New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-16
REPUBLICAN, WORK.

ford to degrade or Cypress even the humblest
and most despised of its people. Until this
end is achieved, our triumph over the Rebel
lion will be imperfect and its fruits liable to
turn TO ashes on our lips. So long as the laws
of even one State impose disabilities OH a citi-
zen because of the race whence he sprang, the
color God has chosen to give him, the victories
of the Union arms will be incomplete, and the
foundations of tho Republic unsightly and
insecure.
No proposition is logically more demonstra-
bic than that wrong to any is injury and peril
to all; but, when an important truth comes III
conflict with q rooted prejudice, patient per-
sistent, self-sacrifcing effort is indispensable.
The Republican party owes its late reyerSes IN
some degree to the cOrruptions OF those 1t has
trusted with power; in part to popular impa-
thence with the slow progress of reconstrlc-
ton; in part TO Johns0ns treachery; Ill part
TO local feuds and discOntents I; but, more than
TO any and all of these, to popular prejudice
against the Blacks and indisposition to see
them impartially protected aud regarded as
citizens by the laws of the land. We think
this prejudice. has cost Us more votes than
anything els-perhaps more than all other
adverse influences whatever.
We meet the issue frankly. There are
wounds whereof the true soldier is proud
while he sufiers-scars which he does not seek
to conceal. There are Americans who were
quite willing that the negro should march and
camp and fight for our common country, while
they stayed at home in comfort and ease, who.
now that the peril is past, would Ike to deny
TO that negro the common rights OF citizen.
They would gladly whistle him down the wind
until the time shall come If it ever does come,
when they shall need his body TO stop bullets
that otherwise might disconcert them; then
they will be ready to give him another chance
to be killed in their stead. We propose TO
fight this treachery now and eyer-to expose
it, and hold it up to the light, till even base
ness itself shall be ashamed OF it, a Copper
head or Rebel, who hates the War for the
Union, and dcplorcs its results, may still night
on for "White Mans Government as he
fought or prayed in the War, but a Republican
or War Democrat who would put the Blacks
under the feet of those whom they helped us
to overcome, is inexpressibly mean, and as
short-sighted and foolish as he is mean.
There are those who indolcntly say, %, let
" the Blacks have all GIRL rights--these should
satisfy Them Why, you idiot they never
will nor can have civil rights unless they have
political rights to back them. Take our City,
for illustration here a few of the thrifter ne
groes are allowed to vote yet even these are
because of their race deprived Of precious civil
rights. A colored native of this City, Who
owns his own house. earns an honest liyell-
hood. and is respected member of Christian
lii Ii l.r1 "a
and cart and do Herewith the carting of such
merchants as may choose to employ HIM. We
should like to employ q c0lorcd man to take us
TO and from u railroad station or steamboat
landing occasionally; but the ordinances OF
this Democratic City forbid it. A Black man
who should Try to earn a living by driving ms
own coach and carrying passengers in it would
be first beaten to n jelly for his impudencc and
then hauled before magistrate for violating
the ordinance aforesaid.
No. there is and can be no civil rights Sc
curcly enjoyed by Blacks until all the rights
of manhood are won for and conceded TO them.
And we would much rather be beaten trying
to secure them full justice than to succeed by
abandoning them to their hateful oppressors.
But we can Uin by Systematically en-
tightening and educating the people; and
one such victory is worth twenty
gained by playing upon their weak
nesses, their ignorance aud their passions.
There have never yet been two votes taken in
State on the question of concedng the Right
of Suffrage to Blacks wherein the second vote
in the affirmative was not larger than the for
mer. And so it will be, if proper appeals are
made TO the reason and conscience OF the voters
in every State, till the battle shall be won.
We urge, then, the establishment, in every
township, ward, and village, of Republican
Club, whose sole object shall be the diffusion Of
light and truth bearing upon the great issue
of Equality before the Law. While every non
slaveholding country but ours treats men of all
cOlors alike, let us never doubt that the dis
graceful anomaly here presented can and will
be fully overcome.
Friends in every State unite in forming
Clubs whose avowed and controlling object
shall be the securing of Equal Rights TO every
American citizen! We can easily prove that
there is no man, but especially no laboring
man, whose personal good will not be pro-
NOTED by such cOnsummation; all we need IS
to induce the masses to read and think. Two
thirds of all who habtually read and reflect are
now right on this point; we arc beaten by the
votes of men who never heard our side Of the
question, and never will hear it unless we make
special effort to enghtcn them. There are
One Million voters in the Union who might be
won over to the side of Justice and Humanity
by the systematic presentation of facts to their
minds. A victory gained by appeals to their
better nature will be substantial and enduring;
nd vic fa viz
from intemperance to sobriety, is thereby rem
dered more accessible to our arguments, and
likely to promote and swell our triumph. Now