The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-08-15

u
to-day your fellow laborer in the sup
port Of Horace Greeley.
| In 1856 he would indeed have been
rash prophet who predicted your
fast alliance sixteen years after with
I Messrs. TOOmbs and Davis in their
efforts to reinstate their own party in
power. In all the startling mutations
Of American politics nothing so mar
velOus has ever occurred As the fellow
ship OF Robert TOOmbs, Jefferson DI-
Wis and Charles Sumner in a joint ef-
fort to drive the Republican party
from power and hand over the Gov
ernment TO the practical control of
those who 50 recently sought to de-
strOy it.
1t is of no avail for you to take ref
uge behind the Republican record of
Horace Greeley. COnceding for the
sake Of argument-as DO not in fact
belIeve-that Horace Greeley would
remain firm in his Republican princi-
Piles, he would be pOweFless against
the Congress that would come into
power with him in the event of his
elactiOn. We have had = recent and
striking illustration in the case of
Andrew Johnson of the inability of a
President tO enforce a policy or even
measure against the will of Congress.
What more power would there be in
Horace Greeley to enforce Republic
can policy against q Democratic Com
gress than there was in Andrew John
son to enforce a Democratic policy
against 4 Republican Congress? And,
besides, Horace Greeley has already
in his letter of acceptance, taken
ground practically against Republic
can doctrines SO often enforced by
yourself of the duty of the National
Government to secure the rights OF
every citizen to protection of his life,
person and property.
In MIR. Greeley's letter accepting the
Cincinnati nominations he -pleases
every Ku-I<luX villain in the South
by repeating Democratic cant about
local self-gOvernment and inveIghing
in good rebel parlanee against cen.
traliZatiOn, and finally declaring that
there shall be no Federal sub7erSiOn
of the internal policy of the several
States and municipalities, but that
each shall be left free to enforce the
rights and promote the well being of
its inhabitants by such means as the
judgment of its own people shall pre-
scribe.
The meaning of all this, in plain
English, is that no matter how cOlOred
citizens of the South may be abused,
wrOnged and oppressed, Congress shall
not interfere for their protection, but
leave them to the tender mercies of
local self-gOvernment administered by
white rebels. Do you, as a fiend to
the cOlOred man, approve of this posi-
ton of Mr.. Greeley? You can not
forget, Mr.. Summer, how often during
the late session of Congress you con-
ferred with me in regard to the pOssi-
bility of having your Civil Rights
Bill passed by the House. 1t was in
trOduced 10y your personal friend, Mr..
Hooper, and nothing prevented its
passage by the House except the ran
cOrOus and factiOus hostility of the
Democratic members.
IL 1 have correctly examined the
Globe, the Democratic members ON
seventeen different occasions resisted
the passage of the Civil Rights Bill
by the parliamentary process known
as filibustering. They would not even
allow it to come to u vote. Two in
telligent cOlOred members from South
Carolina, Elliott and Ramsey, begged
of the Democratic side of the House
to merely allow the Civil Rights Bill
to be voted on, and they were an
sWered with denial so absolute that
it amounted To scOrnful jeer of the
rights OF the cOlOred man, and now
you lend your voice and influence 90
the reelection of these Democratic
members, who are cooperating with
you in support of Mr.. Greeley.
Do you not know, Mr., Sumner, and
will you not, as candid man, ae-
knowledge that with these men in
power in Congress the rights of color
ed men are absolutely sacrificed, so
far as those rights depend on Federal
legislation. Still further, the rights
of coIOred men in this country are Sc
cured, if secured at all, by the three
great Constitutional amendments, the
Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth.
To give these amendments full scope
and effect, legislation by Congress is
imperatively required, as you nave so
often and so eloquently demonstrated.
But the Democratic party are on rec
ord, in n most conspicuous manner,
against any legislation on the subject.
1t was only in the month of Febru-
ary that my colleague, Mr.. Peters, Of
fered a resolution in the House OF
Representatives, affirming the validi-
ty of the Constitutional amendments
and of such reasonable legislation of
Congress as may be necessary o make
them in their letter and spirit most
efIeetual. This resolution, very mild
and guarded, as you will see, was
adopted by l24 yeas to IS nays. Only
S of the yeas were Democrats. All
the nays were Democrats.
The resolution of Mr.. Peters was
followed 4 week later by one offered
by Mr.. Stevenson, of Ohio, as fol-
lows:
fResOlUed, That werecOgnize as valid
and binding all existing laws passed
by Congress for the enforcement of
the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fif-
teenth Amendments OF the COnstitu-
tion of the United States and for the
protection Of citizens in their rights,
under the Constitution as amended"
On vote upon this resolution there
were l07 yeas to 65 nays. All the yeas
were republicans, and they are now
unanimous in the support of General
Grant All the nays were Democrats,
who are now equally unanimous in
the support of Mr.. Greeley.
1t is idle to affirm, as some Demo-
Gratis did, in the resolution offered by
Mr.. Brooks, of New York, that "these
amendments are valid parts OF the
Constitution" so long as the same
men, on the sumo day, vote that the
provisions Of those amendments
should not be enforced by Congress
siOnal legislation. The amendments
are but sounding brass and tinkling
cymbals to the cOlOred man until
Congress makes them effective and
practical. Nay, more; II the rights
of the cOlOred man are to be left To the
legislation of the Southern States,
without Congressional Intervention,
he would, under a Democratic admin
istration, be deprived Of the right Of
suffrage in less than two years, and
he would be very lucky if he escaped
some form ofchattel slavOTy or peon-
age and in proof of this danger i
might quote volumes Of wisdom and
warning from the speeches Of Charles
Simmer.
When therefore, you point out to
cOlOTed men that their rights will be
safe in the hands Of the Democratic
party you delude and mislead them, /
DO not say willfully, but none the less
really. A small hand-full of Republic
cans COM pared with the whole mass
who unite with yourself and Mr.. Gree
ley in going over 10 the Democratic
party can not leayen that lump of po-
Iitical unsOundness, even il you pre-
serve your own original principles
intact.
The administration Of MT. Greeley,
therefore, should he be elected, would
be, in whole and in detail, a Demo-
cratic administration, and you wOUid
be compelled TO go with the current
or repent and turn back tOO late 10
mend the evil you had done.
Your argument that Horace Gree
ley does not become q Democrat by
receiving Democratic votes, iilustra-
/ ting it by an analogy of your own
election - tho Eanafo i harnlu mar