New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-12
DOUGLASS ON GRANT.

Mr.. Frederick Douglass mas written very
long letter to the colored people of the United
States, explaining why they ought to vote for
Grant and Wilson. For himself Mr.. Douglass
testifes that President Grant has treated him
very well-as well as if he had been white
man-and perhaps this is enough to determine
the individual vote of Mr.. Frederick Douglass,
though why it should govern the sufirages OF
all his race is not altogether clear. The
greater part Of the letter is a labored attempt
20 show that in the army Gen. Grant constant
ly befriended the colored refugees, and an
ticipatea the action of the Freedmen's Bureau.
Mr.. Douglass, however, is far from successful
in proving his case. When the slaves left the
plantations and came within the Union lines
it was nothing but measure OF common mill
tary prudence to organize them in working
parties and give them subsistence. They did
the work which must otherwise have been
done by soldiers, and were thus equivalent to
a large Reinforcement of troops. If he had
turned them back to Slavery, or allowed them
to remain idle, destitute, and starving in his
rear, menace and an embarrassment alike to
the country and the army, he would have
shown himself an incompetent general and
would at once have been relieved of his COM
mand In his treatment of cOntrabands." in
short Gen. Grant merely followed the we'll
known policy of Mr.. Lincoln. He did not in
spire that policy, and it is no special compli-
ment to say that he obeyed it. He did Just
what all the other generals did,-neither nore
nor less.
The fact is, President Grant has never had
any special sympathy for the colored race, and
never pretended to any. He wrote to Mr..
Washburne that he "never was an Abolition
"ist-not even what could be called Anti
Slavery !" but being convinced that North
and South could not live together at peace
under the old system, he wished to see the
question of Slavery forever settled" before
the war ended Mr.. Douglass quotes this let
ter as a proof of Grants sympathy with the
negroes. Can he not see that it shows Grant
on the contrary utterly Indifferent to the ne
groes-" not even what could be called Anti
" Slavery"-but anxious for a settlement of
the social problem on account of the whites !
And IL there was ever any doubt as to the
feeling which the President has entertained
toward Mr.. Douglass personally. they must dis
appear when Senator Summers reply to Mr..
A. d. White (printed herewith is read.
1Ho WUOic uhcSbioh Wus DcBBtu WucU
Mr.. White, replying to Mr.. Sumner, urged
that Mr.. Douglass was well treated by
the Santo Domingo Commissioners. There
was no controversy as to that.
The charge was that the President, who might
have shown some natural Indignation at the
insults offered to Mr. Douglass by the officers
o a Potomac steamer, never did 80. Nor did
he wait, as Mr.. White has affirmed, until Mr..
Douglass was out of town before issuing his
invitations to q Presidential dinner to the
Commission from which festivity Mr.. Doug
lass was carefully excluded. Senator Sumner
thinks the point worth establishing, and he
conclusively proves that Mr.. Douglass was in
Washington on the particular occasion referred
to, and that he [Douglassl confessed to a feel
ing of injury and neglect. IT may not be
essential to the verities Of the case that Mr..
Douglass should have recovered from that
feeling, and even be ready to forgive the
slight; bnt i is essential that the Presidents
champions shall provo bis sympathy with tho