The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-09-13
WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON.
His Letter to Senator Sumner.
The Massachusetts, Senator's Career.
Rsvieved.-Bsarings Of the
Present Campaign.

The following 10 the letter of William
Lloyd Garrison 10 Senator Sumner, of Mas
sachusetts.
DEAR Mn. SUMNER: Though I should be
strongly induced, by the friendship subsist-
ing between US, to avoid taking . position
antagonistic to your own, under ordinary
circumstances, even il deemed it errone-
Gus, yet all personal considerations must be
subordinated to the public welfare when Sc
riously imperiled. You do not believe in
silence in crisis like the present, nor do I.
In your recent letter to certain colored citi-
Gems of Washington you have spoken plain
ly, vehemently, and with rhetorical ampli-
fcation (not for the first time) in utter con-
domination Of the President of the United
States; and your advice to the whole body of
oolored voters is, that they concentrate their
suffrsges upon . rival candidate in the per-
son of Horace Greeley.
In reviewing your letter propose to speak
with equal plainnees, and as earnestly to
counsel my fellow countrymen not TO follow
move unitedly for the reelection Of Prssi-
dent Grant, for every consideration pertain
ing to their safety and happiness, TO the
cause Of equal rights, and TO the furthersnae
Of national peace and unity.
In apologisiug for your delay in answering
the letter Of inquiry referred 10, you state
you "wished to be aided by the information
which time might supply The kind Of in
formation you desired or expected TO gain in
the brief space of seventeen days is left to
conjecture; but, in view Of your long avowed
estrangement from the present Chief Mag
istrate, it could not have been needed TO in
tensify your hostility TO his Administration.
Your reply Is dated July 20, and It sppears
70 have been a. carefully timed 10 influence
the election in North Carolina on the 1st of
August, before anything could bo done TO
neutraliEe its effect, a. was your Grant IN
dictment speech in the Senate to determine
the action Of the Philadelphia Convention.
These condolences may have been acci-
dental, but you must not be surprised IT,.
owing TO the well-known inaammable state
of your mind, q general belief obtains that
you have unfairly awaited yourself of oppor
tunities to work fatal division in the Re-
publican ranks.
It affsrds yeu much qualification 10 be
singled out by your interrogatofs as "the
special advocate Of their rights." But this
10 an assumption which justice, as well as
becoming modesty, should havo led you TO
disclaim, even ifit was meant only to describe
your Congressional career. Similar advo-
Gates have, from time 10 time, stood bravely
m, both in the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives-Wilson, Hale, Wade, Chase, Gid
dings, Mann, Lovejoy, Julian, Palirey.
Thaddeus Stevens, Gerrit Smith and others
who, II not as copious and ornate in
speech are yourself, have been as unfiinch-
ing and in their turn most bitterly de-
nounced, to say nothing OF the thousands OF
anti slavery men and women whose lot II
was TO pass through the heat and burden Of
the con1ict, pleading, in season and out oil
season, nearly SCORE Of years before your
veice was heard in support Of their holy
cause. You have since rendered eminent
service TO the causeI your advocacy Of it has
been great and meritorious, but 10 claim il
as peculiar at this late day, as though you
stood alone and almost single-handed, is q
personal appropriation very far removed
| irom self-abnegation, and quite unwar-
hnted.
| Tho Republican party (the product Of
thirty years moral and religious agitation
| Tor the overthrow of slavery has crushed
| vest sectional rebellion for the erection Of
| an independent slave empireI has emanci.
them TO the plane Of American citisenshipi
| has reconstructed the rebellious States on 9
common constitutional basis with universa,
liberty; has brought order out Of chaos, gen.
eral tranquility out of widespread disaffec
ton, unexampled prosperity out of frightful
devastation; and has advanced the banner
of liberty and equality far beyond tho ex'
pectation or hope of any man living ten
years ago. The day has gone BY, therefore
Tor any one TO exhibit remarkable courage
or conspicuity in the advocacy Of any meas
ure in 6ehalf Of the rights and interests o.
our colored population, except, indeed
whore the old slaveholding spirit still exer'
eises mastery at the South. Nor is it peril
pent to the occasion TO talk of their "infnitt
wrongs" now that they are emancipatst
and enfranchised, supplied with multitude
nous schools and teachers, free to make theil
own contracts as Independent 1aborers, pro
tectsd a. husbands and wives, bound to
eethsr a. husbands and children, voting anf
being voted for, pursuing successfully al
professional employments, steadily aug
menting their home comforts and laying VI
wealth, occupying stations of trust ant
smolument, and having their represents
hvss in every Southern Legislature and OF
tiles they are still subjected to many indig
mites. and sometimes TO horrible outrages
} but these .re inflicted by that class of moor
| rieible miscreants of the South who are jus
| now in happy afiiliation with yourself I
| place Horace Greeley in the Presidential
chair! True, there is still. throughout tn
country, strong prejudice against socis
eouality irrespective of color; but this
steadily yielding, and in many cases ha
ceased to operate. The special time to q
press sympathy for the "infnite wrongs" G
! the coloyed race was when they had few
| interfere for their deliverance from the aut
, ton block and slave-cone, from the slave
drivers CORY lash, from CALLING yokes an
torturing thumb-screws, from the isngs I
he bloodhounds, from tho clutches I
prowIing kidnappsrs, from inconceivab
. ssonies st the burning stake; and when
"remembsr those in bonds - bound Nit
: them" led anywhere else than TO the hig
!, nIsces Of the country. And ] always deepl
rsgrst, TOO (as am quite sure You nov %
thst fcr % many years ,After the c6Dmene
. nsnt Of the struggle to effect that 3eaiye
Q ence. when the sienssnts were melting Vii
: Ssryent heat, and fncfpcratic violsnce
}. the suppression Of sptl slsysry aissns."
II a.-xs .AssAI All ARAfllIl4