American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-08-10
Senator Summers Letter.

We desire to invite the readers
attention to the able and important
letter from Senator Sumner. All the
productions of Mr.. Summers pen
are logical, polished and profound,
but nothing he ever wrote does
more credit to his head and heart
than his recent letter to Speaker
Blaine. In this letter all past differ
ences are buried, all antagOnisms
forgotten, and true patriotism Occu-
pies all the ground to the exclusion
of the political trickster. The two
ablest leaders of the old Abolition
party-Sumner and Banks-have
taken their last and long farewell
Of the cOrruptiOnists, and have
aroused an enthusiasm which will
gather force each day and sweep
everything before it. Never were
the harbingers of future triumph, so
many or so brilliant. We here give
the letter:
WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 1872.
Dear Sir have seen the letter
addressed to me by you through the
public prints, and / notice, especial
ly, that while animadverting upon
my support of Horace Greeley you
say not one word in vindicatiOn of
that compound of pretension, known
as Grantism, in contradiction of Re
publicanism, which you would install
anew i'll the Government. You are
greatly concerned about the COM
pany keep. To quiet your solicit
tude, beg leave to say that in join
ing the Republicans, who brought
forward an original abOlitiOnist,
find myself, with so many others,
devoted to the cause 1 have served
always, that l had not missed you
until you fastened to report your
absence, nor had 1 taken account
of the "SOuthern secesssonists,D
who, as you aver, are now co-Operat
ing with me in the support of this
original abolitiOnist, except to re-
joice that if among former associ-
ates, some, like yourself, hesitate,
their places are supplied in all I'M
expected quarter.
You entirely misunderstood me
when you introduce an incident OF
the past and build on it an argu-
ment why 1 should not support
Horace Greeley. What has Pres
ton Brooks to do with the Presiden-
tial election Never, while suf
ferer, did anybody hear me speak
OF him in unkindness !; and now,
after the lapse Of more than half a
generation, will not unite with you
in dragging him from the grave
where he sleeps, and aggravate the
passions of a political conflict and
arrest the longing for concord. And
here is the essential difference be-
tween you and me at this juncture.
l seize the opportunity to make
the equal rights of all secure through
peace and reconciliation but this
infinite boon you would have post
pOned.
Seven years have passed since we
laid aside our arms; but unhappily,
during all the period there has been
a hostile spirit towards each other,
while the rights Of cOlOred citizens
have been in perpetual question.
Seven years mark a natural period
of human life. Should not the spir-
it be changed with the bodys Can
we not, after seven years, commence
a new life, especially when those
once our foes repeat the saying,
'sThy people shall be my people, and
thy God my GOdf" 1 declare my
preference for an original abolition
list as President, and you seek to
create diversion by crying out that
Democrats will support him to
which 1 reply, so mnch the better.
Their support is the assurance that
the cause he has so constantly
guarded, whether of equal rights or
reconciliation, is accepted by the
Democrats, and this is the pledge
of true union beyond anything in
our history. 1t is victory of ideas
without which all other victories
must fail. To intensity your allega-
ton you insist that 1 am ranged |
with Jefferson Davis and Robert
APuO IODOuy
knows how the former will vote,
while Robert TOOmbs is bOisterous
against Horace Greeley, and with
him are Wise, Stephens, and Mostly.
This is all very poor, and l mention
it only to exhibit your attempt. In
the same spirit you seek to avoid
the real issue by holding up the
possibility of what you call Il Demo
cratic administration. And You
have the courage to assert within
ny knowledge that by the election
IF Horace Greeley the United States
S handed over to tho control of
party who have positively denied
he rights of black men. You say
hat l know this. Mr.. Speaker. 1
Known no such thing, and you
should DO sufficiently thoughtful
lot to assert it. am entirely sat
SIZED that canvass like the pres
mt, where the principles declared
u Cincinnati are openly accepted
m one side, and not contested on
he other, must result in "a larger ;
lumber OF congressional represen-
atives, sincerely devoted to the