The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-08-14

Weighing in good rebel parlanc'
against 'centralizati0n,7 and finally
declaring that there shall be no Fed
eral supervision Of the internal policy
Of the several States and municipali
ties, but that each shall be left free to en-
force the rights and promote the well
being of its inhabitants by such means
as the Judgment Of its own people
shall prescribe"
The meaning of all this, in plain
English, is that no matter how the col,
ored citizens of the South may be
abused, wronged and oppressed, Con
gress shall not interfere for their pro
lection, but leave them to the tender
mercies of the local self-goyernment'
administered by the white rebels.
Do you, as friend to the cOlOred
man approve this position of Mr..
Greeley2
You cannot forget, Mr. Sumner
how often during the late session OF
Congress YOU conferred with me In
regard to the possibility of having
your civil rights bill passed by the
House. 1t was introduced by your
friend Mr.. Hooper, and nothing pre-
vented Its passage by the House but the
raneorons and faetious hostility of the
Democratic members. If / have cor
rectly examined the Globe, the Demo-
cratic members on seventeen different
occasions resisted the passage Of the
civil rights bill by the parliamentary
process known as ilibustering. They
would not even allow it to come TO a
vote.
Two intelligent eoiored members
from South CaroIina. Elliott, and
Rainy, begged of the Democratic side
of the House to merely allow the civil
rights bill to be voted o. and they
were answered with demial 80 abso-
lutte that il amounted 10 seornful
jeer of the rights Of the osOred man.
And now YOU lend your vSiee and in
fuenee 10 the re-election of those
Democratic members who are coop
Grating with YOU in the support of
Mr. Greeley. Do YOU not know. Mr
Summer, and will YOU not as caadid
man acknowledge that with these nse2
in power in Congress, the rights Of
the eolOred man are absolutely sacri-
feed so far a. those rights depend on
Federal legislation ?
Still further: the rights Of the col
ored men in this country are secured.
if secured at all, BY the three great
constitutional amendment1the thir-
teenth, fourteenth and fifteenth To
give these amendments full scope and
effect, legislation by Congress il i'm
peratively required, a. you have so
often and 50 elOquentiy demonstrated.
But the Democratic party are on rec
ord in the most conspicuous manner
against any legislation on the subject.
1t was only in the month of February
last that my colleague, Mr. Peters,
offered resolution in the House of
Representatives, X affirming the validity
of the constitutional amendments and
of such reasonable legislation Of Con-
gress a. NAV be necessary TO make
them in their letter and spirit most
effeetual.r This resolution. very
mild and guarded as You will sec
was adopted by t24 yeas TO 5S nays !;
only of the yeas were Democrats :;
all the nays were Democrats
The resolution of Mr.. Peters was
followed a week later by one offered
by Mr.. Stevenson, Of Ohio, as fol-
lows:
Resotced, That we recognize as
valid and binding all existing laws
passed by Congress for the enforce
mept of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth
and Fifteenth Amendments Of the
United States, and for the protection
Of citizens in their rights under the
a. amended
On the vote upon this resolution
there were 10I yeas to 50 nays. Al
the yeas were Republicans, and they
are unanimous in support Of Presi-
dent Grant All the nays were DEM
ocrats, who are now equally unani-
nous in support of Mr. Greeley.
1t is idle to affirm, as some Demo
,rats did in a resolution offered by
Mr.. Brooks of New York, that these
are valid parts of the
Constitution so long as the same .
men on the same day vote that the I
provisions Of these amendments
should not be enforced by Congress
onal legislation. The amendments
ire but sounding brass and tinkling
.ymbals' 10 the colored man until
Congress makes them effective and
PRACTICAL. Nav, more If the rights
# the colored man are to be left to
he legislation of the Southern States,
Without Congressional Intervention,
lie would, under Democratic admin
stration, be deprived of the right of
uffrage in less than two years, and
Ie would be very lucky if be escap-
d some form of chattel slavery or
eonage And in proof of this dan
'er might quote volumes of wisdom
nd warning from the speeches Of
'harles Sumner.
When, therefore, you point out to |
be eolored men that their rights will j
e safe in the hands of the Democrat !
, party, you delude and mislead '
hem, do not say wilfully. but none !
he less really. The small handful of {
compared with the .
Ihole mass, who unite with yourself
nd Mr. Greeley in going over to the ,
party, cannot leaven the I
hole lump of political uasoundness s
ven if you preserve your own origi- {
al principles in the contact The 8
of Mr.. Greeler, there 7
re, should he be elected, would be
i the whole and in detail a Demo
.atie administration, and yeu would
e compelled to go with the current.
r repent and turn back when too :
tie to mend the evil you have done. &