National Republican., 1876-05-17
THE PRESIDENCY.
A Colored Southern Republican and sscre-
tary BristoW,
WASHINGTON, ID. c., May 9, 1875.

WASHINGTON, ID. O., May g, 1875
To the Editor of the National Republican:
SIR: Permit me to express through your COL
ums the views Of one who from the fact of his
nection with the eolored race must necessarily
| feel and manifest no inconsiderable interest in
| the affairs Of the Countrywide good or bad man
| agement ofwhch in the future will be determined
| by the result of the approaching Presidential
| election. Indeed, whether view this question
whichis now agitating the public mind with so
| much vigor and force from purely political
stand point, as exemplified by the wretehed con-
dtion Of affairs in the South, or from an economi-
cal point of view, as exemplifed by the continual
| contest between labor and capital, and the unre-
lenting oppression Of the former by the irressti-
BILE hand of the latter, am forced 10 the conclu-
sion that the interests involved in the elections to
occur next fall are far more vital TO the colOred
people than to any other people in this country,
| and for the reasons which seem to me are too
| obvious well as too numerous to mention.
only to look at the dire consequences attending
| every success of the Southern Democracy, which
| had its origin in
OPPOSITION TO HUMAN LIBERTY.
| Backed up and aided by its allies at the North
it is now continuing to wage a clandestne war
against human rights, with the hope Of resusci-
tating the dead carcass of the lost cause and re-
| establishing, If not absolute, at least nominal
| slavery. Every effort Of the Democratic party in
the South has been, is now, and will continue to
the party that emanciPated the slave, gave him
the ballot and elevated him to the true dignity of
an American citizen-a position he so justly won
| upon many a hard-cOntested field Of battle.
However completely the war and recent legisla-
tion may have settled the questions concerning
of protection of the colOred people in life liberty
and the pursuit of happiness in the South has not
| depend upon the retention of the Republican
party in power and the final abrogation of the
gs ana ney nave IN thu upon c s tba
colored people are deeply interested in the Pres-
Dental election? Not that they desire to be sub
lecs of special legislation, if such can be avoided,
but that they nay be protected in the rights
| guaranteed to citizens Of the United States by
the Constitution which they defended and pro-
tected in the same manner in which the German,
the Irish, the Jews, any other nationality
| is protected-this and nothing more. They de-
sire peace and for that peace they willing to
make any reasonable sacrifice. Is there anything
more absurd than to suppose, as is the con
colored people desire
TO DRAW THE COLOR LINE,
toinaugurate war OF and to exterminate the
Southern whites? 1t is not only absurd but as a
Iot that u has cccurred in the South proven dsa
trous to them? Considering the superior advant-
ages and facilities OF the whites over the blackss
II possible for il TO prove otherwise? The c0lored
people in these sections of this and try
10 avoid everything that will cause a collision. |
They constitute at least three fOurths Of the Ia
boring classes and their interest and wel-being
depend upon peace and good order and the friend
ship of the employer, Every disagreement be- |
fensive, and every struggle brings it defeat. /
Whatever may be said by political economists, |
II seems very clear TO me that the labOring classes
constitute at the same time the credit and debtor |
element. Labor when or where they may, they |
must go upon the credit system, and must wait, |
If necessary, no inconsiderable length of time, /
upon the tardy motion of capital. Yet the de- |
mands Of labor are urgent. Hard times or good |
times it is ell the same, the necessaries Of life
which depend upon the weekly or monthly wages
must be had, and nine tenthS of the labOring peO-
pie are forced to buy ION time"-frequently to
fhair No rin thaa
arising out Of this system so much as the people
in the cottOn-producing States, where it SO often
happens that the labOring classes do not get their
wages until after the crops have been attended, |
gathered and sold. Yet they must live during |
this interval But how BY guius in debt fyf
He is always prepared for the fluctuatiOn of trade
Does II not Manifestly follow from these consd-
erations that the eolOred people, constituting, as
tion, and subjected, as they are, to brutal out
RACES on account of their political views should
affecting alike the political and economical con-
dition Of the country than any one else? The |
battle to be fought next fall in the Presidential
canvass is for
THE PROTECTION OF AMERICAN CITIZENS
in the exercise of their Just rights for honest
and economical administration of public affairs,
for the continuation of the credit and the plghted
faith OF the Government to fulfill its obligations |
at home and abroad, and with distinct under
standing that honest men will be appointed to
office in the different States of the Union as we'll
as here at the capital, who will protect and not |
rob the tOiling laborer Of his Just earnings all of
which have direct bearing on those things upon
which the elevation and destiny of the cOlored |
people will especially depend.
We are told by the Democratic press that the |
negro, having attained his freedom and right to
vote has no longer an interest in the affairs of |
the General Government, and that as political |
element he is dead. But the absurdity Of such |
statement is obvious. He constitutes greater
political element to-day than ever before and by
his vote, where he is not prevented by the knife
and pistol, he will endeavOr TO conserve the best |
interest Of the people. A disposition on the part
of a great many of his so-called white Republican
friends to unite with Liberalism, Conservatism
and DemOcratism-all isms organized for the |
Ostensible purpose of defeating the Republican
party-has indeed caused the negro TO be greatly |
Interested in the affairs of the Government, |
which interest will continue to increase until J
every right appertaining to an American citizen /
there were many who were willing tovOtein in favor
of his right of suffrage? Were there not many
who voted for these unwilling to
VOTE FOR HIS CIVIL RIGHTS,
and in consequence of which brought defeat upon |
the Republican party in 1874? There are yet |
many TRAITORS IN lts rankS Hence AT no time
it been so imperativeIy necessary TO exercise the
utmost wisdom and caution in the selection of |
candidate for the Presidency as 1t will be at the
National Republican Convention, which meets at |
Cincinnati the l4th of next June The real ami |
mus of the Democracy has been exhibited in So
palpable 4 manner, since the meeting Of the |
present Congress- as to show to the cOlored people
that for whatever else its members may be fitted, |
it is not fitted to govern justly free country as
this is intended TO be. The people are looking |
forward for the convention to present TO them a /
candidate in whose honesty, fidelity TO the Re-
publican party and purity Of character they can |
unhesitatingly contide
No man for whose political record and official /
acts apologies are necessary will answer. No |
man who does not thoroughly comprehend the |
wretched condition into which the Democratic |
party Is trying to plunge the country, politically
In reference to the colOred people financially, in |
reference to all, and who is not willing to use all
of his constitutional powers to arrest such pre-
ciDifatiOn |
support of Republicans, black OF white. But he |
must DE man with whose name honesty is a
synOnyme, a terror to thieves, protector of the |
nations credit opposed to reputation in all of its
FORMS and who Will hunt out and drive from |
Office corrupt men of whatever party; man /
who by his every act and example and by the /
every act and ample of those whom he may |
call around him as ADVISERS VIII render the he
publican party: which fought so brayely the /
battles of the Union, what it Justly deserves,
to be noble and grand. The man who combines |
in his character all the elements necessary for |
the accomplishment of these ends and who can /
command at once the implicit confidence and re-
spect of every lover of liberty and honest govern
ment is unquestionably, it seems to me,
BENJAMIN HELM BRIsTow,
the present Secretary of the Treasury, before |
whom thieves are made to tremble and honest |
men delight to stand. ! have known Mr.. BristOw |
from my youth up, and l have never known or |
heard Of single act OF his either in connection
with white or colored men, in private or public |
life, in military or civil service, politically or pro-
fessiOnally, for which he could have the slightest
occasion to feel regret. In State where Repub- /
ncanlsm pears all the phases OIL wrong, Wnere all
the avenues to political fame success are closed
to Republicans, where previous to 1867 scarcely /
Republican newspaper existed; in State which |
was once governed by 1900 Democratic majority,
he has ever stood as firm as adamant-a Repub- |
hcan from conviction that comes from an honest /
and sincere heart. No man ever fought more per-
sstently than he in behalf of the eolored people.
He has ever advocated the great doctrine of equal
ity of all men before the law, of civil rights and
free schools and favored all measures essential to
their complete citizenship. While District At /
tOrney for the United States Court at Louisville,
hn frafn afaI hn rfsr
AGAINST THE KU-KLUN
that infested the State, and finally succeeded in
arresting most Of their leaders and visiting upon
them the penalty they so justly deserved. He is /
the same stern Republican to-day that he was /
then. and one of the few of that class who make /
distinction on account of color, but recognizes
every man according to his character and Intell-
gence. Though ho has always stood firm in his Il
convictions and looked upon by the Demo O,rats as
their most formidable opposer, yet he has always
been held in high esteem by them well as by Il
his own PARTY account of his sincerity and M