National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-08

and is entitled to the gratitude and support of
every patriotic man and womanin the country.
At the close of the rebellion the North wanted
peace and the South wanted peace; everybody
wanted peace. All were agreed as to the de-
sirableness of peace. The trouble was, how
ever, there was bound to be two kinds of peace.
There was the peace that comes from just
respect by each for the rights Of all, and by
all for the rights of each-a peace which
arises spontaneously from the sentiment Of a
common welfare, and the absence of privi-
legged classes. This is the peace which the
colored citizens of the South want. This is
the peace which the Republican party and the
President of the United States have honestly
and wisely endeavored to establish in all the
States lately in rebellion against the Govern
ment.
But there is another kind Of peace-a peace
which arises out of the relation of slavery-a
peace which may be seen and felt in prison,
where every prisoner is kept within the heavy
iron bars of his celia peace where the heels
of one class are on the necks of another. We
had enough of that sort Of peace in the old
times. 1t was the friends of this sort of peace
who arrayed themselves in rebellion, and with
broad blades and bloody hands sought to cut
in two the Republic. They failed, surren-
dered, and it was hoped that when they laid
down their arms they also laid down their
cause. believe that for q time this was done,
but, unhappily, part of the Southern people
evidently now hope to regain something Of
the lost cause by means other than open rebel
lion, and it is with them we now have to deal.
ID in via of RI al
structures of the New York Tribune and the
Sunday Capital upon the following sentiment
contained in a series of resolutions adopted by
representative colored men now in Washing
ton concerning the outrages which have pre-
vailed in the Southern States:
"There is still one other alternative to which
we are exposed-one which is truly fearful to
contemplate. Human nature is the same
everywhere. There are many varities OF man,
hut only one human nature, and 1t is possible
that, stung by madness and desperation by
continued and unceasing outrages, and seeing
no means of escape, a spirit of retaliation and
revenge NAV be aroused which will fill the
South with scenes of rapine, blood and fire.
To avoid this catastrophe we earnestly appeal
to Congress for the action already mentioned,
and we invite the sympathy and support to
this appeal of all the lovers of liberty and
order throughout the country"
Such, then, is the Objectionable part of the
resolutions. Strangely enough, both the Tri-
6pile and the Capital have mistaken this state
ment and treated as a threat what was intended
as an argument; have construed wall of
despair into stamp Of defiance. To say that
a natural consequence of injustice and violence
is to invite injustice and violence, or that like
begets like, is Dangerous political sugges-
ton"
Alas! for the colored citizens of the South if
this is so. The serpent may hiss, the crushed
worm may turn, the wild beast may warn the
hunter of dangerous pursuit, but you, colored
man, must not say that there is even a post
biHty of danger to the midnight riders and
murderers by whom you are slaughtered, lest
your saying so will be considered as an invita-
ton of war of races.
The fact that that resolution is so read at
the North by such journals as the Tribune is
one of the darkest features of the situation.
A Catholic may say to Protestant If you burn
my cathedral you make your own church edi-
fee insecure; if you prosecute, you, yourselves,
may be prosecuted; but the colored man must
not say to the white man ''you had better let
me be" without being told that he is using
unbecoming and dangerous language.
The trouble with the Tribune and also with
the Capital is that they have two sets of prin-
ciples, two sets of scales, one class for whites
aud another for blacks. They speak in diff
ferent tone to the one race from that employed
in addressing the other, and thus unconsciously
confess the existence of the very grievance
which we have asked to have redressed.
They represent the old, rather than the new,
the constitution Of bondage, rather than the
constitution Of justice and equal rights, and
the fact that these papers hold this position
tells the colored citizen that he has yet cause
to plead and heavy obstacles to overcome.
But the Tribune is entirely mistaken in sup
posing that the resolutions in question had
any reference to the passing of the so-called
civil rights bill. The sole purpose which the
signers of those resolutions had in view was
the protection to life and property of loyal
people, without regard to race or color.
Now, Mr.. Editor, in conclusion, I admit that
the language of the resolutions is strong, but
is it stronger than the circumstances call forl
What have we seen during these three years
Three thousand of our people murdered in a
single State thousands escaping from Geor-
gia to Mississippi; sentiment abroad in the
South which gets itself expressed by ruffian
tongues, Ono more harm TO shoot Niger than
to shoot bear )" fifty shot down in the streets
of New Orleans, one hundred in Coushatta; fifty
at Grant parish !; half hundred in Vicks-
burg; and not single murderer punished. In
view of such q state of facts, the words of
those resolutions are almost contemptibly tame
and heartless. The negro is docile, amiable,
and slavery may have made him serTile, but
ga mans a man for a. that" and because he
is a man, he may be stung by oppression to
despair and crime.
Now a word to Faneuil Hall and Cooper In
stitute. l think It strange that while Ku-Klux
and White Leagues have been burning school
houses, numbering school mistresses, shooting
down men in the streets of New Orleans, you
have remained silent as the tomb. You have
had no word of pity for the persecuted-none
of rebuke for our murderers ; but, strange to
say, Just so soon as Grant and Sheridan extend
the arms of the Republic to arrest and prevent
the further shedding of blood, your eloquent
voices are heard in laundering tones of denun-
citation.
In view of the violence at the South and the
tone Of many powerful presses in the country,
might be alarmed for the future, both for my
race and for the country, but there are grounds
of hope, and feel their inspiration. The times
are perilous, but there is steady hand at the
helm Of our ship of state and strong handed
loyal crew on deck. The party Of freedom and
progress is not yet disbanded, though traitors
have endeavored to disband it. The loyal
people, however much they may BE- divided
upon local issues, will, when the time comes
for action, see to it that this Government shall
be kept in the hands of loyal men, while there
s enough of disloyalty at the South to require
the presence of military force to stay the hand
of disloyal violence.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
NATIONAL sANITARIUM.