The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-08-10
Senator Summers Reply to
Speaker Blaine.

WASHINGTON, D. c., August5, 1872.
DEAR SIR have seen the letter adj
dressed to NE by you through the pub
lie prints, and / notice that while ami
madverting upon my support of Horace
Greeley, 0 say not one word i'll vindi-
cation of that compound Of ~pretensiOn
known as Grantism, i II contradiction to
republicanism, which you would install
anew in the government. You are
greatly concerned about the company l
keep. TOquiety0ur sOlicitute, | beg leave
to say that, in joining the Republicans
who brought forward an original abO-
litiOnist, I find myself with so many
others devoted to the cause / have
served always thateI had not missed
you until you fastened to report, your
absence !; nor had I taken account of the
Southern secessiOnists who, as you aver,
are now cooperating with me in the
support of this original abolitiOnist, ex-
cept to rejoice that if, among former as
sOciates, some like yourself hesitate,
their places are supplied in an unex-
pected quarter.
You entirely misunderstood me when
you introduce an incident of the past
and build OH it an argument why |
should not support Horace Greeley.
What has Preston Brooks to do with
the presidential election i? Never,
while a sufferer, did anybody hear me
speak of him in u~nkindness, and now,
after the lapse of more than half a gen.
Grafton, I will not unite with you in
dragging him from the grave where he
sleeps to aggravate the passions of a
political conflict and arrest the longing
for concord, and here is the essential
difference between you and me at this
iu%ncture.
| seize the opportunity to make the
equal rights of all secure through peace
and reconciliation, but this infinite boon
you would have postponed.
Seven years have passed since We
laid aside our arms, but unhappily du-
ring all the period there has been a hos
tile spirit toward each other, while the
rights of colOred citizens have been in
perpetual question.
Seven years make q natural period of
human life. Should not the spirit be
changed with the body? Can we not,
after seven years, commence a new life,
especially when those once our foes re
peat the saying :" Thy people shall be
my peOpler and thy God my Goo? p !
declare my preference for an original
abolitionist for President, and You seek
to create q diversion by crying out that
DGllOSAC LII Sl4pto HI ~ IL
I reply, so much the better. Their suD-
port is the assurance that the course ne
has so constantly guarded, whether of
equal rights Of reconciliation, is accep-
ted by the Democrats, and this is the
pledge of a 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 in
sist that [ am ranged with Jefferson Da-
Wis and Robert Toombs. But pardon
me, nobody knows how the>fOrmer will
vote, while Robert Toombs is boisterous
against Horace Greeley, and with him
are Wise, Stevens and MOseby. This is
all very poor, and I mention it only to
exhibit your attempt in the same spirit
you seek to avoid the real issue, by
holding up the possibility of what you
call a Democratic administration. And
you have the courage to assert within
} my knowledge that by the election of
Horace Greeley the United States Con-
gress is handed over to the control OF q
party who have positively denied the
the rights of the black men,. You say
+ that / Know this. Mr.. Speaker, / know
no such thing, and you should be 3suffi-
GENTLY thoughtful not to assert it. ]
: am entirely satisfied that q canvass
, like the present, where the principles de
/ clared at Cincinnati are openly accept
ed on one side and not contested ON the
| other, must result in a larger
number of congressional representa-
/ tiyes sincerely devoted to the rights Oh
. the eolored citizens than ever before
, The Democrats will be pledged, as new
/ er before. to the ruling principle thai
all are men are equal before the law,
> and also to the three constitutions.
amendments, with the clause in eaef
3 empowering Congress to enforce the
same by appropriate legislation.
But besides the Democrats there vii
be Liberal Republicans pledged like:
wise, and also your peculiar associates
t who, [ trust, will not betray the cause
: Senators and Representatives calling
/ themselves Republicans have been lat,
; terally in a large majority in boil
houses but the final measure OF ciEi
rights to which you refer though urged
by me almost daily, has failed to be,
come a law, less, | fear, from Democrat,
ic opposition than nom Republican
| lukeWarmness and the want of support
/. from the President. The great issue
: which the people are called upon to de
eide in November is on the President
and nobody knows better than your.
. self that the House of Representatives
| chosen at tile same time viii naturally
) harmonic with him. So it has been il
our history, Now, harmony with H0r
: nee Greeley involves what [ most de:
: sire, With such a President, Congress
will be changed for the first time since
: the war. The equal rights of all vii
have d declared representative at fht
heads of the government, whose pres.
! encesfhere viii be of higher Significance
than any victory during the war, being
not only a testimony, but a constant
motive power IN this great eaase. OPP.
! position, whether open hostility or mort
!, subtle treacherY, win yield tothe steady
influence of such d representative
Therefore, iii looking to the President
look also to Congress, which viii TAXI
its character in q large measure from
him. In choosing Horace Greeley vi
do the best we can for the whole gov.
eminent, not only i'm the executive; hui
in the Legislative branch, while we de.
! cline to support nepotism. repayment o.