The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-08-14
The Radical Poison Working.

! The New York Herald is becoming greatly alarmed
the of affairs in regard to the rapid strides the
negroes of the South are making for the supremacy
power:
Our kilograms from Columbia, South Carolina, in
form us that the State Republican Convention assem-
bled there had chosen a negro vice president and a
negro secretary for that body that the former was
actually presiding over the convention. The colorcd
citizens Of African descent advancing rapidly to
power and they to be fully conscious of the po
ston they occupy, as for example, in the of this
negro presiding officer, who haughty told white del
egate that resigned because he could not subscribe to
the platform adopted that he glad accept it,
(thc rcsgnation) as he did not want a Judas among
Them
The negroes, "nder the guidance of few of their
own people, more intelligent than the rest, and the
manipulation of white Radicals have become ambi.
tious and are likely to play important part in re-
construction as we'll in the politics of the country
for the next few years. In three of the Southern
States-Louisiana Mississippi, and South Carolina
I they more numerous than the whites; at least
they will have more votes. 1t is also not improbable
that in nearly all of the rebel States they will have
majority in consequence of the apathy wilful Austen
ton of the whites in not registering. Admitting this
to be the CASE several interesting questions arise as
to the cause and consequences of such Il state of
things.
First, then, as to the cause. We think i, may be
found chiefly in the white people feeling uncertain
about the they should take and in being tim
idly cautious about making mistake and thus him
dering their restoration
There are undoubtedly few violent rebels who in
their eckc8snesS and hatred to their conquerors would
throw distractions in the way of reconstruction and
there others broken down by the war that thev
have become suen and Indifferent as to the fate of
their country. But the of the people with near
ly all the leading rebels, and particularly those of the
army desire to help forward the work of restoration
HOY how tnr t,a T.
which is the best to tske-whether to register
aud take active part in the elections and conyen-
tons, or to let the Radicals and negroes together do
the whole business. They are aware that the question
is wholly political one that they will be restored to
the Union and to their former privileges if their States
become Republican and support the Republican party;
and they have reason to fear they will be kept out
should the contrary be the case. It may be asked
why dothey not support the Radical Republicans see
Ing they have so much at stake? 1t might be better
for them to do so in the present crisis But we can
hardly expect whole communicative mass of honest
people-to gulp down at once political dogmas and
platforms that have been like poison to them all their
lives. We have no doubt-and, indeed there is am
pie evidence to show it-that they will willingly Law
aside their old political notions for the sake of re-
storation. Still, it would be unreasonable to expect
them to swallow, without wry face all the nauseous
Radical compound offered to their lips and if they
were to swallow it with apparent pleasure their hon
esty would be questioned. On the whole many of the
wemeaning Southern people think it best to let the
Radicals and negroes together reconstruct the South
without their assistance, believing that will sooner re-
store the Union They would take the other course,
however, if they thought that best. Everywhere the
question is asked is it better to register or not Such
is the dilemma they are in. Such is the cause doubt
less, why many of the whites not registering.
To all appearance, just now, the consequence will be
that the negroes, under the guidance of the Radicals
of the North, will hold for time the balance of DO
ftica1 power in the South. We think the expecta-
tons OF the whites that they would be able control
the votes of their former slaves will be realised
1t quite likely there will be several negroes elected
to Congress, and probable Senators Sumner, Wade,
and Chandler may have ebony fellow-ctzens sitting
beside them in the Senate Chamber. When a negro
is chosen to preside State convention in South
Carolina is it not reasonable to suppose several may
be sent to Congress- especially when consider that
in many districts the negro vote is overwhelming: