The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-08-03
BY TELEGRAPH.
WASHINGTON.
Letter from Speaker Blaine to Senator
Sumner.
WASHINGTON.
Some Hard Facts for the Great
Senator.

oCMhtOAs
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-The following letter
has been transmitted to the press:
AUGUSTA, Maine, July 81, 1872.
Hon. Charles Sumnsr,-U. S. Senator:
DEAR SIR:-Your letter, published in the pa
pers of this morning, will create profound pain
and regret among yonr former political friends
throu ghout New England. Your power to in
jure Gen. Grant was exhausted in your remark
able speech in the Senate. Your power to in
jure Yourself was not fully exercised until you
announced an open alliance with the Southern
Secessionsts in their efforts to destroy the Re
publican party of the nation.
have but recently read with much interest
the circumstantial and minute account given
by you in the-fourth volume of your Works, of
the manner in which you were struck down in
the Senate Chamber in 1856, for defending the
rights of the Negro. The Democratic party
throughout the South, and according to your
own showing to some extent in the North also,
approved that assault upon you. Mr.. Toombs
of Georgia, openly announced his approval of
it in the Senate, and Jefferson Davis, four
months after it's occurrence, wrote letter to
South Carolina in fnlsome eulogy 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 afterwards
found in the Rebel conspiracy to murder the
Nation 1t is still safer to say that every ono
of them who survives is to-day your fellow Ia
borer in support of Horace Greeley. In 1856
he would indeed have been rash prophet who
predicted your fast alliance sixteen years after
with Messrs. Toombs and Davis in their efforts
to reinstate their own party in power. In all
the startling mutations of American politics
nothing 50 marvellous has ever occurred as the
fellowship of ROBERT TOOMBS, JEFFER-
SON DAVIS and CHARLES SUMNER in a
joint effort to drive the Republican party from
power and hand over the Government to the
sought to destroy it.
1t is of no avail for you to take refuge behind
the Republican record of Horace Greeley. Con-
ceding, for the sake of argument, (as do not
in fact believe,) that Horace Greeley would re-
main firm in the Republican principles, he
would be powerless against the Congress that
would come into power with him in the event
of his election. We have had a recent and
striking illustration in the case of Andrew
johnson, of the inability of the President to
enforce policy or even measure, against the
there be in Horace Greeley to enforce Repub
lican policy against Democratic Congress than
there was in Andrew Johnson to enforce DEM
ocratc policy against Republican Congress?
And besides, Horace Greeley has already, in
his letter of acceptance taken ground practi-
cally against the Republican doctrine so often
enforced by yourself, of the duty of the Ma
tiOnal Government to secure the rights of every
citizen to protection of life, person and proper
ty. In Mr.. Greeley's letter accepting the Gin
cnnati nomination, he pleases every Ku-Klux
cratic cant about ''local selfgoverrment," and
inveighing in good Rebel parlance against
''centralizdtion' and finally declaring that
"there shall be no FEDERAL SUBVERSION
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 inabitants BY SUCH MEANS
AS THE JUDGMENT OF IT'S OWN PEOPLE SHALL
PRESCRIBE"
Lie u1edulLS VI al tIils III pltbiu A1nSiioh 10
that no matter how the colored citizens of the
South may be abused. wronged and oppressed,
Congress shall not interfere for their protec-
ton, but leave them to the tender mercies of
the 'local self government" administered by
the white Rebels. Do you as friend to the
colored man approve this position of Mr.
Greeley?
You cannot forget, Mr.. Sumner, how often
during the late session of Congress You con-
ferred with me in regard 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 rancorous
and factious hostility of the Democratic mem
bers If have correctly examined the Globe,
the Democratic members on seventeen differ
ent occasions resisted the passage of the Civil
Rights Bill by the Parliamentary process
known as fillibustering." They would not
even allow it to come to a vote Two intelli-
gent colored members from South Carolina,
Elliott and Rainey, 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 a scornfu1 jeer iof the rights of
the colored man. And now you lend your
voice and influence to the reelection of these
Democratic members who are cooperating
with you in the support of MI Greeley. Do
you not know, Mr.. Sumner, and will you not
as a candid man acknowledge that with these
men in power in Congress, the rights of the
colored men are absolutely sacrificed SO far as
those rights depend on Federal legislation =?
Still further: the rights of the colored men
in this country arc secured, if secured at all,
by the three great Constitutional amendments,
the 18th, 14th and 18th. To give these amend
ments full scope and effect, legislation by Con.
gress is imperatively required as you have SC
often and so eloqnently demonstrated But
the Democratic party are on record in the most
conspicuous manner against any legislation on
the subject 1t was only in the month of Feb
ruary last that my colleague, Mr. Peters, offer
ed a resolution in the House of Representa-
tives affirming ''the validity of the Constitu
tional amendments and of such REASONABLE
| legislation of Congress AS MAY BE NEcEssAR,
| to make them in their letter and spirit mos
effectual." This resolution very mild and
guarded, as you will see-was adopted by 124
yeas to So nays only EIGHT of the YEAS were
Democrats; ALL the NAYS were Democrats.
The resolution of Mr.. Peters was followed {
week later by one offered by Mr.. Stephenson
| of Ohio as folows:-
"Resolved, That we recognize as valid and
Grinding all existing laws passed by Congress
"for the enforcement of thirteenth, fourteenth
"and fifteenth amendments of the Constitution
"of the United States, and for the protection of
g citizens in their rights under the Constitution
"as amended"
On the vote upon this resolution there were
10Y YEAS to Is NAYS. ALL THE YEAS were Re
publicans, and they are now unanimous in sup
port OF President Grant. All the nays wer,
Democrats, who are now equally unanimous il
support of Mr. Greeley
1t IS idle to affirm as some Democrats did, il
a resolution offered by Mr.. Brooks of New Yorl
that these amendments are valid parts of tn,
Constitution" SO long as the same men on tn
same day vote that the provisions of thos
amendments should not be enforced by Con
gressonal legislation. The amendments ar