The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-07-18
Afraid 10 Speak Out

The Bloomington Pantagraph, Ottawa
Republican,, and Kankakee Gazette, are
afraid to give expression to their views on
the Negro equality question.
Now, as these Journals are the three read
ing Black Republican organs of this Congress
sional district, the people are very ANXIOUS
to know where they stand. The lr~e Dem-
ocrat. Wilmington Herald and Middleport
RepaJlican have taken position, but the edi-
tors of the Pantayraph, Gdzette and Otta.
WA. Repu1licaa, won't either {" fish or hold
-bait." Come, gentlemen, this won't do
No dc dging or skulking, Either hurra for
b-cuffee, or bolt the great doctrine OF Black
Republcansm. You are in a ucklish place,
we are aware, bat it's better to face the mu-
sic at once than to play the coward. The
True Democrat, of this city, has set you an
example 1t took down the negro, wool and
all, at one gulpq; and if you are honest
men you will do the same. You know very
well that the negro is the only institution
upon which your party hopes of success,
then why should you be afraid to acknow-
ledgoit ?-Joliet Signal.
Now don't, Mr.. Signal don't. You are
unkind. Why not let man sit comfortably
on the fence and enjoy the fragrant breezes,
these warm days, especially, when he can't
jumpt to either side without getting into
mud and briar. Our Republican neighbors,
and the same is doubtless the case with the
Wilmington and Bloomington editors, are in'
an unpleasant quandary on this niger equal
ity question. It's something new, and they
are no Napoleops, to think and decide in
minute. Give them time to watch the
straws so they can tell where the wind blows,
which way the current of their party is like
ly to set.
You must bear in mind, Mr.. Signal, that
| the republican party in this region is made
up of the debris of three or four old parties.
There are the old or original abo.itionists,
divided into the Garrison and Gerritt Smith
sections. These arc all hot for entire negro
equality-social and political. There is
later tribe of abolitionists, who date from
the fee soil excitement Of 1913. These
generally can stand political negro equality,
but make WY faces at the social part. Next
are the old wings. Most Of these arc free
sellers, republican Kansas shriekers, and
all that, but they stoutly deny the soft i'm
parchment of aboitionism. They say they
stand on the Philadelphia platform, which
pledges the party to non interference with
slavery in the states, and to 'acquiescence'
in the enforcement Of the fugitive slave law.
These generally regard a negro as "no bet
ter than a white man if he behaves himself"
\ large portion Of them voted for the anti
negro clause in cur state constitution, and
while they boil over with sympathy for the
oppressed sons and daughters Of Ham away
down South or out in Kansas, they prefer
they should stay there or, if they insist on
coming among US, they prefer the negroes
should keep at quite as respectful distance
from their parlors as their hen roosts Of
course this section of the great Republican
party" IN this region are opposed to framing.
into the platform of their party this new
tangled plank Of NEGRO equality" They
neither want negroes to marry or associate
with their sons or daughters-are opposed
to sitting III the legislature, board Of super
visors, or city council with them; in short,
having some idea that this is nation Of
white men, and not of divers coors, they
think the white men will get along quite well
enough to do the voting, holding offices, and
making the laws themselves.
Besides these three grades Of abolitionistS
and the wings, there is also small frag-
ment Of the late Fillmore party now paraI-
ing in the republican ranks-some that have
taken the Union degree" and of course
stand in sworn hostility to the introduction
Of the negro equality plank into the plat
form.
So, with all these hostile elements TO deal
with, how in the world Mr. Signal, can you
in reason expect that our neighbors OF the
Republican shall come out ard say, pine
blank, whether they are for or against ne
gro suffrage and general negro equality? If
they declare against the new plank, don't
you see they are in mucs with the whole
Old line abolition party, with Codding at
their head-that indomitable and cunning
faction who composing less than fourth of
the republican party last fall, yet managed
TO control the whole party and get all the
best officers? And if they declare for the
new plank, won't they be in still more Sc
rious muss a it'll the old line wings, who say
they joined hands with the abolItionists Oh
the express terms and agreement laid down
in the Philadelphia platform, which says not
word-indced does not remotely squirt
towards negro equality, nor even tolerates
resistance to the fugitive slave law, contempt
of the decisions of the supreme court Of the
L. S, or any of these hyfalu.in abolition
notions? Do, Mr.. Signal, let our Republi-
can neighbors alone. Don't worry them
with hard questions. They a'in't ready to
answer. They don't know what they are for
or against just now. Peradyenture, in
few months or u year the various factions
composing the great Republican party"
will hold another Philadelphia convention
and fix up their differences, and then our
neighbors will be most happy to tell you
what Mey acre Arrays for on this knotty
question. ....
Republicanism in Massachusetts is some
what different from the same article in this
region. The difference is, that in Massa-
chusetts it is sufficiently powerful to be out
spoken, and can act itself out. In this re-
gion its more odious features must be con-
cealcd. In Massachusetts,, the Republican