Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-31

tional constitution, International law. and hu
manity, were all sacrificed Especially was !
moved when | saw the indignity to the cdutcd
race, which was accomplished by trampling
upon fundamental principle of International
law, declaring the equality of natiouS as our
declaration of independence declares equality OF
men,
This terrible transaction, which nobody can
deteBd, is anlOtiS the anteccdents of President
Grant, from which you can judge hOw mitch
the cOlOred race can rely upon his heartfelt
sympathies, Nor can it he forgotten that shortly
alterward, on the return Of the commission from
this island, the Hon. Frederick Douglass, tine
colOred orator. accomplished in manners as in
eloquence, was thrust away from the company
of the commissioners at the common table of
the mail packet on the Potomac, almost within
sight of the executive mansion, simply on ac-
Count OF his color. But the president, at whose
invitation he had joined the commission, never
uttered word in condemnation OF this exclu-
sion, and when entertaining the returned COM
mlSsiOners at diniier carefully omitted Mr..
Douglass, who was in Washington at the time,
and thus repeated tue indignity.
Other things might be mentioned as showing
the sympathes OF the president, and ] cannot
forget the civil rights BILL which is the cap
stone of that equality before tie law to which
| all are entitled without distinction of color.
| President Grant, who could lobby so aSSiduOuSly
| for his San Domingo scheme, full of wrong to
the coOfed race, could do nothing fot this bene-
| hcent measure. Durin. long session of con-
| greSs 1t was discussed constantly, and the
| colored people everywhere hung upon the
| debate; but there was no Word Of Heartfelt
| sympathy from the president. At last, just
| before the nominating convention, he addressed
letter tn meeting of ColGred fellow citizens in
| Washington, called to advance this cause
| where he avoided the question by declaring
himself in favor of "lhc exercise of those rights
to which every citizen should be Justly entitled"
| leaving 1t uncertain whether culOred people are
Justly entitled the rlubts gppurp1 nv uppd.
| ing bill
understand that Horace Greeley has been
already assaied by an impractiCabe democrat
| as belhg friendly to this bill. but nobody
| has liSped against President Grant on this nc
| count.
Among the antccedents, deem it my duty to
mention the little capacity OF industry of the
| president in protecting colored people and in
| assuring peace at the south. Nobody caIi doubt
that portion of the effort and earnest will even
without the lobbying so freely given to the San
| Domingo scheme. would have averted those ku-
| kluX outrageS, which we deplore, 50 that there
would have been no pretence for further legisla-
| ton by congrcssj but he was disabled both nv
character and the drawback Of bis own conduct
Alter violating the constitution and International
law to insult the black republic, and setting an
example OF INSTRUMENTATION, he was not in a con
| dition TO rebuke law breakers.
second, passing from autecedents, 7 come now
| to the present position of the two candidates,
"h'S' 10 'h' supltNl vi NUuI HpHt lUuuifY4 VI
| in any former particulars the two are on an
| equality yet, in all substantial respects the oh.
VIouS advantage is with Horace Greeley. Each
| was nominated by Il reform convention, one mt
| Cincinnati and the other at Philadelphia, $50
| that in this respect they may seem TO he ON nm
| equality; but it will not fail to he observed that
| the convention at Cincinnati was composed OF
acle and acknowledged republicans many of
whom have acted with the party from its first
iormatlon who, without previous organization
l gnn tnfFa AInarNr 81, ..I,f. ~.
ana purity III the government, while on the other
hand the convention at Philadelphia was com
| posed OF delegates chosen largely under the in
| huence of office holders, who assembled to suS-
tam what is known as GTantiSm, being the per
| sonal government and personal pretensions of
| President Grant, involving nepotism, repayment
| OF gifts by official patronage, neglect of public
| duty, aDseneeism, military rule, disregard of
| constitution and law, with general nniitness,
and indignity to the colorcd race; ali
| OF which is so unrepublican as to make
| IT'S support impossible for true republicans
| Therefore, the convention at Philadelphia
| though calling itself republican, was less repub-
| licau than that at Cincinnati. The two plat.
forms, so far as concerns especially the colorcd
race, are alike in distance; but that of Cincin-
| nau IL expressed in terms most worthy OF
| equal rights. 1t states and claims: eve recog-
nize the equality Of all men, before the law, and
hold that 1t is the duty of the government in its
| dealings with the people 10 meet out equal and
| exact justice to all, of whatever nationality,
race, color, or persuasion, religious or political
| In other respects, the platform of Cincinnati is
| the most republican, inaSmuch as it sets itself
| against those republican abuses which have
been nursed by the president into pernicous
| activity.
From the two nominations and two platforms
| come to the supporters of the candidates; and
| here ] look, first at those Immediately about
| them, and secondly at the popular support be-
| hind. Horace Greeley has among his immedi-
ate supp0. iers in all parts of the county de.
| voted and consistent republicans, always earnest
ior reform and purity in government, on whose
| lives there IS no shadow of suspicion, being a
| contrast in character to those rings which play
/ SUCH part IN the present administration. The
| country knows too well the military ring the
| senator .a ring, and the custom house ring,
| through which the president acts. Such sup
/ parterS are very poor r 3ommendatiOn.
Looking at the popular support behind,
the advantage is still with Horace Gree
| ley. President Grant has at his back the
| diversified army of office-holders drilled to obey
| the word OF command. The speeches praising
| him are by Office-hOlders and members of rings
| Horace Greeley fHds fOcking to his support
| large numbers of republicans unwilling to con-
| tlnue the existing miSrule, and as allies with
them regeneratcd party which comes forward
TO unite in the liberal movement. Democrats,
| III joining Horace Greeley, have changed simply
| as President Grant changed when he Joined the
| republicans; except that he was rewarded at
| once with high Office The change is open
adopting the republican platform, which
| places equal lights of all under the safeguard
| OF irreversible guarantees, and at the same
| time accepting the nomination of q life
| long abollti0nist who represents prominently
| the sentiment of duty TO the colored race. They
| have set their corporate seal to the sacred cove
| nent. They may continue democrats in name,
put they are IN reality republicans by the same
| utle that those who sustain republican princi-
| pies are republicans. Or, rather they are dem
| ocrats according to the original Specification of
that word, de Heated 10 the rights of the people
| 1t Is idle to say that Horace Greeley and the re-
/ publicans that nominated him are any less re.
| publican because democrats unite with them in
| support OF chez shed principles and the candi-
| GATE who represents them. Conversions are al
| ways welcome, and not less so because
| the change is in multitude other
than an individual A political party cannot, if
| u would and should not if ii could, shut the
| door against converts, whether counted by the
| score, the hundred, or the thousand; and so we
| ind the supporters of President Grant an
| nounce, with partisan liumpb, the adhesion of
| single democratic politician or a single demo-
cratic newspaper. On equal reason, and with
| higher pride, NAV the supporters of Horace
| Greeley announce the adhesion of the demo-
| cratic party; which, turning from the things
/ That are behind, presses on TO those that are
before; 1t is also idle to say that the election
| OF Horace Greeley as president, with
Gratz Brown as Wee president, both I'M
| changeable republicans, Will be a return
| OF the democratic parry to power. On the con-
| trary it will be the Inauguration Of republican
| principles under the safeguard of republican
| president and republican ce-president, with
| democrats as avowed supporters,
In the organization Of his administration and
in the conduct of affairs Horace Greeley will
| naturally lean upon those who represent best
| the great promises made Of equal rights and re-
| cancellation at Cincinnati. II democrats are
taken, it will be as republicans in heart recog.
| MIXING the associate terms of the settlement as
an reversible inality. The hardihood Of DO.
liucal ialsehoOd reaches its extreme point when
II is asserted that under Horace Greeley the
freedmen will be ensla9ed, or that the colored
people will in any way suffer IN their equal
rights. On the contrary, they have in his cleo
ton not only the promises Of the platform, but
also the splendid example for full generation,
during which he has never wavercd in the as
sertion of their rights. To suppose that Horace
Greeley, when placed where he can do them the
most good, will depart from the rule OF his
honest life, is an insult TO reason. Ii is none
the less idle TO suppose that democrats support
ing Horace Greeley expect or desire that he
should depart from those principles, which are
the glory of his character. They have accepted
tue Cincinnati platform with its two
fold promises, and intend in good
ialth to maintain it. Democrats cannot turn
back who at the convention adjoining this Mat
n "a lNN..l