocratic Cabinet. Democratic Congress, ant
surrounded by Democratic State govern
ments, to rrevent-cvcn if he were willing
the most odious measures, tending to reduc,
the negro to a condition practically but on,
degree above the level of slavery. The,
have read, moreover, since they belong t,
the reading class, that Mr.. Greeley himsel
has formally rcpudiaied his past record b,
his declaration in public meeting a few
days ago, to the effect that his enmity t.
slavery was perhaps a mistake, a declaration
which does no longer leave room for an,
honest delusion that might have heen cher
Shed up to that time.
Can the learned and intelligent gentlemen
WHO assembled in Louisville be sincere in
their belief in the altered spirit of the DcmOc
racy? We answer: No! for the manifesto.
tons Of the true disposition Of the Democrat.
arc too striking and unequivocal to allow any
doubt that they are animated by the old ha.
tired; especially as these manifestations grow
every day more frequent and unmstakable
} since ii has become evident that the name o.
Horace Greeley will not carry over half as
many Republicans to the support of the Dem
ocratic ticket as it will serve to drive Demo
Gratis away in disgust. Gentlemen! you can.
not have forgotten the unanimous opposition
of the Democrats that defeated Mr.. Summers
supplementary civil rights bill, and makes
you liable to be elected ut any time from the
railroad cars, hotels, theatres, or wherevel
prejudice may take oHenso in your presence