Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-11-22


absolutely or virtually, by giving them the
supremacy in some, and the balance OF
mower in the remainder. The numofr OF
whites disfranchised can only be 8 L.. ter
Of conjecture, but tine number OF ne ,oes
cozlld, of course, be defin 5ely |
BasiBg calculations upon the
census returns Of 1860, and the tax lists OF
1866 and 1867, and making what was con-
sidered a safe allowance for all dlsfran-
it was supposed that TIE negroes
,Eould have 1nalorities in tlro States, South
Carolina and Mississippi, only. But actual
REGISTRATION gives them also the States OF
Alabama, florida and Texas, while the
white majority in Georgia IS less than TWO
thousand. In all the States the voting
Of the negroes is far greater than
was supposed. This may be accounted for,
to some extent, by double and Illegal regis
tration. but the very great discrepancy be-
tween the number registered for votes ana
the number listed for taxes, cannot be at
tributed to these causes alone. Ihefe Is
evidently moro desire Oh the part OF THIS
race to vote than to pay taxes~-to reap the
boooG4e IF tj,. Government than help to
support it.
In another column We present a table
showing the number Of negroes registered
Is voters, and the number listed for taxes
during the present year in North Carolina.
These figures are taken from the several re-
ports of the County Court Clerks OF the
State. and are entirely authentic and reIla-
bic.
Nv reference to the census OF i@OO, 1t
will be seen that the whole number OF those
above the ace Of forty-tive, who IN this
State 60 net pay poll-tax, amounts to one
in every three, o. onc-thlrd The whole
number Of negroes registered is 1851.
Deaucting ona-third as above taxable
ace we have 47,771 as the number who
should have listed. But from the returns
it appears that only 80, 900 listed, leaving
HATH who are not entitled to register, or
have dodlJcd the tux-asscssors and coilec-
tors.
In the county Of Cherokee alone, the
number listed is greater than those regis
tered, vbilo in Edgecombe, after deduct
ing the one-third non taxed, the number
listed is as great as those reglstered-no
doubt attributable to the fact that the
PLANTED, OF that county listed the employees
on their plantations themselves. In New
Hanover $40 negroes have listed for taxes
vet 9. 975 have registered as voters Sub
tracing 992 as above forty-ii7e years OF
ACE we have one NtouSQa0 ttj2d thirty
seren blacks III this county alone who have
been improperly registered or failed to
list their names for taxes. We are conl-
dent that the proportion illegally register
ed is small-much the larger number have
failed to list their names.
What is true Of New Hanover Is true OF
the other counties. Here We have al
ignorant population cnfran"h'sed by Con
gress, nearly fifteen thousand Of whom,
enough, possibly, to hold balance O
mower. have refused to bear their meaGr(
Ib1rdeus in the support OF tho government
Ia class which, in many Southern States
will be il the majority; every Office o
honor and cmCIumeut viii be III their gilt
the assessment and collection OF taxes vii
he under their control, and the fundamcn
tai laws Of the States viii be subject t'
their Interpretation and amendments
Under such a condition Of things wha
have We to hope Under such rulers wha
must lie our ultimate fate ? White mel
: governed by the ignorance and prejudice
of the blacks-perso1s and property taNe'
, bv the avarice and cupidity OF indiSon
i power will stife the already para! yzod en-
crzies and prospects Of the South.
} These figures demonstrate how lily pre-
. pared and totally unqualified the neGr
r race is to enter unrestrictodly into all III
: privileges Of citizens. If under q whit
l administration they are SO derelict, wha
. may We expect if they become the ruin
= clement Will not the same demorallzatlo
: enter into the whole system Of government
7 Yet this degradation is sought to be heaI
t ed upon us-the dangers it will entail ar
/ willingly invited in order to secure part
r triumph. It's contamination may be Iii
f to a party, but it will be death to fire
{ government.