The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-23
The Negro Out ofPoIitics.

from Ue ITtOl9le
The Times thinks the blacks can only be
damaged by any further agitation as to their
rights, because controversy tends to a wider
divergence, and to more vehement resistance to
even non-poliucal and proper claims in their
behalf-addng:-
ain contest under such conditions, the negro is
sure to be the sufferer when ever party may WIN
from time to time The best thing that could happen
to the negro race, now that they are posseNseu OF
their freedom and all their civil rights would be, so
national politics are concerned, to cease alto
gether being an exciting clement, and, so lar as
they themselves are concerned, to seduously give
their attention TO education the acquisition of pro-
perty, and moral and social improvement. In these
directions they will find abundant and profitable
around of activity for some time to come"
We ask the public, IN view OF the above
suggestion to consider the following facts
l. In no one of the States lately in Rebellion
have the blacks been conceded any political
rights whatever. Even in those where they
form majority of the entire population, no one
OF them can ever attain the right Of suffrage
under the existing Constitution, though he
should be capable as Webster, learned as
Agassz, rich as CrGsus, and pous as st. John.
No office, however paltry, can be filled by
black; no negIO or mulattO can serve on jury,
even in case where all the parties are black;
and no magnitude OF service to the State or
nation can ever enable any one of African
descent to emerge from his degraded condition.
ii. The Civil Rights act OF Congress Is sys-
tematicaly resisted and dehed by the eX-Rebel
Virginia, Louisiana, ETC., have announced from
the bench that they repudiate and nullify it.
In no single instance has an eX-Contederate
! avowed a disposition to respect and obey that
| law. 1t is thus rendered practically dead
! letter.
III. Every one of the late Rebel States has
! enacted or revived laws discriminating harshly
| against the blacks, subeCting them to penal
! ties, disabilities, and restrictions not imposed
upon whites Vagrant ana penal legislation has
been devised expressly to subject the blacks to
| qualified slavery. In defiance OF The Constltu-
ton OF the United States, they are forbidden to
keep the arms which they have earned by
! serving the Union against its deadly toes, and
! those arms are wrested from them by State
| authority. By one OF these internal acts of the
South Carolina Legislature, "Colored children
between eighteen and twenty-one years of age
who have neither father nor mother 6utlg IN The
district aDhere they man be found may be bound
out ''ds dppreTtlces' ito what? u be magistrate;
and so outrageous were the expressions perpe-
trated under this act, that General Sickles was
obliged to nullify it by military order, which
OF course has been quashed by the Presidents
proclamation of peace.
~. The Times advises the blacks to ''glve
their attention to education" but cOnCeals the
fact that in no single Southern State has any
public provision been made to educate black
children. The few Republicans in the Texas
} Convention fought desperately tor provision
, that whatever taxes should be collected for
educational purposes from blacks should be de-
: voted to the instruction of their own children;
but the Rebel majority voted this down, with
{ every other provision looking to the education
, OF blacks. And now Colonel Kiddoo, of the
Freedmen's Bureau, officially reports that
I schools for blacks, though entirely supported
by themselves and their Northern friends. will
. only be tolerated where there is United States
| military force 10 protect them. In other words
the Rebels break up every black school save at
a the few points where troops are stationed
A Ike condition Is presented in Louisiana
: In New Orleans the colored people pay one-ffth
y of the taxes, whereby good schools are main
tanned: but not one OF their children is allowed
a taste of the education thereby provided. ThC
Y blacks. who pay taxes, are not allowed to senC
d their children to the schools supported by thel
$ money wherein whites who never paid tal
e are free and welcome.
d Such are few of the expressions and dis
5 abilities nnder which lhe blacks labor through
d out the. South. Is IT not the slblimity of impu
:, these Heaven-daIing iniquities to advise then
u to ignore politics and attend to the education 0
heir children