Year: 1877

William Lloyd Garrison % James g.


Blaine.


That famous old Aboitionist, William
Lloyd Garrison, has transmitted the follow
ing letter to Senator Blaine:


Boston, March 8, 1877.
hon. ames 9. Blaine:


DEAR SIR-Though am not one of your
constituents, desire most heartily to thank
you for your recent manly, eloquent and pa
trlotic utterances in the Senate, while Justly
asserting the validity Of Senator Kelloggs
election, and the legitimacy of the claim of
Governor Packard, of Louisiana, and of
Governor Chamberlain of South Carolina,
to the recognition and support of the gen
eral government.


Be assured, to You will be accorded the
warm approval of all those tried and true
souls in the land, who remember too vividIy
the awful consequences that have resulted
In the past from cOwardly compromises
with the despotic and rebellious spirit of
the South to sanction any more sn III insane
attempts to draw cut leviathsn with q
hook" to harmonic radically hostile ele-
ments, and to pacifcate disloyalty by treat
ing it with special consideration.


Of course, you will be most furiously as
sailed by the pseudo Democratic organs,
North and South; but this will be sure proof
that you have sagaciously struck the right
key note, In tbs right place and at the right
time, and manfully met the issue presented
by the incOrrigible enemies of equal rights
and legitimate government. So they writhed
and howled at the delivery of your nobly
| patriotic speech on the amnesty bill, at q
former session of Congress- speech that
| proved as potent as the spear of Ithuriel
when 1t touched the assembling toad, and
evoked the demon in his real shape-a
speech to which the only reasonable objec,
ton could be made was its surprising elem
ency to the whole rebel mass, making but a
single exception in the person of the arch
traitor of them all, Jefferson Davis, and he
excepted only because of his official respon-
l sibility of the unparalleled horrors of Ander-
sonville-a speech which, by the vials of
wrath it brought upon your head, notwith.
standing its excessive magnanimity, demon
strated that nothing will ''conciliate the
South" but to put the control of the Federal
government and the destiny of the nation
into her hands, as in the days of her oil
garchal supremacy.


You will be blamed in another quarter.
There is weak, timid, purblind, oompro-
missing element in the Republican party,
which your 0utspoken words of sound rea.
son and timely warning will greatly dis
turb, because its panaoea for all our ma
tiOnal divisions is "concilistiOn' meaning
thereby trucking to the South as in the
/ y
the fate of her eolored population. The
elimination of this element from the party
would greatly add to its strength and eff
clency, as it is ever drag in any grea'
emergency. That which 1t seeks to ICON
ciliate"-by sacrificing principle to expe
diency-is devoid of all sense of honor
every pulsation of patriotism, every feeling
of nationality. Its wishes are neither to b'
gratifed nor consulted. The truly loyal al
the South need no eonciliation; to the dis
loyal no concession should be made.


Ii President Hayes shall be true to hi
inaugural professions, his administration
will be shield of defense to the oppressed
against their lawless OppressOrs. God gran
he may be equal to his responsibilities! H
can not do better than to respond, in wor'
and deed, to your noble edeclaration-"Who
ever else shall halt or grow weak in main
tanning it, so long aR have the strength
will stand for the Southern Union men o
both colors; and when / cease to do that
before any presence North or South, ma
my tongue elesve the roof of my mouth
and my right hand forget its cunning"


Yours to uphold Justice,


WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON.