Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-11-15
The Negro and D 3nocracy.

One Of the most effective points of the
Scmocrats, in all their electiCneering
ceches, and partizan Journals is made
sainst the negro. Look at him, say the
Heripateti. orators OF that party. and be-
sid his c., his thick lips. retreating
t2rehead and stumbling gait, and when
you have taken thi, survey Of his onward
appearance. then judge OF his possibilitic,
by the past;-no history never did
deed worthy to Il ii a page Of history, never
accomplished thing to make him respect
ed. or feared. There he i, say they, a
being wfss Gods curse upon him. with no
record. no capacity, q mere animal made
With no possibilities. and with no rights
which white man is bound to respect
Well, this is dark picture. if it be true
one. and if there be no mitigating cireum-
tasnces in the case.
We never could quite understand why
there should be 50 much prejudice against
this race rs we see existing. nor can we
understand why green Irishman Just
| from his native country. starved and taxed
! ~ tAG'ttsl 'FDpIs ettIi liz
country wrestcd almost entirely from his
race. fleeing here for liberty aad freedom
10 work out 4 future for himself. should
commence his new career with hatred to Il
race that in Tie past has had harder
| chance to live than himself. But 50 il Is.
Go into New York city and the negro has
no more earnest foe than the Irishmau just
Handed on our shores. One can under
stand why an unintc!ligent person, native
or otherwise. can be educated by Demo
c: attic politicians to despise a colore,i man.
and can be made TO believe that such a
:, feeling is god democracy: but /, is more
difficult to understand how intelligent
men, Aen with generous hearts and liber-
al minds eau have such feelings and still
claim to be Democrats to the manor born.
\ true democrat will not seek to reduce TO
| bondage any class of persons, nor treat
any one with cruelty, II or with disrespect
because of the accident of birth or OF col
1 or. \ man is a man for a that. " Tde
idea that one gets of what democracy
means. that is, aside from its illustration
/ by the Democratic party. is government
1 by the people, not o. class, not of the
! people. of one color. bat of the whole pco-
pie. of all who have 10 obey the laws. If
it is argued that tli, cannot be. for their
are various disqralitications. that women
have to obey the laws, but do not help
make them. that miners do not vote. and
! Of, - l
readily admitted but when the right is re-
siricted, and one whole race is interdicted
because they are not as white skinned as
their hei .l,bors. no matter how Intelligent.
/ how loyal. how Industrious, how good cit
liens they may be, to one not yerscd in
the present definition OF democracy it
does not look very much like genuine
democracy. We are not arguing the
rightfilness or wrongft,lness of this eX.
clusion ut this time, only the question of
It's being in accord with genuine dcmocra-
ey. We cannot make out that the party
name Of the Democracy has any sort of
reference to its creed. 1t looks iiliherai
aristocratic. and short sighted to prescribe
it~'' 'iihtNA wi IlNt anu
just snch rules as are made for the
one. should hold good for the other
\ true Democracy would let colored
man vote with the same qualification, as a
white man. The eolored barber thai in
diligently performs the tonsorial offices
for Fernando Wood. rs the irishman that
SAWS his wood and makes his fires. Why
not? 1t is not a crime that an Irshman.
or German, or Il Norwegian does not uR.
lersiand our language. nor our customs.
nor our form OF government as well as 2
native citizen. bat il is crime. or to say
The least. illiberal and anti-,lemocratie in
these to demand that Eative horn negro
shall hot vote, Who docs talk our Ian,
.uage. and who understand our customs
or our system of government, better thar
they do aud who have been good and 10y.
al citizens all their lives. The ian,emec
Ex-Governor Andrew. trse Democrat
said: II know MT what record OF sill
awaits me in the other world. bnt know
was never mean enough t. dispiSc a MAJ
because he was ignorant or because lie ma.
black. How many OF the modern deia,
ecratjc parry can honestly utter such no
bic Sentiment: