The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-23

of abandoning them TO the delusive teachings
of radical demagogues, their white neighbors
should take unwearied pains to lay open to
them the real causes of their depressed and
unhappy condition.
The attention of the freedmen should be
called to the fact that the white laboring popu-
lation of the North is also disoontented and
unprosperous, everywhere complaining OF the
insuticiency of their wages, of the dearness OF
living, and Of the hard, gripping spirit of their
employers. The negroes should be made to
perceive that their condition is not exceptional
as compared with other laborers in other parts
of the country, and that as Northern worlImen
are everywhere depressed notwithstanding
their lifelong enjoyment of political equality,
and the voting OF a majority of them with the
Republican party, their straitened oircum-
stances depend on causes which Republicanism
cannot remove. Free voting does not relieve
the distress of the Northern laborers, although
they have always possessed the privilege.
Voting with the Republican party does not
help them, although that party has long been
in majority everywhere in the North. If
radical State Governments could lift the labor
ing people out of poverty, the Northern
laboreTs ought, by this time, to be very pros
porous and contented; instead of which we see
them but few shades better off than the dis
satisfied laborers of the South.
The distress of the negroes depends upon
the same causes which impoverish the whole
laboring population Of the country. The evil
bears somewhat more heavily upon the freed
men for several reasons, most of which are,
when explained, quite level to their appre-
hension. In the first place, they have not
had the same long discipline in provident
self-Teliance as the Northern laborers, and
therefore are at a disadvantage similar to that
of mechanics who have not fully learned their
trade In the next place, the South was so
completely impoverished and prostrated by
the war, that its prosperity but slowly re-
wives, and its natural progress towards revival
is obstTucted and retarded by its unsettled
political condition, which prevents the influx
of Northern capital to set the wheels of in
dustry in motion and give remunerative en-
ployment to labor. If the North had been
as completely exhausted by the war as the
South, there would be little to choose in the
condition of laborers in the two sections. Bad
harvests and famine have co-operated with
political causes to retard the recuperation of
the South from the impoverishing conse-
quences of the war.
The army of Republican stump orators who
are about to be sent into the South will not
have the honesty to tell the negroes that their
freedom has brought them so little advantage,
because the Republican party has banished
gold and silver money from the country; be-
cause the Republican party lays enormous
taxes ON everything that the laborer eats
drinks, or wears; because the Republican
party keeps up great standing army in time
of peace, to be supported out of the earnings
of labor; because the Republican party has
Disseminated against their section by tax of
three cents a pound ON cotton, thus diminish
ing the fund out of which the plantation
laborers are paid. Instead of honestly telling
the freedmen these plain truths, and inform
ing them that the Northern freemen groan
under the same calamities, the Republican
enissaries and incendiaries tell them that the
reason why freedom has not materially bet
tered their condition is, that the Republican
party is not yet in possession of the Southern
State Governments.
Any intelligent negro could, by little in
struction, be put in position to retort upon
these incendiary orators, "Physioians, heal
yourselves" If voting the Republican ticket
and being in a majority will cure such evils in
the South, why are they not cured in the
North Making all allowance for the fact that
the freedmen commenced in absolute destitu-
ton, without hut, or piece of furniture, OF
rag of clothing, or peck of corn, or an inn
plement Of industry which they could call
their own, without dollar in any savings
! bank or any experience in providing for a
a family; making allowance also for the fact
that they were turned out thus penniess to
seek their subsistence in a region blasted and
desolated by war, their condition is as pros
| porous and hopeful as the corresponding white
classes in the Northern States The only way
political action can bring relief to either is by
putting the National Government into hands
that will be as saving as the Republican party
has been prodigal into hands that will dis
band the army, reduce the taxes, reform the
currency, and thus leave to the laborers of all
sections a larger portion of their honest
earnings.
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