New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-06
speaker Blaine 40 Senator sumner

ton on the second instant:
AUGUSTA; Ne, July 81.
tn Hon Charles Sumner, United States Senator
Or.R STR-Your letter published in the
napers OF this morning viii create profound
nam and regret among yOur former pUliLi
cal friends throughout New England. Your
mower 10 iDjure General Grant was ex
baustcd in your remarkable speech III the
Senate. Your power TO iniure yourself was
moi exercised until you announced an open
alliance with the Southern secessUnisJ5 in
their efforts 10 destroy the Republican parry
the nation.
. Ihave but recently read, with much inter
est the circumstanLial and minute account
given by Won in the fourth volume Of your
WOrks Of the manner in which yOu were
were struck down ia the Senate chamber in
1856 for defending the rights Of negro.
The Democratic party throughout the
South, and, according to your own showing,
to some extent in the North also, approved
of that assault upon you. Mr. ToOmbs, Of
Georgia, openly announced hls approval Of
il in the Senate, aud Jefferson Davis, four
months after its occurrence, wrote a letter
to South Carolina in tuisOme euOgy Of
Brooks for having so nearly taken your
life,
1t is safe to say that every man in the
South who rejOiced over the attempt TO
murder you, was aiterward found in the
rebel conspiracy to murder the nation 1t
is still safer 10 say that every one Of them
who survived is, to-day, your fellow laboreT
in the support of Horace Greeley. In 1856
he would, indeed, have been a rash prophet
vino would have predicted your fast al
lance sixteen years after with Messrs
TOOmbs and Davis in their efforts TO rein
state their own party in power.
In all the startling mutations Of Ameri-
can politics, nothing so marvellous has ever
lao f.Il ..F E.1..
Toombs, Jefferson Davis and Charles Sum
ner in Joint effort to drive the Republican
party from power and hand over the gov
eminent to the practical control Of those
who 80 recently sought to destroy il.
1t is of no avail for you to take refuge be-
hind the Republican record OF Horace
Greeley. Conceding for the sake Of argu-
ment, as | do not in fact believe, that
Horace Greeley would remain firm in his
Republican principles, he would be power
less against the Congress that would come
into power with him in the event Of his
election.
We have had recent and striking Illus
tratiOn in the case Of johnson of the in
ability Of the President to enforce his policy
or even a measure against the will Of Con
gress; what more power would there be in
Horace Greeley to enforce a Republican
policy against a Democratic Congress than
there was in Andrew johnson to enforce
Democratic policy against a Republican
Congress! and besides Horace Greeley has
already in his letter OF acceptance taken
the ground practically against the Repub-
lican doctrine so often enforced by himself,
of the duty Of the national government
10 secure the rights Of every citizen to
the protection OF life, person and property.
Ia Mr.. GTeeley's letter accepting the Gin
cinnati nomination, he pleases every Ku-
Klux villain in the South by repeating the
Democratic cant about local self-govern-
ment, and inveiglring, in good rebel par
lance, against Capitalization, and finally de-
claring that there ehall be no federal sub
version of the internal policy Of the several
States and municipalities, but that each
shall be left tree TO enforce the rights and
promote the wGll-beiDg Of its inhabitants
by such means as the Judgment of its own
people may prescribe. The meaning of all
this IN plain English ia, thatnO matter how
the cOloTed 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 the
local self government administered by white
rebels. he Fe42, - = friend tn the GOlnred
men, approve OF this position OF Mr.. Gree
leyl
You can not forget, Mr. Sumner, how
often during the late session of Congress
You conferred with me as to the possibility
of having your civil rights bill passed by
the House. 1t WAS introduced by your
personal friend, Mr.. Hooper, and nothing |
prevented its passage by the House except |
the TauCOrOus and factions hostility of the |
Democratic members. II | have correctly |
examined the Globe, Democratic members !
un seventeen different occasions resisted |
the passage Of the civil rights bill by "A |
parliamentary process known as tlibuster- |
ing. They would not even allow il to come !
to q vote.
IL -.
South Carolina Elliott aud Raney) begged |
OF the Democratic side Of the House to |
allow the civil rights bill to be voted on, |
and they were answered with q denial so |
absolute that il Amounted to a sCOrnful jeer |
of the rights Of the COlored man, and now |
you lend your voice and influence to the re- |
election of these Democratic members who |
are cooperating with you in the support of |
Mr.. Greeley.
Do you not know, Mr.. Sumner, and win |
you not, as "A candid mar, acknowledge that |
with these men in power in Congress the /
rights OF the COlOred men are absolutely |
sacrificed 50 far as those rights depend on 1
federal legislation Sui further, the rights /
OF culured men in this country are secured |
If secured ut all, by tho three great consti-
tutional ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS thirteenth, four /
ttenth and fifteenth. 10 give these amend
mcn tull scope and eject legislation by
Congress is imperatiyely required, as yOu
have 80 often and so eluquonuy demons
tratcd; but the Democratic party are on !
record in the most conspicuous manner |
agaust any legislation on Tue subject
II was only IN the month OF February |
last tha my colleague, Mr. Peters, offered !
"A resolution in the House of Representa- !
tiyes affirming the validity of the Cunstitu-
tiUnal smt-udm ms, and OF such reasonable 1
legislation of Congress as may be nee ssary /
to make them in their letter and spirit most |
This resolution. very mild and /
guar d. d, az you will see, WAS adopted by /
l2l YEAS to % nays. Only eight of the |
yeas were Democrats; all of the nays |
were Democrats. The resolution Of Mr. |
Peters Was followed week iarer by one /
offered by MIR. Stevenson, of Ohio as fol
lows.
"HesolUed, That We recognize as valid and |
hlnulnL all of the existing laws passed by |
Congress for the enforcement of the thir-
toeI'h, fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments iu the constitution Of the United |
States. and Tor the protection IF citizens in
their rights under the constitution as
amended"
On u vote upon this resolution there we're
l07 y, aS 10 % nays All of the yeas were
Republicans, and they Hry now unanimous |
in zrprurt of General Grant; all of the
nays we're Democrats. who are nov equally |
unanimous in support of Nj. Greeley.
n IL idle 10. ath m Hs some Democrats |
did M resolution offered by Mr. Brooks, |
OF NV York that ".hv-e amendments are |
valid PARTS of the constitution SO long as |
the -.ur men On the same day vote that
the prov l-iuns of those amendments should
not be enforced by congressional lcgisla-
ton. Amendments are but " sounding |
brass and tmkliug cymbal-" to the COlOred |
man Uutll Congress makes them elective
BuU practical; nay, mort. ii the rights Of |
the Culurcd man are to be left to the legis- !