THE OCEAN TELEGRAPH BETWEEN EUROPE AND AMERICA.
ANSWER TO INVITATION TO ATTEND A BANQUET AT NEW YORK, IN HONOR OF CYRUS W. FIELD, NOVEMBER 14, 1866.
On the 15th November, a banquet was given to Cyrus W. Field, at New York, to exchange congratulations on the happy result of his efforts in uniting by telegraph the Old and New World. Many distinguished guests were present. There were also communications from President Johnson, Chief Justice Chase, Secretary Seward, Secretary Welles, General Grant, Admiral Porter, Sir Frederick Bruce, the British Minister, Lord Moncke, Governor-General of Canada, and many others. Mr. Sumner wrote:--
GENTLEMEN,--I regret much that it is not in my power to unite with you in tribute to Mr. Field, according to the invitation with which you have honored me.
There are events which can never be forgotten in the history of Civilization. Conspicuous among these was the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus. And now a kindred event is added to the list: the two worlds are linked together.
In this work Mr. Field has been pioneer and discoverer. As such his name will be remembered with that gratitude which is bestowed upon the world’s benefactors. Already his fame has begun.
Accept my thanks, and believe me, Gentlemen, faithfully yours,
ENCOURAGEMENT TO COLORED FELLOW-CITIZENS.
LETTER TO A CONVENTION OF COLORED CITIZENS, DECEMBER 2, 1866.
DEAR SIR,--I am glad that our colored fellow-citizens are about to assemble in convention to consider how best to promote their welfare, and to secure those equal rights to which they are justly entitled.
You seek nothing less than a revolution. But you will succeed. The revolution must prevail. What are called civil rights have been accorded already; but every argument for these is equally important for political rights, which cannot be denied without the grossest wrong. Let the colored citizens persevere. Let them calmly, but constantly, insist upon those equal rights which are the promise of our institutions. They should appeal to Congress, and they should also appeal to the courts.
I cannot doubt the power and duty of Congress and of the courts to set aside every inequality founded on color. It will be the wonder of posterity that a constitution absolutely free from all discrimination of color was so perverted in its construction as to sanction this discrimination,--as if such a wrong could be derived from a text which contains no single word even to suggest it. The fountain-head is pure: the waters which flow from it must be equally pure.