New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-07-02

T. tht Editor crhe Ne,o National Era:
SIR: l have not for long time taken any
active part in the civil and political questions
of the day, although feeling the most lively
interest in each as they have sprung up from
time to time. l have been, and still am,
willing to leave the management of these
questions in the hands of our more able
writers and speakers. But having seen in
your valuable journal Of the 4th instant two
propositions which regard TO be of the first
Importance to us in our struggle for equal
rights, and fearing they might be passed over
without that notice to VIZ; Ii think you will
agree with me they are entitled. You will
greatly obige an old citizen by allowing me
small space in your valuable and much
read journal, in which L wish to endorse said
propositions, and appeal to our able writer's
and speakers to utilize and keep them con-
SANITY in view. The first proposition to
which referi is contained in letter addressed
by the Hon. Mr.. Alcorn to Hon. Frederick
Douglass -"Let us be logical, and we shall
be just and will add, we shall succeed.
The second is contained, if am not mis-
taken, in an editorial of the same date-"We
must become possessors of lands, home
stead,' &c.
Sir, in taking a view of the whole situa-
ton, the ground over which we have come.
aud the means that have brought us on thus
Tar; then onward to what is vet to be
gained, and the enemies vet to be conquered
to ME it appears plain that these two pro-
fai,, "a, Ill Al.
that are necessary on our part in order to
secure complete success, and fortunately they
are both at our command. Now take the
first proposition-"Le us be logical" &c.
Sir, it is not my purpose, had the ability,
here to elaborate upon the nature, rules,
&C., in logic; but all who have given the
least attention, know the use and power of
logic in everything-science, morals, govern
ment, and religion-and l think l am safe
IN saying there never was a greater, if equal,
demonstration, both Of its use and power, in
governments, as has been seen i'm the revo-
luton of our own Government within the last
few years past. Here it is to be borne in
mind that this revolution was not effected
by the abrogation Of the old Constitution,
and the substitution of new instrument
That fact shows more cOnspicuously the
power of logic and l would have it ever
kept in mind and permeate all arguments in
defense of our rights, that in the hour when
our nation stood trembling in the midst of
the surrounding nations, with one-halt of the
States broken off, and were merely held for
the time being by the national military, (and
well-mixed at that,) aud the emancipation |
proclamation gone forth and while the great
question, "What is TO be done with the ne
gro:' was still political problem, then it
was that the immortal Charles Sumner
stepped forth in the United States Senate,
planting himself squarely upon the old Con-
stitution, by the power of logic brought out,
in a national and political sense, the inter-
probation of Samson's riddle, "Out of the
eater came meat, and out of the strong came
forth sweetness :" and the enemies of justice
are not yet willing to interpret it; and hold
that we must hold them to it until they do,
by the force of logic, of which he was master.
lie proved from that old instrument, which
had hitherto been interpreted and admins
tered in the maintenance Of slavery, THAT
the only true government authorized by that
instrument is republican in FORM" second,
That it is the duty of Congress to guarantee
to each State government, republican in
form )" third: by the law of the civilized
world all men are citizens Of the country in
which they are born - and as it could not
be proved that the negroes were less than
men, they were, of course, a portion of the
nationality or body polite" These facts
having been irrefutably established, the way
was clear for the necessary legislation to
bring the Constitution and laws up to this
primary design, foreshadowed in the Pream-
ble and Constitution of the United States I;
and thus we have the thirteenth, fourteenth,
and fifteenth amendments. And here, sir,
is our impregnable fort and stronghold, from
whence we bring out our claims and argu-
ments. When this much had been gained
slavery was now dead and buried and the
friends Of justice laid down their amor,
thinking that 'all was well ;" but 10! and
behold! here comes prejudice with all the
hatred, malice, and injustice peculiar to the
slave system, which the immortal Sumner
thc SuOst vi l-ct Us
thank God that he is dsarmed of the power
of law. His mode of attack is confined to
that of sophistry, evasion, and stealth.
Sir, there is maxim in the practice of
physics that opposites must be used in GER
tam cases. Poisons, for instance, in order
to effect cure. That maxim is good in this
case. Ii is well known fact that neither
slavery nor his ghost was never known to be
logical, and that has always been their weak
ness. So that we cannot doubt that the
same force or forces that killed slavery will,
If not destroy his ghost, drive him into
secluded quarters, where we claim to have
no further business with him. We can hope
to do but little by the cry for sympathy, hui
manty, and the like. We all know that
both slavery and prejudice have trampled
humanity In the dust when they were clothed
with the arm Of law. So we must give him
logic" as Mr.. Alcorn says. Go to the
bottom; dig out the foundation on which he
stands, expose his fallacy; here We have the
advantage of all laws, both human and
divine, and all true history. Well do re-
member the great sensation created at Wash
ington when Hon. Daniel Webster in his
great compromise speech in 1850, brought
oui the historical fact that slavery never
existed in any country IN the same ground