Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-14
NASHVILLE. TENN. SUNDAY JULY Il IS
ESTABLISHED MARCH3 80. 1886. a. Il. - u

and their object seemed to be to get Sum.
ner to make some expression concerning
the Greeley campaign. This evening the
delegation from Texas called upon the Sen.
ator In body and spant over an hour in
conversation with him The delegation
was headed by Colonel Ford
They informed Mr.. Sumner that they had
calledu pom him for the purpose of securing
his aid in an effort to carry off portion OF
the negro vote of the South from the Re-
publican party and bringing It over to the
support of Mr.. Greeley. They represented
that through the maipulation of what they
termed the carpet -baggers, the negroes of
the South had been prejudiced against the
Democratic party and would not even sup.
port so true friend of their race as Horace
Greeley because he was nominated by that
party.
Mr. Sumner said they must inspire conf.
dence in the colored people; to which the
members of the delegation replied that they
desired to do so, but it could be done most
effectually by the Senator from Massachu.
sets. The colored people had such conf
9ence IN Mr.. Sumner that they would do as
ne advised. To this Mr.. Sumner replied
tnat his greatest ambition was to see the
country once more at peace and all Its peo-
PIE reoonciied. He wanted not only the
North and the South reconciled, but the
whites and the blacks. If this could
6e accomplished by the election of Mr..
Greeley, it would be, in his judgment, the
greatest movement since the war. II
ne was called upon to give the watchword
OF the campaign, he would say aReconcili-
ation." He would have it the text of every
speech on the hustings. If the people OF
the United States, North as well as South,
could only get to understand that the cleo
ton OF Mr.. Greeley means reconciliation of
the North and South, of the whites and
olacks, they would give him a support such
as no other candidate for the Presidency
has ever received.
speaking for himself he believed Gree
ley's election would go far to promote re-
concllatlon,' and to secure peace to the
whole country. Mr.. Greeley was naturally
a man OF peace, aad in the execution of the
laws he oeliefed he would endeavor to pro-
mote peace and reconciliation.
A delegate asked Mr.. Sumner what he
thought of Greeley's chances of election, to
which the Senator replied that, from all the
evidence before him, and he hac
peen at some pains to get to the
bottom of the matter, he thought Gree
iey's chances very good. He had no faith
In the assertion that the rank and file of
the Democracy would refuse to support
Greeley. He had recently been assured by
a distinguished Democratic Senstor-Thur-
man, OF Ohio-that the ranks of the De-
mocracy would close up solid behind Mr..
Greeley.
In reply to question from Mr.. Sumner,
a delegate said that he knew the more in
telligent portion of the colored people of the
South would vote for Greeley.
Mr.. Sumner said it was a mistake to sup
pose that all the colored voters would sup
port Grant. The trouble was they did not
fully understand Grant. "The other day l
received a letter from a colored man in
Tennessee, who had read one of my
speeches. In that letter he says, after stat
ing his satisfaction with the speech: 'Mr.
Senator, you must be brother Of Gen.
Grant, Now" continued Mr.. Sumner,
''you see that man has very high opinion
of Grant, and therefore he thinks he in
spired my speech in favor of equal rights
OF the eolored race"
When the chairman of the delegation
arose to depart, he asked Mr.. Sumner di-
rectly whether he would take part in favor
of Greeley. To which the Senator replied:
"Gentlemen, have a very high opinion
of Mr.. Greeley. l know his labors in be-
half of the same cause to which ] have de-
voted my life. OF course l sympathize
with the movement, but the time has not
come for me to speak out. 1t may come,
however. AT present no man is authorized
to speak for me-"
After some further conversation, the del
egation departed.