New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-11-17
THE NEGRO IN RICHMOND

luton requesting the Southern members Of that
body 10 prepare and furnish to the Convention
list or inventory Of the grievances which they
desired should be rcdrcssed by the North. III
such q list had ever been made there
can be no doubt that one conspicuous
item in il would have been the presence
of the Negro in Congress. Certainly there
had been no more frequent subject OF COM
plant during the ten years before sceeS-
sion. Tie prayer Of the chyary-if they ever
praycd-was forhis elimination from the debates.
They implorcd that hc should be remanded TO
the plantation, and left to the influence oil those
Christionizng method, which ovcrsecrs habitu-
ally employ. Take the negro out ol poiitlci,
was their reiterated cry. Mr Webster was not
more anxious TO separate religion from politics
than were his Southern friends TO decree per-
petual divorce between politics and the negro
Indeed, the absence of this person of African
descent was counted upon as panacea Tor all
| national ailments. Unable to secure 1t other
wise, the South seeded and set up q Congress Of
! its own--ihe same body which now assemblies at
Richmond. In that select council II was tondly
supposed thete was to be no negro IN any form.
Discussions were to be carried on perfectly free
! from his ungaiuly intrusion. The chiya.ry were
all agreed that the negro was good on the plan
taton and not good in legislative halls. lie
was to support the Coricdcracy by his toll, but
he was noi to be mentioned as matter of dispute.
Indeed, the public opinion Of the seeding States
was 20 unanimous on this question, If not on
others, that there was no possibility of discord,
and could be no need for debate.
| Bat alas, human expectations are doomed to
disappointment. II j, with a feeling al anguish
! that We announce the failure of these too fond
/ hopes. and with something akin to despair chat
VIC are forced 10 admit the sudden emergenco
| in the Richmond Congress of the identical
! African who va, wont 70 set the Washington
concern by the ears. He is ghost that will not
/ down. No Ill, potent eXorci-ln Of Rebellion
even has canned tbs gnqu,ct sp!rt. There have
I been, there are Al this moment, portcntous dis
cu,sious Of bin. among those very men whom
4 he put 10 II gnl from the National Capitol. Ii
appear. that hc j. positively viewed by some
Z iauatcal enthusiasts Of the South as human
being, capable OF carrying a mushet, and OF
! fighting lor tho independence of that Coniode'
racy which wa established in order TO prove
/ that he was not a human being al all
The project Of onlising the negro has indeed
been suggested and the suggestion. though
dsc0untenanccd III al quarters, il prolific Of
quarrclsome talk. and of discussion that NJ
ready rcopcns the question which Secession
was thought 20 have disposed oi forever But
Mr. Davis. who has acted in this instance A.
ohoper0n to tho negro. is assaulted as the indis-
croctost oipr-Slayery champions. He it is WHO
has been guilty of treating hc questonsas an
open one for whiclrhe is rounGly taken 70 task
BY Tie Richmond Hhiq and is informed-per-
haps with rather less prlitcnesS than usually ds-
T. t.nguishes the courty utterances Of "a Nirginian
iourna,-that "tho question is not at this
time before The country" tn, Uhg
goes 81 far rs 10 doubt whether
Mr. DAVIS is practical and ineligible" and
3 nnl~ ,nat already "Congrr-s .td he country"
a-o nrrdle.sly "aC.,a,ed" by the Iebclrresi-
drn,.-l address. J,tf. j. told in SCI terms thai
: be " has chosen TO open MP questions both deep
and dangerous" alA it j. "tfuly astonishing"
/ ,hat "in the fourth year Of our independence"
re should have Invited the negro upon the
stage We, in our Innocence, had supposed NJ
! Jefferson Davis q pretty thorough-going pro-
( Slavery lnan, yet We ore assured that he has
.ntimafed that Slavery j. M "oyil, and that
/ the slave may look forward TO Emancipation rs
boon. Well moy Tie Wig cxoIain
that if such view j. to prevail,
L" then Slavery il originally radically, incurably
wrong and sinful, aud the sum of all barbar-
isms." Nay, Tho Mig, searching after the most
bitter invectiTe TO be launched al the rrcsiden.
,ial offender, does not quail to declare that Mr..
DAVIS is 10 better than NJ. Simmer and it
thereupon reads him such lecture aS IN the
palmest days OF "the Union as il was might
have been Numbered IN the ears of a Northern
doughiace politician who in a m0men. OF acci-
dental virtue had yenturcd on ~ opinion Of his
own touching The morality OF he peculiar insti-
tuition. The echo Of the lash which Mr.. Jriler-
son Davis usod 10 crack about the ears OF his
fellow Democrats in the United States Senate,
rcsoJtids now IN his own. He is warned"
~ il be we're Il geyyan, ;,irl paid ly the week 10
"mind his own business" aud the tone of Tie
Why is much hat Of mistress with whom
rests the power of absolute discharge finer do
nestle from service.