The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1872-08-14
Summers Letter to Speaker Blaine

uuuiSool W H'c Ny Jou ouiou-u tuc
public prints. and [ notice esp ecially
that while auimadverting upon my
support of Horace Greeley you say
not one word in vindication of that
compound Of pretentions known as
Grantism in contradistinction to Re.
publicanism which you would install
anew in the government. You are
greatly concerned about the company
I keep. and to quiet your solicitude,
l beg leave to say that in joining the
Republicans who brought forward an
original abolitiouist, found myself
with 50 many others devoted to "the
cause | have served that l had not
missed you until you FASTENED to re.
port absence; nor had | taken ac-
count Of the Southern secessionist,
who as you aver are now cooperating
with me in support of this original
abolitionist, except to rejoice that if
among former associates some like
yourself hesitate, their places are sup
piled 10 an unexpected quarter.
You entirely misunderstood me
when you introduce nn incident of the
past, 'ond build on it an argument
why L should not support Horace
Greeley. What has Preston Brook
to do with the Presidential election
Never, while sufferer, did any one
hear me speak of him in unkindness,
and now, after the lapse of more than
half generation, will not unite
with you in dragging him from the
grave where he sleeps, to aggravatc
the passions of political conflict and
arrest the longing for concord and
here is the essential difference be-
tween you aud me ct this jurcthre.
J. seize the opportunity to make the
cIcal rights Of all men through peace
and reconciliation, but this Infinite
boon you would postpone. Seven
years have passed since wc laid aside
onr arms, but unhappily, daring all
this period there has been hostile
spirit towards each other, while The
rights of coiored fellow citizens have
been in perpetual question: Seven
years mark a natural period Of
human life /; should not tho spirit be
changed with the body Can we not
after seven years commence new
life, especially when thoxo once our
foes repeat tho sa, ing, "Thy people
shall be my people and thy God my
Cod declare my preference Tor
an original abolitionist as President,
and y,u seek to create a division ty
crying out that Democrats will sup.
port "im,, to which reply 60 much
the better. Their support is the as
surance that the cause he has SO con.
stantly guarded, whether of equal
rights or reconciliation, is accepted
by Democrats, and this is the judge of
true Union beyond anything in our
history. 1t is a victory of ideas
without which all other victories must
fail. TO intensity your allegation, you
insist that [ am ranged with J Jefferson
Davis aud Robt. Toombs, but pardon
me, nobody knows bow the former
will vote, while Robert Toombs is
boistrous against Horace Greeley and
with him are Stephens, Wise and
Mosby. This is all very poor, and
l mention it only to exhibit the char.
actcr Of your attempt. In tho samo
spirit you seek to avoid the real issue
by holding up the possibility of what
you call Democratic Admiuistra-
tion, and you have tho courage to
assert, as within my knowledge, that
by tho election Of Horace Greeley,
Congress is banded over to the con-
troll of the party who have positively
deuicd tho rights of the black man.
You say that know this. Mr..
Speaker l know no such thing, and
you should be sufficiently thoughtful
not to assert it. | am entirely salts.
fed that canvass like the present,
whero the principles declared at Gin
cinnati arc openly accepted on one
side, and not contested on the other,
must result in a larger number of
Congressional Representatives sin
cerely devoted to tho rights of tho
colorod citizons than over before.
The Democrats will be pledged as
never before to tho ruling principle
that nil men are equal before the law,
and also to the three constitutional
amendments, with tho clause in each
empowering Congress to enforce the
same by appropriate legislation. Be.
sides the Democrats there will be
Liberal Republicans pledged likewise,
and also your peculiar associates who,
trust, will not betray tho cause.
Senators and Representatives., call
ing themselves Republicans, have been
latterly in n largo majority in both
houses, but the final measure Of civil
rights to which you refer though urg.
cd by mo almost daily, has failed to
become law, less [ fear from Demo-
cratic opposition than Republican
lukewarmness and the want OF sup.
port in tho President.
The great issue which the people arc
Called to upon decide in November is
on the President, and nobody knows