New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-04-09
The Movement for % M1Es.ssncai,

r. the Editor .fhr Se,e No,ioaal Era;
The very perceptible feeling Of an unkind
nature in your paper has no Just ground OF
defense aside from its exhibition in the mon
umcnt case il may be seen i'm fact, which,
though trivial in its import, rortrays unkind
feeling.
Hon. Gcrrit Smith addressed me letter;
he had it printed in a circular form and dis
trlbuted throughout the country. In it he
refers apprOvingly TO a letter Of mine on Civil
Rights, which was published in The Ialepen-
dent. 1t was reply to the Rev. DR.. Spier.
You copy Gerrit Smiths letter to me, but
leave out the part that shows to whom it
was addressed, also the approving allusion :;
there is suppression, evidently with mo-
tive; the omissions would not have occupied
six additional lines of a column in your
paper. The only inference is that you, to
crafty a feeling by no means commen,lable,
concealed all reference to me. NV letter
commentator by Genit Smith, il related TO
the welfare of the colorcd people, to their
rights, The Independent regarded it worthy Of
IFS columns. it was pertinent. You say you
are anxious to get all the argument: worthy
Of notice, yet you did moi copy it; this, of
course, was your privilege. l do not COM
plain; ] only refer to it in evidence of the
existence of some feeling on your part, and as
interpreting your alll,sion TO me in the other
matter.
l shall not permit myself to be drawn into
controversy about the movement started
in this District to erect Il monument to the
Hon. Charles Sumner; il is quite evident
who had hand in making up the columns of
this weeks issue it should be known that
Frederick Douglass did not, that Lewis III.
Douglass was absent; that another person,
party to the controversy, was in the office.
1t would have exhibited less partialty,
more Of desire to have the truth known
about the monument controversy, had my
letter been published, had there been given
the truthful reports of the meeting as fur
nished by the several reporters of the daily
press the following morning, instead of false
reports made up not by you.
have not deemed it necessary to seek any
vlndication Of my character. have solicited
no cards. l have no imputation upon me
either in this District, in Mississippi, in Lou
isiana, in Virginia, in New York, in Massa-
chusetts, in England or anywhere else of
being either an inebriate, a debauchee, a col
iector of funds under false pretenses, pur-
ioiner of other persons property, delrauder
OF creditors, have never seen the need Of
changing my name. l need no cards of de-
fense
The gentlemen who solicited my co-opera-
ton in an effort to bring before the public
plan to erect a monument to Charles Sum-
ner, are honest, earnest, and intelligent per-
sons whose character are above suspicion.
was invited in good faith to join them l
did SO in like spirit they selected me their
chairman without solicitation on my part,
without my knowledge, while was in Dos
ton attending Mr.. Summers funeral. l am
disposed to retire from the position would
gladly do so, but know enough of the dia-
: oolical and destructive spirit OF those who
would drive me to such resolve, to be as