Year: 1872

The residence OF Senator sumner mas
been thronged to-day by delegates to
the Baltimore Convention on their way
home. A large majority of them were
from the Southern States, and their OBJ
ject seemed to be to get Sumner to
make some expression concerning the
Greeley campaign. This evening the
delegation from Texas called upon the
Senator in a body and spent over an
hour in conversation with him. The
delegation was headed by Colonel Ford.
They informed Mr.. Sumner that they
had called upon him for the purpose OF
securing his aid in an effort 10 carry of
q portion of the negro vote OF the South
from the Republican party and bringing
it over to the support OF Mr.. Greeley.
They represented that through the
manipulation OF what they termed the
carpet-baggers, the negroes Of the
South had been prejudiced against the
Democratic party and would not even
support so true a friend Of their race as
Horace Greeley because he was NOM
mated by that party.


Mr.. Sumner said they must inspire
confidence in the colored people; to
which the members of the delegation
replied that they desired to do so, but
it could be done most efectually by the
Senator from Massachusetts,. The col.
ored people had such confidence in Mr..
Sumner that they would do as he adj
vised. To this Mr.. Sumner replied,
that his ambition was 10 see the country
once more at peace and all It's people
reconciled. He wanted not only the
North and the South reconciled, but the
whites and the blacks. If this could
he accomplished by the election OF Mr.,
Greeley, it would be, in his judgment,
the greatest movement since the war
If he was called upon to give the watch
word of the campaign, he would say
decentralization" He would have 1t
the text of every speech on the hust.
ings. If the people Of the United
States, North as well as South, could
only get to understand that the election
of Mr.. Greeley meant reconciliation OF
the North and South, of the whites and
blacks, they would give him a support
such as no other candidate for the
Presidency has ever received. !


Speaking for himself he believed
Greeley's election would 60 far to pro-
mote reconciliation, and secure peace
to the whole country. Mr.. Greeley
was naturally a man Of peace, and in
the execution of the laws he believed
he would endeavor to promote peace
and reconciliation.


A delegate asked Mr.. Sumner what
he though of Greeleys chances OF
election, to which the Senator replied
that, from all the evidence before him,
and he had been at some pains to get to
the bottom of the matter, he thought
Greeley's chances very good. lie had
no faith in the assertion that the rank
and file of the Democracy would re-
fuse to support Greeley. He had re.
Gently been assured by a distinguished
Democratic Senator-Thurman, Of
Ohio-that the ranks of the Democracy
would close up solid behind Mr.
Greeley.


In reply to question from Mr.. Sum
ner, delegate said that he knew the
more intelligent portion OF the colored
people of the South would vote tor
Greeley.


Mr.. Sumner said it was mistake to
suppose that all the colored voters
would support Grant. The trouble was
thew did not fully understand Grant.
THE other day | received letter from
a colored man in Tennessee, who had
read one of my speeches. In that
letter he says, after stating his satlsiac-
ton with the speech: Mr.. Senator, you
must be the brother Of Genera Grant.
Now" continued Mr.. Sumner, you
see that man has very high opinion
of Grant, and therefore he thinks he
inspired my speech in favor of equal
rights TO the colored race.


When the chairman Of the delega-
ton arose to depart, he asked Mr.
Sumner directly whether he would take
part 10 favor of Greeley. To which
the Senator replied:


"Gentlemen | have q very high
opinion of Mr.. Greeley. l know his
Iabors in behalf OF the same cause to
which l have devoted my lite. OF
course sympathize with the movement,
but the time has not come tor me to
speak out. 1t may come, however. AT
present 20 man is authorized to speak
ior me-"


After some further conversation, the
delegation departed.