The weekly Louisianian., 1872-08-24

11oo1S1AN A.
measure of reconstruction is wrong
Either the General Government or tht
States must define and defend the rights
Of IN American citizen. Mr.. Greeley,
with the secessionists, declares that duty
belongs to States and municipalities.
The Nation has decided that it is the duty
of the Generol Government. Strangely
enough, Mr.. Sumner, who has distin.
guished himself by the zeal with which he
has sought for rights unguarded by the
National power, hastencd to. draft
laws covering the deficiency. He has pro-
posed laws compelling steamboats,, rail-
road cars, hotels, churches, schools, col
leges. cemeteries, theatres, or other places
of resort, to bo opened to colorcd mon,
and has placed the power to enforce this
law, not in tho authorities of tho States
and municipalities, but in the officers of
the General Government. And he did
this, too, because he knows that tho
States and municipalities can not DO
trusted to maintain such simple and un-
questionable rights as life and liberty.
And yet he comes and asks us to vote for
q man who is willing to leave all to these
powers already proven to be not trust
worthy. I, for one, desire that the power
of the entire Nation shall be enlisted in
my behalf I feel that to be citizen of
the United States is grandcr thing than
to be a citizen of Ohio, aud feel that
speak the sentiments of every colorcd man
in this community, when I reject Mr..
Summers advice and resolve to vote for
Grant and Wilson, and tho supremacy of
thesNational Constitution.
Mr.. Sumner dwells upon tho negotiation
for the annexation of San Domingo, and
calls upon us to DO insul;ed as race be-
Cause of the Presidents action. Ho for
gets that wo are Americans and not Afri-
cans. If bargain advantageous to the
whole American people can be made by
our treaty-nlaking authorities, we will be
with it and won't stop to inquire
whether tho bargain was made with men
of the African or any other race. We re-
fuse to be insulted in the case. It was
question of profit and loss, not of se1,ti-
mental raco sympathies. The President
sent commission to examine tho con-
ditions Of the proposed bargain. With
that commission ho sent the best known
md ablGt colored man in tho Nation.
The commission reported in favor Of an
nexation. They declared the people for
whose rights Mr.. Sumner has such ten
der regard to be unanimously in favor of
the projected union. Mr.. Frederick
Douglass, who with his son accompanied
the commission, concurs in tho report.
The President laid all the evidence be-
fore Congress, saying ''My work is ended
md yours begins" Congress did not SOC
fit to consummate the bargain and tho
President has not made any complaint.
What, there is in all this to insult the
colored race do not see, and think We
can safely decline to DO insulted. Mr..
Sumner who is SO much outraged because
President Grant sought to annex the rich
md fertile San Donliago at nominal cost
gave his consent to the purchase of the
God-forsaken territory of Alaska, region
unfit for human habitation, and possess
sing nothing of value, except a few seals,
For whose protection two companies Of
soldiers are stationed there. MIR. Sumner
urged with all his eloqucnco and learning
tho spending Of seven millions of dollars
or this valueless land. But against the
purchase of San Domingo he sets his face
ike flint. II may be that he opposed that
because of his regard for the
lights Of tho African race, but the most of
hose who joined him in that opposition
lid so because Of their dislike to that race
md because they did not want any more
# them in tho United States.
The party with which Mr.. Sumner has
oined his fortunes makes great objection
o tho few companies of soldiers stationed
II the South for the protection of the lives
nd liberties of American citizens. They
all this military despotism, but they
~ nothing against the employment of
wo companies Of soldiers to protect the
seals Of Alaska during their breeding
eason.
The Senator endeavors to place the
lame Of the failure Of the supplementary
ivil rights bill upon the President. This
) most unfair, for if any enc man is
harged with the failure of that bill, that
IAN is Charles Sumner and not President
;rant. Tho supplementary civil rights
i'll might have been easily passed, ma
'rity being all that was required, but Mr.. |
nmner insisted ON attaching it as an
mendment to tho Amnesty Bill, thus |
,aking itrequire a two-thirds vote for its
assage. He was demonstrated with, pub
ely and privately, but persisted in his
ourse, and defeated tho bill for which he
rofessod to labor. He came ncar defeat-
g, by his obstinacy, also, the Amnesty
i'll, by which the Republican party
'ught to extend pardon to oil but q few
'oro rebels, and thus the earlier bring