The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-08-30

10 the Editor Of The State Journal:
What has been badly said by Mr.. Hobson
relative to Mr.. Greeley's past record is true,
but he has foreborne to say anything of
him now. 1t is to me as well as to that
gentleman source of pleasure to remem-
Der some good in the history of man
whose silvery locks and failing years show
life to be on the ebb.
The pen of Horace Greeley has done
much for my race, but the sword of Grant
has done more. The independence you
claim for yourself as far as yourself is con-
cerned is perfectly right, but in as much as
your right does not end with yourself, |
together with six million others have some
thing to do with you and every other con-
sentative negro.
A man has an individual right to be a
drunkard OF blackguard, but when his
drunkenness or blackguardism shows itself
in public, the people have right to speak
of it; the conseryators of the rights of the
people have right to subject him to fine
or Imprisonment, that the public may not
suffer by his i'll example. Your liberty
ends, Mr.. Hobson, where another mans
begins.l While man has right to be o
traitor, the people to whom he is traitor
have right to treat him as such.
Mr.. Greeley endeavored to prove that
secession was right constitutionally, and
to day, by his platform, favors states
rights. Had this failacy been accepted by
the Union party of the government, the
South would have been allowed to estab-
lsh confederacy, with four millions Of
your aud my race as the corner stone of
the same. Slavery would have remained
untouched. Mr.. Greeley next proposed at
the peace conference held at Niagara, to
excuse treason and put q premium on dis
loyalty, by requiring the government to
pay the South for 4 100000 Of your and my
race. The Declaration which borrows its
force and authority from the revealed law of
God, makes your right to life, liberty, and
PROPERTY inalienable.
May these two facts, relative to Mr..
Greeley, be accepted as 'swerving one iota
from bis duty as friend and defender of
the black man, In my article | showed
conclusiyely that the liberty of the white
men of this country would In no material
particular be impaired or undergo change
in the election of Greeley or Grant. [
agree with you that it would be "base,
vile SANDER to say a white man would
prove himself an ''enemy to las tibsfy' by
sustaining Greeley in preference to Grant
But / do say that the white man who
supports Greeley is an enemy TO your and
my liberty, and that negro who does so
is an enemy to his own liberty, and there
fore the support of Greeley by white or
black man is to prove the supporter an en-
envy to liberty. tsf
The liberty recognized in this country is
a 1 ~. a 4 4
Of citizenship. Now, the negro who would
sustain Greeley, though at present "a mem
Der in good and regular standingo Of the
Conservative party Of Virginia, cannot sit
as a juror when one of his race is being
tried for any offence cannot send his child
to the common school within his own ward
if that school be not a negro school cannot
enjoy the common law rights regulating
common carriers, inns, hotels, Nc; in
short, the rights, priciieges and ialnumities
that constitute American citizenship can
not be enjoyed by him.
One portion of the Cincinnati platform
recognizes civil rights, another portion
places that palladium of our citizenship
within the power Of the Legislatures of the
States.s iial4a
We can judge Of the fate of our liberties
as citizens when the strong arm of the
Government is taken from us, and we are
committed to the tender mercies of the
States in which the dominant element is
white, and happens to be democratic, con-
sentative, liberal, or ex-rebel, whose fu-
ture conduct toward us can best be Judged
by the past and present attitude that
white men Of all these parties have taken
toward the "civil rights BILL" and the