New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-05-28
WASHINGTON, May %, 1874.

WASHINGTON, May %, 1874.
To he Editor Of the Memo National Era:
Until Friday night last favored the cree
ton of monument in honor Of our late great
friend and Benefactor, Charles Sumner, un-
der the plan Of Geo. T. Downing and others.
/ was sorry to see such feeling manifested
in opposition to it.
don't think the colored people Of the
District are opposed to having a monument,
but they do differ in reference to the mode
Of raising the money to accomplish the good
work, and this difference cannot be healed
in my opinion by Downing, Green & Co. IS
striking at the New NATIONAL ERA, nor
by their mean and cowardly insinuations to
the effect that the ERA is opposed to the
erection Of monument, and that it has in
jured the prospect of raising funds for that
object.
Now, MIR. Downing, / am aware of the
fact that the publishers of the NEW Ma
TIoNAL ERA have struggled hard, at great
pecuniary sacrifice, to maintain an organ in
the interest of the colored race, and feel
free to say that l know of no other colored
young men in the country who have labored
harder and sacrificed more to keep this organ
afioat, and l think it i'll becomes you, one of
our leading colOred men, to slur and Islander
the ERA simply because it may differ from
your plan Of erecting a monument in honor
of Charles Sumner. have reason to believe
that its Editor means to be fair to all. its
columns are open to you, or any other cOlOred
man who feels aggrieved at any course il has
taken.
No. brother Downing, must be a little
plain with you. have heard you slur the
ERA at different times and in a way and
. manner which tended to injure it. and from
all that | can see your motives are merely
personal. What the people want is monu-
ment; they care not for your pricate differ
ences; if you are in the way, why not step
aside and let the good work go Oh why per-
sist in leading, when you have so teo fol-
lowers. Don't keep up such spiteful cry
against the only journal published in the
District in the interest Of our people, simply
because it fails to agree with you in every
thing, for every one knows that if the ERA
supported all your measures you would have
no fault to find.
Friend Downing, as between you, the mon
ument, and your difference with the ERA,
am in favor of standing by the journal which
has been of so much service in the past, and
which you would miss, should you succeed
in putting an end to it, as much as any other
colored man in the country. AS the present
personal differences can be OF no service to
us, hope Mr.. Downing will give US a rest
by quietly stepping as:de--that is, if he really
wishes the monument erected.
A FRIEND OF THE MONUMENT.
sThe president of the Sumner Monument
Association, at its meeting on Friday evening
last, made the false statement that the ERA
would not publish the bylaws of that asso-
citation. because Of hostility to its president,
and then went on with his usual foolish
abuse of this paper. The hostility to its
president is hostility to the gratuitous indlg-
mites he has attempted to heap upon US.
Is there not respec: enough for the mem-
DRY of Charles Sumner, in the Monument
Association of this city, to prevent its meet
ings being degraded by the winnings of its
conceited president: Why should those
meetings waste time in listening to the
croakings of that disturber Of every debera-
tiiv body with which he has ever been con-
nected: The pretended floor manager of
the House of Representatives is the real
obstacle in the way Of the success of the asso-
citation. Get rid of him and one or two dead
beats who have no visible means OF gaining
a livelihood, and there will be some hope for
the association.