776 



UNITED STATES. 



vention should think more of principles than of men, 

 except so far as men may stand for principles. 

 Above all, let them insist on the rights of their own 

 much-abused and insulted people. It is absurd for 

 anybody to say that he " accepts the situation," and 

 then deny the equal rights of the colored man. If 

 the ''situation" is accepted in good faith, it must 

 be entirely, including not merely the abolition of 

 slavery and the establishment of equal suffrage, but 

 also all those other rights which are still denied and 

 abridged. There must be complete equality before 

 the law, so that in all institutions, agencies, or con- 

 veniences, created or regulated by law, there can be 

 no discrimination on account of color, but a black 

 man shall be treated as a white man. 



In maintaining their rights, it will be proper for 

 the convention to invoke the Declaration of Inde- 

 pendence, so that its principles and promises shall 

 become a living reality, never to be questioned in 

 any way, but recognized always as a guide of con- 

 duct, and a governing rule in the interpretation of 

 the national Constitution, being in the nature of a 

 bill of rights preceding the Constitution. It is not 

 enough to proclaim liberty throughout the land unto 

 all the inhabitants thereof. Equality must be pro- 

 claimed also, and as, since both are promised by the 

 great declaration, which is a national act, and as 

 from their nature they should be uniform through- 

 out the country, both must be placed under the safe- 

 guard of national law. There can be but one liberty 

 and one equality, the same in Boston and New Or- 

 leans, the same everywhere throughout the country. 

 The colored people are not ungenerous, and there- 

 fore will incline to any measures of good-will and 

 reconciliation ; but I trust no excess of benevolence 

 will make them consent to any postponement of 

 those equal rights which are now denied. The dis- 

 abilities of colored people, loyal and long-suffering, 

 should be removed before the disabilities of former 

 rebels, or at least the two removals should go hand- 

 in-hand. It only remains that I should say, " Stand 

 firm ! " The politicians will then know that you are 

 in earnest, and will no longer be trifled with. Vic- 

 tory will follow soon, and the good cause be secure 

 forever. Meanwhile^ accept my best wishes for the 

 convention, and believe, dear professor, faithfully 

 yours, CHAELES SUMNEE. 



To Professor JOHN M. LANGSTON. 



The movement in Missouri in 1870, which 

 consisted in a union of a part of the Republi- 

 cans with the Democrats, and the election by 

 them of State officers on what was designated 

 as a "Liberal" ticket, was maintained in 1871. 

 An attempt to reunite the Republican party in 

 that State was made in October, 1871, but failed. 

 The State Central Committee of the Liberal 

 wing of the Republicans immediately after- 

 ward adopted a series of resolutions express- 

 ing their views (see ANNUAL CYCLOPAEDIA, 1871, 

 page 530). They also recommended a State 

 Convention. Subsequently an address was is- 

 sued, dwelling more at length 'on the achieve- 

 ments and purposes of the "Liberal move- 

 ment," and calling a mass meeting, to be held 

 at Jefferson City, on January 24, 1872. At this 

 meeting nearly every county in the State was 

 represented. It closed its proceedings by is- 

 suing a call for a National Convention, to be 

 held at Cincinnati, on the first Monday of May 

 ensuing, "to take such action as their convic- 

 tions of duty and of public exigencies may re- 

 quire." The convention declared its adhesion 

 to the sovereignty of the Union, emancipation, 

 equality of civil rights or enfranchisement; 



that peace and purity in administration can 

 only come from such reconciliation as en- 

 franchisement has wrought in Missouri ; de- 

 manded complete amnesty and equal suffrage 

 for all ; a reform of the tariff, and the removal 

 of such duties as, in addition to the revenue 

 yielded to the Treasury, involve an increase in 

 the price of domestic products; denounced 

 the use of Federal patronage for the control 

 of elections ; called for a thorough and genuine 

 reform of the public service ; eulogized the 

 Senators who pressed for the recent investiga- 

 tion ; rebuked " the use of coercion to ratify a 

 treaty," the "packing of the Supreme Court 

 to relieve rich corporations," the use of un- 

 constitutional laws "to cure the Ku-klux dis- 

 orders, irreligion, or intemperance," and, final- 

 ly, corruption in general, and called for an 

 "uprising of honest citizens." 



On January 9th, the Central Committee of 

 the Democratic party of Missouri issued an 

 address, in which they recounted the results 

 of what was known as the "fusion" policy of 

 the Democrats in the State canvass of 1870, 

 and recommended the adoption of a similar 

 policy in the presidential canvass of 1872, viz., 

 that of making no nomination, but supporting 

 the candidate of disaffected Republicans, as 

 against the regular party nominee. 



These proceedings in Missouri met with a 

 response from Republicans in various parts of 

 the country, of which the annexed is one in- 

 stance. The Democrats continued silent. 



To Colonel WILLIAM M. GEOSVENOE, Chairman of 

 the Executive Committee of the Liberal Republican 

 Convention of Missouri, Washington, D. C. 



SIR : We, Eepublicans of New York, wish to ex- 

 press our concurrence in the principles lately set 

 forth by the Liberal Eepublicans of Missouri. 



We make this departure from the ordinary meth- 

 ods of party action from a deep Conviction that the 

 organization to which we belong is under the control 

 of those who will use it chiefly for personal pur- 

 poses, and obstruct a free expression of opinion 

 upon the important matters which the gentlemen 

 whom you represent have laid before the people of 

 the United States. 



We believe that the time has come when the polit- 

 ical offences of the past should be pardoned ; that 

 all citizens should be protected in the enjoyment of 

 the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution; 

 that Federal taxation should be imposed for revenue, 

 and so adjusted as to make the burden upon the in- 

 dustry of'the country as light as possible ; that a re- 

 form in the civil service should be made which will 

 relieve political action from the influence of official 

 patronage ; that the right of local self-government, 

 the foundation of American freedom, should be re- 

 asserted, and the encroachments of Federal power 

 checked; and we also believe that at this time a 

 special duty rests upon the people to do away with 

 corruption In office. 



The exposures recently made in this State have 

 brought to light evils which arc not confined to one 

 party nor to a single locality, and disclose dangers 

 more formidable than any which the republic has 

 yet encountered. 



With the hope that the movement begun in Mis- 

 souri may spread through all the States and influence 

 every political party, we accept the invitation to 

 meet in National Mass Convention at the city of 

 Cincinnati on the first Wednesday of May next, and 



