The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-04-06

In view of daily developing facts who will
say the world does not move? Even the Dem
ocratic paray-the most inert of all worldly
thngs-seems to Rave become possessed of
living, moving, progressive spirit We will il
lustrate by reference to facts, and these facts
relate to the ":rrepressible negro"
1t is but a short time sine, the Democratic
party, with scarcely dissenting voice, pro-
nounced this "a Unite mans government" and
denied to tie negro all civil rights in or under
it, except the right to serve his white superior
Some Of the party journals even denied rs
manhood, and allied him to the ape and orang
outang All of them denied his right to citi-
zenship, and excluded him from the "all men"
whom Jefferson declared to be created "equal"
Slavery they declared to be his normal condi-
ton, and were fertile in argument to prove the
blessings of such state, not emitting to press
the bible into their service in this regard
They denied his fitness to ride in a steam or
horse car, or to occupy respectable pew in
church, and if he did happen to defile the dam
ask of one of their fashionable pews en-
Sunday, in the absence of the owner, forth
with the paddock was applied to the pew door
and the entrance labeled "no admittance here
for 'niggers." They went further than this.
and TO prevent miscegenation and general
mixing of bloc1 enacted laws forbidding mar
riages between blacks and whites-fearine.
perhaps, that in the absence of such prohibi-
tory statutes our daughters would become in
weighed by black swains our sons would be-
come the fathers of black population
But all this seems now changing In the
South we find the Democrats curryne favor
81 rlxrt 40 ~.
the high regard in which they hold them. urp-
ing them not to turn their backs upon old
friends, insisting that they shall send delegates
of their own color into the reconstruction con-
ventions, and proposing in one State it is said,
to give them a full Congressional delegation if
they will allow the white men to run the State
machine
In the North we find the same spirit only |
more so. 1t is but a few months since the |
Democrats in one of the wards of Boston.
nominated as their candidate, and voted for. a
colored man. and, failing of an election ON the
first trial they stuck to him like a dog to a root
at the second effert. True, thew were not suc-
cessful, but they showed their pluck and rolIad
up heavy party vote. A few days sine. in
Concord, N. H., our Democratic friends cast
a |
colored barber, styling him the "Citizens' Re-
form" candidate, and at one time he was ahead
and his chances of success seemed good
Who can tell what will come next? If they
had the slightest hope Of success in bringing
him into the arrangement, we dare say they
would try their seductive arts upon Frederick
Douglass himself, and make him their candi-
date for President in 1868. How far they will
drrS we feel incompetent to predict. Their
newly-developed respect for the negro is abso-
lutely astounding. The Press has not hitherto
favored laws to prevent marriages between
tnose VINO choose to form such close alliances
believing good taste would of itself no .,,s;
Gent security against excessive amaloamat;a
but really, there seems to be a co,or-ah1a'
cuse for interference, and PERTAINS wa st'an
feel obliged to oppose the repeal of tho 49,
ent restrictive law to prevent our De,,onr..:
friends from taking sable damsels to WIFI go
giving to their party a more speckled annoa
ance than it has yet exhibited In the mac
time we await developments.