New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-19
FROM tbs Christian Iecorlor
Repiy tO YEr. yV!,fpDer.
WASHINGTON. d. C. Doc ! 1870
II. o. WAGNER, JR.

NAsHINGToN, d. c., Dec. l, 1872.
Mr.. EDIToR: 1 crave a space in your col
umns to say a few words in answer TO \ COM
munlcatIon III your last issue under what I
must characterizo as the DECEPTIVE canton of
" ~. " hlppsT to the RcSsuc.' | be- to pre-
mise that IN this | am animated by no mere
y dlSputatious sentiment. On the contrary
the high appreciation which entertain f.,
inc opinions Of the distinguished author is
such that am always predisposcd in favor of
anything that may eminatc from that gentle
man But III this case the argument Of Mr..
hipper Is SO sophistical in its construction
and so pernicioUs in its tendencies that Il de-
mands careful examination from every
thinking lover OF truth.
Inc S!st OF Mr.. Whipper's argument is to
MAINTAIN the broad and swearing PROPOSITION
that IL Is impossible for a cologcd man to be,
or for long time to become CaraLla Of dis.
charging the duties of auy Cabirct Office
lie does not limit his allegation of incapacitv
to any particular individual. If the question
were narrowed down to the peculiar fitness
OF any colorcd man who has vet been men
TONED IN this connection, there would. doubt
less, be little difference of opinion between
US. Nor does he even c0nline himself TO the
question whether there is actually any col
ored man IN the land qualified for such high
trusts; but he goes to a much greater length
ana asserts the imp0ssibility OF such thing.
NO" 1t Is with this, as an abstrac. PROPOSE
ton, that l join ISSUE
first, let me call attention to 4 solEcon-
tEadicti0n into which Mir WhinHer has I'M
Willingly fallen. lie asserts, in the outset,
that, the Constitution, having abrOgated all
distinction on account Of color. race, or creed,
every man must base his claims for prefer
ment upon his own personal merits. But
further on in his letter he saws with emphasis
that colored men must rise "as q class" In
other words, no cOlOrcd man should presume
to aspire to excel III virtue, intelligence, or
distinction the common level Of his race. His
first assertion is evidently right; the latter
wrong. And Of the fact that colored men
have risen far above the level of their fell
lows, we have abundant proofs. Indeed the
gentlemen is himselfone of the most decided,
living illustrations of the fact.
MIR. Nhipper says: at is universally known
that the colored citizens in the past history of
these United States have been denied by edu-
cation and opportunity the privilege ofacuuir-
ing that knowledge of craftsmanship neces-
sary to enable any If them to become fit rep
reSentatlves For position in the Cabinet of
TINS great republic" But why stop here ?
Why not go a step farther and say q colored
man should not venture into CONGRESS? All,
Mr.. Whipper, this is speci0tls argument
which would be readily seized upon by our
enemies as pretext to prevent all political
advancement of cOlored citizens. fit be al
lowed to prevail in the one case, it could not
be withstood in the other. 1t would apply
with equal force to the positions OF Iieuten-
ant Governors, Secretaries Of States, Minis
tiers abroad, or any other Office under the
Government AS well might it be said that
colored man has no business to assume the
duties of cashier Of a bank; for surely. the
~ ct hiCtf r ftnN -,
but school for cashiers.
To reason from ones inferior ADVANTAGES to
his positive inieriority, is an unsound arou-
ment. And in saying this, am not depre-
ciatlng the greatvalue Of educational aavan-
tages. The opportunities a man NAV have to
qualify himself for any position are a prima
facie presumption in his favor, while the lack
of those opportunities forms q presumption
against his fitness, and strong PRESUMPTION:
but it is nevertheless only n presumptiOn
which may be rebutted by facts We do not
look upon state Of slavery as best calculated
to grow great orators and instructors and
yet Frederick Douglass took root in such
soil. We are not prone to regard shoe shops
as the nurseries Of Vice Presidents; vet
Henry Wilson was a cobblcr even in early
manhood. Charles Sumner used Mr.. Whip-
per's argument when he deprecated the re-
election Of General Grant because he was
trained tanner and a soldier and not n
statesman and yet the people have. in the
most unmistakable manner, shown their
greater confidence in his practical brain than
in that OF tho most theoretical politician in
the land. He has read history TO little MIR
pose who does not know that many of the
most marvellous achievements have been the
work of men whose preliminary education
seemed the least conducive Of such results.
But Mr.. Whipper is unwilling to concede
this because, he says, we would first have to
explode every anti-slavery argument. If
this be true my answer then is simply, erp1ode
them.
would not retard any great measure of
progress merely because it might spoil some
fayorite theory which had survived its useful
ness. Bat il does not undermine those argu-
ments for whose safety Mr.. Whipper is so So
fictitious. 1t never was contended by our
friends that the influences of slavery were IL
remediable. Had this been true there had
been no motive for its abolition ut so great 4
cost. Indeed it is n question whether peo-
pie who have been liberated from bondage do
not then go forward with greater impetus
than those who have never been restrained.
The appetite of the nearly starved man is
keener than that of the full one. WHY may
not the existence Of slavery in this country.
in the providence of God, result in great good?
IL oIIcn nappeilS tnitt SOOu results from evil
deeds Yet this would have been no pallia-
ton of slavery. Slavery was a crime against
the Divine Law, and whether it might result
in good or evil was question with which we
had nothing to do. We had only to remem-
Der that duty is ours, consequences Gods.
The man who undertakes to define the
province of the colored American in the in
telectual or political domain by motes and
bounds assumes a stJpendOus task.
In view Of the great advancement he has
already made who will now say to him so
far shalt thou 60 and no furthcr?n
THE American diamond thieves, Davis and
Saunders. who at st. Petersburg robbed the