The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-07-27

OE6u CduuIudGC OIL Tie UIduG electoral
ticket of this State, from the fourth con-
Mr.. Saunders will carry with him to the
Liberal Republican party great number
of cOlOred votes:
BALTIMORE, July 8, 1872.
To Hon, Henry StOckbridge, Chairman Balti-
more City Delegation to the late Republican
Conventions
SIR-Please accept for yourself and
colleagues from the fourth congressional
district to the late convention of April
"a, 1879, my grateful thanks for the con-
spicuOus favor conferred by placing my
name on the Grant electoral ticket, and
the assurance of my kindly appreciation
of this and other marks of confidence
during my participation in the politics
of my native State. A profound sense
of duty to my race and the demands of
an unseltish patriotism superior to mere
partisan requirements compel me to de-
cline the honor and sever my connection
with the Grant wing OF the Republican
party.
! entertain the hope that at no distant
day cOlOred men, as American citizens,
will rise superior to the apparent selfish
ness Of their past political action, which
has too often been characterized by ad-
hesion to men instead of devotion to
principles, and that they will fully COM
prehend the sacredness of the ballot and
the higher duty of citizenship. tits but
natural that in the past cOlOred voters
should have been consolidated within
the ranks of that party through whose
instrumentality their rights werein part
secured, particularly when the eparty was
itself q unit and the rights of the colOred
citizen made a political issue; but now,
when some of the best men and bright
est spirits Of that party decline to act
with it, and join with other citizens i'll
the formation of q newer and better
party, with more advanced and more
practical ideas, within whose ranks the
rights of all men are assured; it is an
open question whether the Liberal Re-
publican party is not after all the true
Republican party of the country. Now
that all men of whatever creed or pOlit-
ical opinion accept the situation, recog-
nize the rights of all men, and guarantee
their maintenance, it is but fair to sup
pose that the time is really come to per-
| nit the "dead past to bury its dead and
| for all voters to come up to that cOmpTe-
hensiye platform which, while recogni-
| Zing the equity of equal rights, gives
promise of perpetual peace and prOsperi-
| ty to the whole country. In the coming
presidential campaign it is Of the last
| Importance that cOlored men cast off the
fetters of political vassalage, ignore the
tyranny of a false and vicious party dis
cipline, and like all other men, exercise
their political franchise according to the
dictates of an enlightened and untram-
1neled judgment. ii.
i Even were it possible for me to remain
ON your ticket, / could not approve and
/ abet the bitter and continued factiOnal
warfare for which the great party in
1 Maryland is remarkable, and which is &
dominant characteristic of that party in
4 every State in the Union. Neither woulC
/ on any consideration lend myself tx
the hasely ungrateful task of villifyine
and bounding lifelong friends Of 1rl
man liberty and of equal rights, who, by
their labors and sacrifices through a pc
riod of more than a quarter of a century
have made it possible for men of my
race to enjoy the privileges of American
citizenship.
i have read carefully that elaborate
compilation Of indefinite promises of thl
Philadelphia platform, and beg to sug
i gest that if, after more than eleven year,
of supremacy and nearly four years O
absolute control of the government, it i
deemed wise to be so prolific in platform
/ LIE Iii
wears longer lease of power viii be in
adeouate to the full nerformance of fh,
stunendOus task marked ont for the nart7
at philadelphia, That complete AMI
exact equality in the endowment of al
civil. political and public rights. yithou
discrimination on aeeonnt Of race. creed
color or DreyioT1s condition Of serviifude
of which the Philadelphia convention
. niyes assurance. is no ifonbt intended a
hahn for the colored voters of tn
country. and ifeis sunDosed tohaye oTea
heading influence. ffough q Republical
Congress, in utter cOntelnpt of this an,
other promises made al Philadelphia
adiourns and makes no SIGN. III I'M
convention was the concentrated yoic
, of the Republican Darty, speaking au
j thoritatiyely for the President, Congress
and the people, It is ineomprehensibl
Il why some of these platform sentiment
we're NOT; met at once and crystalize
into Ii federal staflIte provisions. Tlono
question the Wiisdom of this eminenfl
eanahlas and resneefabIe body. nor do
d0IIht fhe sincerity az these dec eclaratiOnl
INT car not lose sirht Of tie fact tlla
if ii nalil lnI1s IN the extreme tO intrus
, tic vital 1aeas,11,es IL other and fIltuI
, | Con oresses. wIlicI, mayn0t in the eferns
fitness az fRinase he III oongOnanee wit
{ fhe Pl1iiadeInlSi9 convention.
Il dissni,t from the flnctrina nnTnciafe
that fhe enforcement1 Of fine aI1nronTiiaf t
ieoisiafion made hv fine recent amend
, mont. fn fhe national constitution ca
| | only he trl,ssfal fo fha Grant q adninisfra
fion I III the tennre e1t ef American cifizer
shin danandsmnen fha success of anv Tle
, IifieaI narfy and il snecessariIy ieopartfe
! nnnm tbe neriodicaI return of each M
! fionaI noIstical contest. then that exalte
Sioj,tt. riDht i Ynare honnraIv fhan Honorable
Inst.aad nF heinor an .,hieet IF INST naf1r
ils4ea - - III ss 80 9 II I - Il @ - = - 9 u