The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-08-08

feelings aud partisan prejudice. In an
sweTing your inquiries, | can have no
feeling except for your good, which / most
anxiously seek; nor can any prejudice of
any kind be allowed to interfere-the
occasion is too sOlemn-and especially is
there no room for personal feeling or for
partisan prejudice.
NO MAN OR PARTY
can expect power except for general well
fare, therefore they must be brought to the
standard of truth, that they may be seen in
life and act. You are right in saying that
the choice for the Presidency is now mar
rowed down to President Grant or Horace
Greeley. One of these is to be taken, and
assuming my acquaintance with both, and
my observation Of their lives, you invite
my judgment between them, asking me es-
pecially which of the two. Judging from
their antecedents, as well as present position,
would enforce the constitution and laws.
your civil and political rights. with the
most heartfelt sympathy and greatest vigor.
Here | remark that in this inquiry you
naturally put your rights in the foreground.
So do /; believing most sincerely that the
best interests of the whole country are as
ISOLATED with the
CoMPLETEST RECOGNITION
of your rights, so that the two races shall
live together in unbroken harmony. / also
remark that you call attention to two
things, the antecedents of the two eandi-
dates, and secondly, the present position.
You wish to know from these which gives
assurance of most heartfelt sympathy and
greatest vigor in the maintenance of your
rights; in other words, which, Judging
from the past, viii be your trueSt friend
The communication with which you have
honored me, is not alone. Colored fellow
citizens in other parts of the country. [
may say, in nearly every State OF the Union,
have made similar requests, and some COM
plain that have thus far kept silent. / am
not insensible of this appeal; but if my
opinion is given, it must be candidly, ac-
cOrding to my conscience. In this spirit |
answer your inquiries, beginning with
THE ANTECEDENTs OF THE TWO CANDI-
DATES.
Horace Greeley was born to poverty, and
educated himself i'm printing office. Presi-
dent Grant, fortunate in early patronage,
became ca let at West POint,and was edu-
Gated at public expense. One started with
nothing but industry and character; the
hther started with a military commission.
One was trained as civilian; the other as
soldier. Horace Greeley stood forth as a
reformer and abolitiOnist. President Grant
enlisted pro-slaYery Democrat, and at
the election of James Buchanan, fortified
by his vote all pretensions of slavery, in
Guiding the Dred Scott decision. Horace
Greeley, from early life, was earnest and
constant against slavery, full of sympathy
with the colOred race, and always foremost
in the great battle for their rights. Presi-
dent Grant, except as u soldier summoned
by the terrible accident of war; never did
anything against slavery, nor has he.at any
| time shown any sympathy with the colored
race. Horace Greeley earnestly desired that
our colored fellow-citizens should vote, and
| ably championed
IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE;
but President Grant was on the other side.
| Beyond these contrasts, which are marked,
it cannot be forgotten that Horace Greeley
is person of large heart-and large under
standing; trained to the support of human
rights; always ready for any good cause,
and never deferred by opposition or re-
| proach, as when for long years he befriend-
ed your people. Add to these the qualities
conspicuous in his life, his untiring indus
| try. which leaves no monument without its
| fruits; abundant political knowledge and
| acquaintance with history, the instinct and
| grasp of craftsmanship. amiable nature,
| a magnanimous soul, and abave all, an hon.
| esty which no suspicion has touched, and
| you have a brief portraiture. These are the
ANTECEDENTs OF HORACE GREELEY.
Few of these things appear in the Presi-
dent. His great success in war and the hon.
or he has won cannot change the record of
his conduct toward your people, especially
in contrast with the lifetime fidelity of his
competitor while there are unhappy ante
cedents showing that in the prosecution of
|
race The story is painful, but it must he
told. l refer to the outrage he perpetrated
upon Hayti, with its eight hundred thou
sand blacks engaged in the great expert
ment of self-government. Here is a most
| instructive antecedent, revealing beyond
| question his true nature, and which is at
tested by documentary evidence. Conceiv-
ing the idea of
| ANNEXING DOMINICA,
which is the Spanish part of the island,
and shrinking at nothing he began by seiz-
ing the government war power, in fragrant
violation of the constitution, and then, at a
| great expenditure of money. sent several
armed ships of the navy, including mont
| tors, to maintain the usurper Baez in power,
that through him he might obtain
THE COVETED PRIZE
Not content with this audacious dictator
ship. he proceeded to strike at theindepend-
| ence of the black republic in an open mem
ace of war, and all without the sanction of
Congress, to which is committed the war
making power. Sailing into the harbor of
Port-au-Prince with oar most powerful
monitor the Dictator-properlv med for
| this service-also the frigate Severn, as con-
sort, and other monitors in their train, the
| Admiral, acting under instructions from
| Washington, proceeded to the executive
| mansion accompanied by the officers of his
squadron, and then pointing TO the great
war ships in sight from the windows, dealt
his menace of war. threatening to sink or
capture the Haytien ships The President
| was black, not white. The Admiral would
have done no such thing to any white ruler,
nor would our country have tolerated such
| a menace from any government In the
world. Here was an indignity not only to
a black republic with its population OF eight
hundred thousand, but 10 the
AFRICAN RACE EVERYWHERE,
|
did it end here. Form on this the navy OF
the United States was lowering on the coast
keeping that insulted people in constant
anxiety. while President Grant was to them
like hawk sailing in the air, and ready to
swoop upon his prey. This heartless, cruel
proceeding found victim among our white
| fellow-citIzens. An excellent merchant OF
Connecticut. praised by all who knew him,
was plunged into prison by Baez, where he
was immured because it was feared he would
write against the treaty annexation, and
this captivity was prolonged with the con-
nivance of two agents of the PreSident-one
of whom is found constantly with him, and
is part of the military ring immediateiy
about him. That such an outrage could &c
unpunished shows the little regard of the
President for human rights. whether In
white or black. / confess my trials, as was
called to witness these things, always sup
porter of the administration, and sincerely
desiring to labor with it, 1 had never utter
ed q word with regard to it. except In
kindness. My early opposition to the treaty
of annexation was reserved, so that for some
time my opinions were unknown. 1t wa:
| only when / saw the
BREACH OF ALL Law,
human and divine, that / was aroused, and
then began the anger of the President and
J his rings, military and Senatorial. Devoted
to the African race, felt for them, beside.
being humbled, this great Republic, acting
through its President. could set such an ex-
ample. where the national constitution, In
hfaraakinnal law and humanity were AL sac