New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-09-19

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"what he knows" about Horace Greeley
and the supporters Of that sage.
| The Hon. Senator says that "he under
stands an impracticable Democrat assailed
Mr.. Greeley for being friendly to the civil
rights bill, and gravely supplements that
statement by asserting that nobody has
spoken against President Grant on this &C.
count" Why did he not tell US that the
personal organ Of Horace Greeley-the New
York TriJane-has since denied that the ac-
cusation of the impracticable Democrat
was true? None of us have heard word
from the philosopher in contradiction of the
Tribune ; therefore, we must assume that the
Tribune, and not the "impracticable Demo-
crat, is correct. Another fact the Hon. Sem
ator might have told us, that every Demo-
crat in either House of Congress who is now
supporting Horace Greeley bitterly opposed
the same civil rights bill month after the
platform of the Cincinnati Convention was
adopted, which they are all pledged to main
tain. This is a very significant fact, and one
which true friend should have brought to
our knowledge, because if, after they have
declared themselves in favor of equal rights,
they show that they are not by voting against
measure of that character before election,
can we trust them with our liberties ofte,
election? apprehend this is plain enough
for even my friends (the men and boys who
are in doub) to understand.
Conversions" says the Senator, s'are
always welcome, and not the less so because
the change is in the multitude other than in
the individual" agree with the honorable
gentleman in this axiom, but when he goes
on with the weghty wisdom which distin-
cuisines him, and asserts that the whole
Democratic party, by supporting Greeley and
Brown, become converted to Republicanism
in mass, confess it makes me think either
that he is presuming that in our ignorance
we cannot see the falsity Of the assump-
ton, or that he has become hopelessly
demented. We are unwilling to believe
that the Hon. Senator would be guilty of the
first. We are equally unwilling to believe
that the second is true, and yet I, like many
of my friends and neighbors, am on the horns
of a dilemma, obliged TO think that one of the
two hypothesis is true, and am inclined to
the latter because of the difficulty we find in
believing that in any matter in which our
rights are concerned the trusted Charles
Sumner could make false statement to us.
No; we have been in the habit of considering
him our Moses, and Moses he would gladly
be, though am inclined to the opinion that we
have had enough of the tribe of Moses. An
drew Johnson was DESTROYS ofbeing our Moses;
we know how and where he would have led US.
Charles Sumner desires to play Moses, and
his leadership, If followed, would be equally
disastrous. Hundreds of Democrats would as
gladly play Moses to us, but God save us from
all members of the tribe. Does Mr.. Sumner
suppose, for one moment, that because Dem
ocrats sing "Greeley songs to the tune of Old
John Brown, his soul is marching on" that
that will prevent them from manifesting the
old Democratic spirit as soon as the election
is over? Does he really believe that these
fellows are Democratic in name only, and
Republican in reality, as he says? Does he
really believe that if the Democrats elect
Greeley, as they will if he be elected at all,
they will not attempt to control him? And
with Democratic Congress does he not
know they will succeed? Does he suppose
that the fact of Greeley and Brown having
both been, in days past, the most determined
Abolitionists, twill prevent their principal
supporters from being Democrats Does
he suppose that Thurman, or Garrett Davis,
or Pendleton, Or Tweed, or Seymour, or Gen.
Forrest, or any of the thousand and one
prominent Democrats who might be named,
who are now supporting Greeley and Brown,
do so as Republicans? Ifhe does, he supposes
something which many of these do not sup
pose, and it is to be presumed they know as
much about it as Mr.. Sumner. Is it possible
that he thinks the Cincinnati Convention
was Gas he says it was) composed of able
and acknowledged Republicans, when it is
notorious fact that the Republicans in that
convention were obliged to abandon all the
Republican candidates who did not command
large votes and concentrate upon Greeley, in
order to defeat the nomination of Adams
bis most formidable competitors Demo-
crat? If Mr.. Sumner really does believe
these statements the mantle of charity should
be thrown over him, as we must come to the
inevitable conclusion that his arduous Sena-
torial labors have at least proved too severe,
and that the great mind has succumbed; if he
does not believe them-we must conclude that
he is merging the statesman in the unscrupu-
lous and treacherous politician.
Mr.. Sumner wants reconciliation So
do we. But he says the only way to create
friendship between the two races-to Join
the Democrats and the colored men together
is to vote for Greeley. Well, let US see
what the Southern Democrats say about it.
have conversed with number who are
prominent in their sections, all earnest sup
porters OF Greeley. One wanted Greeley
elected because, as choice of two evils, he
would DO the least. He could not vote for
Greeley, as that would be abandoning his
lifelong principles, but he urged colored men
to do so. Another wanted Greeley elected
because he thought white men at the South
would have fair play under his administra-
ton, and the stringent laws enforced bv