New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-06-20
Stop My Paper"

WASHINGTON, d. c., June l3, 1872.
To the Editor of the NeU National Era:
DEAR SIR: desire you to stop my paper.
My only object in disseminating my connec-
ton with you as a reader of your very able
paper is L do not want to patronize any
paper that speaks of Horace Greeley as you
do. How any person of your race can be so
ungrateful as to constantly ridicule and vilify
the best friend you ever had, is beyond my
comprehension.
Truly yours, j. c. SMITH.
The reason given for stopping my paper"
is in accordance with an opinion held by many
white men who have not learned to think of
the colorsd man, as man like other men,
capable of reasoning and able to judge as to
what will conduce to his highest interest.
Colored men are not ungrateful to Horace
Greeley for the good he has done, nor can
the opposition of the New NATIONAL ERA
to his election to the Presidency be called
ingratitude. We oppose him not forgetting
his former faithfulness to the cause of liberty
and humanity, but because we see in his
present attitude and efforts that which will
undo all the good he has heretofore done in
behalf of our race. Horace Greeley would
deprive the black man of the South of that
protection which has proven of any avail
against the atrocities of the Ku-Klux Klans.
He would make odious those people in the
South known as carpet baggers in that
region, and who are generally friendly to the
blacks. He would exalt those men in the
South who attempted the destruction of the
nation, and against whom the writer of the
above letter fought, men who look upon the
ballot in the hand Of the black man, their
former slave, as an insult to themselves to
be resented by murder, arson, and kindred
crimes. To the tender mercies of these men,
would the Liberal Republican party, with
Horace Greeley as their leader, consign the
loyal black man of the South. 1t is an in
suit to charge US with ingratitude to "the
best friend we ever had" because, when we
find that "best friend' seized with mania
that makes him lose sight of those principles
which made him our friend, we oppose his
elevation to a position from which he will be
an injury to us.
When Union soldiers were escaping from
rebel prisons, and danger and death beset
their path in every direction, the loyal black
man of the South at the risk of life aided
them with food and guidance; when rebel
arms were well nigh proving too much for
the armies of the Union, and the white men
of the North were firing of the conflict, and a
large party were ready to surrender to the
South, the black man forgetting past wrongs
came to the help of the Union in response to
its cry of help me negro or 1 sink. Though
he had been before insultingly refused arms
with which to carry out his prOffered assist
ance, he came two hundred thousand strong
and the Union was saved. The country that
Horace Greeley could call his own was saved,
in it Horace Greeley was man with every
right respected, no privilege denied. The
black man had no right respected, every
privilege denied. A grateful nation soon
made it unconstitutional to enslave the black
man gave him the ballot, and now seeks to
protect him in the exercise of his manhood
rights through the great and glorious Rcpub-
lican party, and the migrate is he who would
destroy that party that has been, and still is,
just to the negro who came promptly to the
rescue of the imperilled nation. Especially
is he an migrate, who would withdraw the
nations protection from its tried and trusty
friends, and leave them to the enemies of
both tho nation and of its friends. If telling
the truth as to the present position of Horace
Greeley and the Liberal Republican party, is
villifying him then are we guilty of the charge.