New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-05-21
SELMA, ALA, May l3, 1872

SELMA, ALA, May ID, 1872.
4, the Editor Of the EeD National Era.
DEAR SIR: feel that [ am called upon
in justification of myself and to vindicate the
charges as alleged in my last communication
to your incstimable and very valuable paper
for the reason that "deficd truthful con-
tradiction," and again you say in your COM
ment, "thc allusion to the Hon. Alexander
White, made by our correspondent at Selma,
Alabama, does that gentleman injustice.
Mr.. White is in favor of the Civil Rights Bill,
and will vote for it. There is not a more
earnest man in Congress in the desire to
bring this nation up to the full triumph of
liberty, justice, and civil and political equal
ity for all men than is the Hon. Alexander
White" Now, 1 must either cxtricatc myself
by way of proof, or else remain self
convicted liar. And why? Because have
invited truthful contradiction" And upon
this invitation the Notional Republican, of this
city, comes to the rescue with the following:
"SOmc individual in this district, signing
himself w. j. Stevens, pretending to believe
otherwise, writes bitter, vindictivc, and
scurrillous letter to the NEW ERA, in which
the writer not only dcnounces Brombcrg, a
Democrat, who was elected to Congress from
the district, owing to a misunderstanding be-
tween the Republicans, but has displayed
a vast amount of either ignorance in tho
matter to which he refers, or an unwarranta-
BILE prejudice in his allusion to the Hon.
Alexander Whitc.'
Before adduce the proof of Mr.. Whites
insinccrity of his advocacy of the Civil Rights
Bill, think had better dispose of the Edi-
tor of the National RepuJlcaa. lie starts off
in this paragraph, by saying, "some indi-
vidual," with his great pomposity and pre-
sumptuousness, that he did not know who
was. Now it may not say much for the editor
OF a Republican paper, of a Republican
county, TO say that he docs not know the
chief deputy tax collector; but my friend is
cXcusablc, from the fact that he has not been
in Dallas long enough to know who am.
In Fact, it cannot be expected that green
countryman can be as expert in finding out
who the citizens arc as one who is born and
raised in our midst. would like to know
what induced the Editor Of the Republican
to desert his county (Talladego) to come here,
where he is the honorcd Representative
l think this will answer the whole story.
White and Parsons, the great political
sharks OF the age, has conceived the idea OF
being the masters of Alabama and in fur.
thcrance of this idea they thought they must
establish new paper in the cotton belt, so
there would be no trouble in handling the
negro. Hence it is they have brought the
Representative from TalladegO to Selma to
edit and run this paper. But now to SUBJ
stantatc the allegations of my last letter,
that "the Hon. Alexander White had been
weighed in the balance and found wanting )"
The best evidence that he intended to
defraud the colored element of the Republi-
can party of this State is that he ran for two
Offices at the same timc-One for Represen-
taIivc from Dallas, and the other as Con-
gresham from the State at large. Twill not
consume your valuable space by references
as found in the Journal for the wears 1872.
1873, for there the 'facts and figures" stands
Tor themselves, and any one can see then,
that wish to do so, and they will show to
any impartial mind that MIR. White lodged
and cvaded the Civil Rights Bill as intro
duced by the talented and able member from
Barbour, A. +. Williams, (colored.) This,
the original Civil Rights Bills, emanated from
the Civil Rights Association, which the Hon.
James T. Rapier has the honor of being
its President until this day. will not give
you my words, but quote from the Mobile
IVatc1man, whose authority presume will
not be questioned in this matter:
I'VE were on the floor of the House when
the Hon. A. E. Williams, of Barbour, intro
duccd bill for the protection of oil citizens
of Alabama in their civil rights and 10 furnish
the means for their vindication. The intro
duction of this bill brought Mr.. White to hi
feet, who attack cd the measure with tn,
venom of a demon and the unfairness of f;
dcmagoguc. He charged upon the friends O
| the measure that it was Democratic move
and that the colorcd members were being useG
| by NE Democrats to introduce chaos ant
division into the Republican party, and thai
| if this bill should be placed upon the statute
books that blood and destruction would din
ceased his bitter opposition to the Civi
Rights Bill until he had succeeded in array
ing every white Republican from North Ala
bama, with but two exceptions, against it
passage. And thus did he insure the defea
of the Civil Rights Bill"
| Now, would like to know what prompts
| two of the ablest colorcd members Their
were in the House to inform Mr.. White tina
they held him responsible for the defeat Q
the Civil Rights Bill that he had deceive
the colercd people who had sent him to REP
resent them in the Legislature of Alabama
and that he should never again possess tn
confidence of the colored men of Alabama
who had entrusted him with their destiny il
point of civil rights. The gentlemen whom
1 alluded to are A. E. Williams and G S
w. Lewis.
1 will now quote from Democratic pape
which 1 have at hand After showing u
all the members of the House, how tho
voted, and how they lodged the question
the Selma Times concluded as follows: 81
will be seen by an examination of the abov
! list that number of white Republican
lodged the question. Bonnie Blue Viii,
!. was sent for by the House, as we'll as otht