Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-08-03

To Hon. Charles sumner. United states sen
ator:
DEAR SIR-Your letter, published in
the papers Of this morning, will create
profound pain and regret among your
former friends throughout New Eng
land. Your power 10 injure General
Grant was exhausted in YOUR remarka-
ble speech in the Senate. Your power
to injure yourself was not fully eNer-
cised until you announced
OPEN ALLIANCE
with Southern secessiOnists in their ef-
forts to destroy the Republican party of
the nation. l have but recently read
with much interest the circUmstantial
and minute account given by you in
the fourth volume Of your works of the
manner in which you were struck down
in the Senate chamber in 1856 for de-
Tending the rights of the negro. The
Democratic party throughout the South,
and according to your own showing to
some extent, in the North also,
APPROVED THAT ASSAULT
upon YOU. Mr.. TOombS, Of Georgia,
openly announced his approval of it in
the Senate. and Jefferson Davis, four
months after it, occurrence, wrote let
ter in fulsOme eulOgy of BROOKS for hav-
ing 80 nearly taken your life. 1t Is safe
to say that every man in the South who
rejOiced over the attempt to murder you
was afterward found in the rebel con
spiracy 10 murder the nation. II Is still
safer To say that every one Of them who
survived l. to-day your felow-laborer in
SUPPORT OF HORACE GREELEY.
In 1856 il would indeed have been a
rash prophet who predicted your fast al
lance sixteen years after with Messrs.
ToOmbs and Davis in their efforts to re-
instate their own party in power. In all
startling mutations of American politics,
nothing 20 marvellous has ever occurred
a the fellowship Of Robert TooInbe,
Jefferson Davis and Charles Sumner in
a joint effort TO drive the Republican
party from power, and hand over the
government to the practical control Of
those who 80 recently
SOUGHT To DESTROY IT.
1t is of no avail for you to take refuge
behind your Republican record. Horace
GTeeley-cOnceding for the sake of ar
gument, as I do not in fact believe that
Horace Greeley would remain firm in
his Republican principles would be
pOwerless eyainst the Congress that
would come into power with him in the
event Of his election. We have had a
recent and striking illustration in the
case Of Andrew johnson Of the inability
of the President to enforce his policy, or
even any measures, against the viii of
Congress. What more power would
there be in Horace Greeley to enforce a
policy against a Democratic
Congress than there was in
ANDREW JOHNSON
to enforce a Democratic policy against
q Republican Congress? And, besides,
Ho1ace Greeley has already, in his letter
of acceptance. taken ground practically
against the Republican doctrine so often
enforced by yourself of the duty Of the
national government to secure the
rights Of every citizen in the protection
Of life, person and property. In Mr..
Greeley's letter accepting the Cincin-
natl nomination he pleases every ku-
1luX villain in the South by repeating
the Democratic cant about local self
and inveighing in good
rebel parlance against Capitalization,
and finally declaring that there shall be
no
FEDERAL SUBVERSIOS
Of internal policy Of the several States
and municipalities. bat that each shall
be left free to enforce the rights and pro-
mote the well-being of its inhabitants,
by such means as in their Judgment its
own people may prescribe. The mean
ing Of an this, in plain English, is that,
no matter how colOred citizens Of the
South may be abused, wronged and on
pressed, Congress shall not interfere for
their protection, but leave them to the
tender mercies Of local self government,
administered bv white rebels. Do YOU,
As a friend to the cOlOred man, approve
his po.Nition of Mr.. Greeley? You can
lot forget, Mr.. Sumner, how often, dur
NO fine 4,ltd session of Congress, YOU
,o1ferred with me in regard to the posi-
,ilitv of having your ciVil-rights bill
passed by the House. IL was introduced
)y your personal friend, Mr.. Hooper,
and nothing prevented It's passage by
he House except the
RANCOROUs AND FACETIOUs HOSTILITY
1f Democratic members. III l have cor
,ectly examined the Globe, Democratic
members, on seventeen different Occa-
ions, resisted the passage of the civil
rights bill by a parliamentary process /
known as fillibustering. They would
not even allow il 10 come to "a vote.
Two intelligent cOl0red members from
south Carolina, Elliott and Ra.ney,
,egged of the Democratic side Of the
House to merely allow the civil rights
,ill TO be voted on, and they were an
,wered with a denial 50 absolute that it
mounted to a scornful jeer Of the rights
# cOlored men. And now you lend
YOUR VOICE AND INFLUENCE
% the reelection Of these Democratic
members who are cooperating with you
n support of Mr.. Greeley. Do yOu not
snow, Mr.. Sumner, and will you not, as
R candid man, acknowledge that with
.hese men in power in Congress the
rights of cOlOred men are absolutely sac
-ificed, so far as those rights depend on
federal legislation Still further, the
rights Of cOlored men in this country are
if secured at ali, by the three
great constitutional amendments-the
Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth.
70 give these amendments full scope and
effect, legislation by Congress is impera-
lively required, as you have so often and
so elOquently demonstrated; bur the
Democratic party is on record, in most
manner, against any legis-
alton on the subject. Itwas only in the
month Of February last that nv col
eague, Mr.. Peters, offered a resolution
n the House of Representatives affirm
ng the validity Of the
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS,
md Of such reasonable legislation in
congress as may be necessary to /
make them, in their letter and |
,Dirit. most effectual. This resolu- /
ion-very mild and guarded, as YOU /
viii see-was adopted by one hun |
lred and twenty-four yeas to fifty-eight 1
lays. Only eight of the yeas were Dem !
,erats. ali the nays were Democrats. |
The resolution Of Mr.. Peters was fol- |
owed. a week later, by one offered by
,Ir. Stevenson, Of Ohio, as follows:
Resoh,ed. That we recognize as valid |
md binding all existing laws passed by
Congress for the enforcement M the
Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth
Of the Constitution of the
United States, and for the protection OF
citizens IN their rights under the Constr
tuition as amended.
On vote upon this resolution, there
were one hundred and seven yeas 10 \
sixty-tive nays. All the yeas were Re
publicans, and they are now unanimous
in support Of General Grant All the
nays were Democrats, who are now
equally unanimous in support Of Mr..
Greeley. 1t is idle to affirm, as. some
Democrats did, in the resolution offered
by
MR.. BROOKS, on NEW YORK