The bee., 1883-05-26
Mr.. DOUGLASS TO HIS PRODUCERS
GREENER COMPLIMENTS HIMSELF.
To the Editor

SIR In your paper OF THIS morning
1 observe an article signed 81" which
might have been more appropriately
signed "Liar," rejecting upon my in
tegrity as republican, and charging
me with the purpose of trading OFF the
colored vote Of the country for office.
l need not tell you, Mr.. Editor, that no
man is safe iA these days from the at
tacks of anonymous falsifiers, and you
will bear me witness that seldom
notice such attacks If my record of
more than forty years of service to
the colored race does not protect me
from the vile insinuati0nS of such
writers as IL nothing that can now
say will silence them. What the con-
yention, to the call of which my name
is attached, may or may not do, it is
no business Of mine to predict. l can
only speak for myself now and here,
that l expect to 90 into that conven-
tlon and come out Of it the same in
flexible republican that have ever
been, and l shall be very much sur
prised if l find myself alone in this
respect. l hope. Mr. Editor. that your
readers will not attach more Importance
to the clamor against holding the con-
vention than it really deserves. There
are traitors and informers among all
oppressed and unfortunate people.
Culored men are not an exception to the
rule. There are those among them
who are never doing anything for the
race themselves, but are ready to
scream themselves hoarse in opposi-
tion when anything is attempted by
others. / ain not at all surprised
when some of those for whom have
lived and labored, lift their heels
against me. Since the days of Moses
such has been the fate of all men earn
estly endeavoriug to serve the op-
pressed and unfortunate. But this in
trinity of oppressed peoples, just now
conspicuous in the conduct of the op-
ponents of the proposed National Con-
vention, will not deter me, or those
associated with me, from going for
ward with the convention in question.
l agree with Daniel Webster that
the right to canvass the policy of pub
lie men and public measures is home
bred right and a tireside privilege, be-
longing to private life as right and
public life as duty; that it is never
to be more inhexibly and defantly as
serted than when it is called in ques-
ton. God help the poor colored race
in America, when they may not be
trusted to meet in convention in the
open light of day with the argus eye
of the press upon them a press that will
carry their every utterance to the re-
motest parts of the country. If there
were anything secret underhanded,
ominous or malign in the proposed
convention l could better understand
why those calling it should be repudi-
ated and held up to scorn and reproba-
tion. But as the matter now stands
l can see at the bottom of this opposi-
tion only groundless apprehension on
the part of some of our white friends,
and every ambition and jealousy ON
the part of most of the colored men
who are just now gaining a little no
tOFleIv Dy aSSdlllnS the motives OF bet
ter men than themselves. Respectfully,
FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
Washington, d. c., May 18 1883.
The writer Of the letter to which
this is a reply says he has received a
good many letters complimenting Prof.
Greener for sounding the alarm" sc.
l think this remark throws some light
npon the authorship of the letter, and
is little amusing withal. How hap
pens it that Mr.. IL" is in receipt of
letters of thanks to Prof. Greener?
What busines has he with Mr.. Green
er's letters, or of letters of thanks in
tended for Prof. Greener? Is it not
possible that the explanation is about
this, that Mr.. "L" and Prof. Greener
are Identical; that they are one and
the same person, and that when Mr..
81" compliments Prof. Greener it is
simply Prof. Greener using your col
umns to compliment himself, while he
would fain make the public believe he
is being complimented by some other
person, which is after all a very cheap
compliment ?-I'he Republican.