National Republican., 1880-05-26
MIR. TURNER'S GRIEvANcE.

To the Editor of The National Republican,:
SIR: On several occasions my attention has
been invited to articles Of attack upon me pub
lished without signature in your paper. Those
articles purported to have been written by ne
gro citizens of the District and were filled with
wailings at what they claimed to be the nature
of my opposition to the migration of negro
citizens from the southern to other sections of
our country My inclination has been to treat
the wild, MunChausen-lille imaginary notions
of the oflicious 'colored citizens Of the District"
referred to with the severe silence they merit
in the affair. But since you, it would seem
from your editorial upon that subject which
appears in your issue of Friday last have been
imposed upon by these rumors to the extent of
dignifying them into editorial notice / con-
sent, though reluctantly, to depart from my
original intention TO place you right,
and l am, my dear sir of opinion that
when | assure you that 1 have never
given public utterance in Washington to
one word in evidence (nor outside thereof
concerning the migration Of negroes, you will
agree with me that your informants are even
more quixotic than that Spanish don himself,
with the tremulOus SanchO PanZa thrown in
to swell the license of their erratic imagina-
tion. ! am confident that your sense fjustce,
and in any case to avoid prejudgment, will ac-
cord to my denial Of this would-be scandal tho
same high prominence and wide circulation as
you have given to the erroneous statement
itself.
As you mention also the fact that I am di-
rectng the movement looking to the hon
orablc naming of Senator BRUCE for the vico.
presidency OF the United States, will simply
remind you that that able gentleman is the
only one of my race remaining prominently in
American public life it is not, therefore sur
prising that instead of relegating him, the
more intellectual negroes of our country have
determined upon crystallizing him into perma.
nent prominence. 1t is only consistent and
natural that we should confidently expect the
republican party to concede to us that cxpecta-
tion. Very respectfully,
J. MILToN TURNER.
We give place to the above not to pro-
yoke further discussion on this matter, but
to allow Mr.. TURNER TO have his say in
explanation of his attitude on the exodus
question He has been charged with giving
testimony before the exodus committee,
and in this he may have been misrepre-
sented. His connection with that com.
mittee has this extent, as appears by the
record. lie was subp@naed before the COM
mittee for the reason, no doubt, that he was
understood not to be in accord with that
movement. lie obeyed the summons of
the law like good citizen, came to Wash
ington, has been in attendance for some
weeks-las drawn some $17S from the
treasury for that service, but has not as yet
been put upon the stand to testify. These
are the lacts-as we ascertain them from
what we regard to be reliable sources of
iormalion-relating to Mr.. TURNER'S con-
nection with the exodus question. We
find nothing in that record inconsistent
with the character and rights Of an Ameri-
can citizen. If he was suspected Of being
the repository of important information
valuable to democratic committee, if not
to the country, and under that sus-
pcion he was called for by sub
pnua-it was his duty to respond.
| II on his arrival here the committee tapped
him to get a sample Of his knowledge
found that it had been misrepresentod us to
| its value, and this witness was discarded
paid off and discharged, it was no fault oil
Mr., TURNER, who had been ruthlessly
dragged from the comforts Of home to make
a long and tedious journey to the national
capital. The colored MUNCHAUsENs aud
DON QUIXorEs of Washington, as Mr.
| TURNER is pleased to denomuate portion