National Republican., 1880-04-02

DuL 10 lB necessary bnNb ut NlVul' p',h' '''S
stamp of one who will unninchingly and fear
lessly protect all men in those cardinal rights
of life liberty, and the pursuit OF happiness
embedded in the Constitution rs the founda'
ton Of the Republic and the cornerstone OF
the civic society Of the Nation. In short, he
must be uncompromisng, both as to his past
as we'll us his present course Of public life, IN
regard to the oft.disputcd rights of tho negro
as a citizen. Can John Sherman fill tho bill?
/ think that the careful reader of my friend
Mr.. Hollands letter will answer In tho mega
tive.
Now, will endoavor to show what to my
mind seem serious inconsistencies in the past
public life Of the great fnOucicr,p as shown
by Mr.. Hollands letter itself relating to tho
rights of the colore1 citizen, as well as tho
significant bearing those sud Inconsistencies
have to the lato course Of Mr.. Sherman to tho
negro of tho South. In Mr.. Shcrman's speech
in the Senate on February ., 1864, Mr.. Hol.
land tells of his saying concerning slavery
that, "It is obnoxious to every manly and
generous sentiment. Tho idea that ono may
hold property Ia the life Of anothor-may sell
him like cattle--is obnoxious to the common
sentiment Of ALL" This is grand aud noble
sentiment, but l fail to sec tho concord of
principle between II and tho following, which
appears In the same speech Then, sir, |
would couple with that idea fair, honest com
pcnsation to those loyal men who in the ad.
herring States own this class of property"
Now is this not q species of base compromise
between right and wrong? Isn't 1t ackuowl-
edgng some technical legal right for holding
property in man ? Doesn't it show weak
ness somewhere in the author of such incon-
sistcnt principles2 Doesn't it smack greatly
of the bnse compromise entered into Mt Louis
lana at the incoming of the present Admins
tration, in which the rights orthousands Of col.
ored citizens in South Carolina, Louisiana and
Florida were sacrificed to tho profit aud OK.
altation of u few men into high Office ut the
expense of tho destruction Of three justly cs.
tablished governments by the votes Of u ma.
jority of tho people? Doesn't it appear as If
the John Sherman of 1864 in the Senate reap
peared in tho same garb Of cxpedioncy at
Louisiana in 1876 rs he was dressed in the
Senate in 1864? 1t has been the error of
many that he who fought against slavery has
got an indcfea3ible title to the negro and his
votes, nevertheless he dsbelieves in his equal
ity of rights before the law equally with all
other citizens, and looks upon him as au
anomaly in the body pOlitiC---a problem to be
solved by any method which will simply keep
his vote intact and essay somo means 10 lot
him live quietly.
The bargain and sale of the three Republican
governments by tho Louisiana commission
was base denial of the negros rights as a
citizen. 1t threw to tho wind as chalf, tho
right the negro had to enjoy his life and lib
erty, aud to be protected in the exercise OF
those rights consequent upon the enjoyment
of the same viz Tho right to vote, and to be
protected in his life when exercising tho same,
aud all the other rights which the negro Is
known to be deprived of In this base com.
promise, In this leaving the defensoless negro
to the mercy of his enemies, whom he had
but moment ago, as it were before the com
mission had deserted him, fought hotly
| through perlous campaign, was to be found
as priucipa or accessory, Hon. John Sherman,
whom Mr.. Holland asks the colorod men to
support. Ho may not do us so great a wrong
again as ho did us In Louisiana, but no may.
In tho next place. Mr.. Holland tells us OF
Mr.. Sherman speaking in the Senate in March
1864, relative to the ku-Klux Klans which
infested the South, spreading carnage at every
footstep. In reference to the right of the Fed
eral Government to put down these klans by
tho strong arm of its militia, Mr. Sherman
then said: "rhern will be no difficulty at all
because the Constitution OF the United States
expressly gives to Congress aud to the National
Government the power to suppress domestic
violence in Statc-not merely insurrection
not merely rebellion, but domestic violence
f. If the Legislature convene after
| this law passes we may ut once, upon the dc.
maud of the Legislature when in session, OF
upon the demand of the Governor when tho
| Legislature is not in session, give them the
WNblb power VI llb lulllNlh Ol lut OllLtl
States and the regular army" Now, this Is
both good law and logic. A strict adherence
to its principles would have maintained the
three Republican governments which were
wrested from the hands Of the Republicans IL
the South by no other means than the sait
domestic violence which Mr. Sherman in 1856
declared could be put down by the ''whOl'
mower of the militia of the United States ant
by the regular army" And yet we find Mr.
Hollands candidate consenting to tho with
drHwal OF the troops of the United States from
tho protection of the Republican government
of South Carolina in 1915, when there was 10
only domestic violence throughout the State
but an open nsurectiOn.
If there was not domestic violence In th
State In 1876 reaching down, only in u modi
fed form, even to 1873, whence so many true
and tried Republicans of South Carolina il
Washington at the present timer That Mr.
Sherman was party to the error-nay, wrong
against tho Republicans of the South at Louis
lana in 1876 mono will deny. How, then, car
one who has suffered from these crrors-on,
who, having been sent as tho writer was t,
represent his constituency in the hall of logis
lutiOn of his State, was imprisoned therein by
an army of white men, Democrats, clad in rec
shirts armed from head to foot, who attempt
ed to deprive him aud his associates of tn,
rights belonging to them as representatives
and to take their lives If they resisted, an,
who WAS only saved from such tato by th
very means (the United States soldier whicl
Mr.. Sherman declared (by his cousent) ough
not to protect tho citizen from domestic vic
lencc rs soon rs he was installed in oiliCe-con
ply with Mr., Hollands request in his lette
referred to?
could enumcrato many reasons why th
colored people of the South should not b,
foremost in voting for Mr. Sherman for tht
Presidency of tho nation, but be contented {,
vote for him only ii he Is nominated, as al
good Republicans should doi but have al
ready occupied too much of your valuable
space. These views l have thus canddly OK
pressed as | do not admire Throwing the
brick and hiding your hand" The Southern
delegates from South Carolina to CHICAGO can
not vote for John Sherman and sny they rep
resent their constituents They will not rep
resent ten in every 100, The GolOred people
are for Grant on Blaine, but we will all sup
port tho nominee as heartily rs IL we hsd NJ
choice ID. A. s.
| ORANGEBURG, s. c., March 90, 1880
| Garland neleateu.