J.J.Wright
"My Dear Sir: In such times as these it requires the greatest practical experience, acquired ability, mature intelligence, and discretional wisdom, to speak and act for the race now an integral part and essential element in the body politic of the nation.
"Therefore I do most sincerely hope that you and the other leading minds among our people may take your stand, speak out, and define your true sentiments in relation to the great points now agitating the public mind, especially the black man's claims to office.
"The great principle always advocated by our leading men has been to claim for us, as a race, all the rights and privileges belonging to an American citizen of the most favored race. But I do not think that those who have so long, so steadily and determinedly stood up as you and others of us have done, even to a national concession of these claims, ever contemplated taking any position among our fellow citizens, till we at least should be ready and qualified. It follows, as a matter of course, that more than we should be ready, before it is possible to attain to such positions. I am sure that upon this point there will be but one sentiment among the old line leading men of our race, contemporaneous with us, when the subject is placed before them.
"I have been induced to pen this letter to you by seeing in the telegraph proceedings of the Columbia, S.C. Convention a claim put forth by Mr. J. J. Wright, in behalf of our race, for Vice Presidency of the United States. I hope no such nonsense as this will for a moment be entertained. Our enemies would desire no heavier nor stronger club with which to break the heads of our friends and knock out our brains than this. We are not children, but men, comprehending the entire situation, and should once discountenance anything that would seemingly make us cat's paws and ridiculous in the eyes and estimation of the political intelligence of the world. Let colored men be satisfied to take these things like other men, in their natural course and time. Prepare themselves in every particular for local municipal positions and they may expect to attain to some others in time.
"Mr.Wright is a young man of some 26 or 28 years of age, and consequently without any political experience, except such as acquired since the war commenced, and therefore may be excused for so palpable a political blunder. I am a personal friend of his, therefore, take the liberty of speaking frankly about him. I am, sir, for our race and country at large, your friend."
MRD to Rev. H.H. Garnet, pastor of Shiloh Presbyterian Church, New York, N.Y., July 27, 1867, reprinted in The National Anti Slavery Standard, 8/17/1867, and The New York Tribune, 8/6/1867.
Henry Garnet
