New-York tribune., 1867-05-13
WORK EOR MLSSLONARIES.

shape again, and the signs of the times pre-
dict the inevitable success of enfranchlsement.
Meanwhile, there is abundant work for those
who desire to see the franchise radically estab-
lished and radically operative. Any time
within the last two years we have heard
that portions of the cOlOred people
would vote with their former masters, and,
judging from human nature as it exists at both
North and South, we are prepared to accept
whatever modicum of metamorphoss the new
social relations will effect in the political con-
victions of the negro. A few citizens, lately
enfranchised, have gone with their former mas
tiers, for the simple reasons that these gentle
men have very plausibly hidden and bargaIned
for their votes On the other hand, the num-
Der of masters who have taken sides with
the black Republicans is not legion, but permits
us to hope for accessiOns from this now pla-
cable class, since MOhammed will be more than
tempted to go to the mountain, if the noun
tain does not go to Mohammed. On either side,
the negro's interests are assured in proportion
to the power and value of his vote. The
right of an overshadowing majority of
colored votes every white man ought to feel
himself bound to respect. Accordingly, there
is no want of tribute to this Omnipotent fact,
| and from Tennessee to Georgia the bid for
this powerful shadow is unreseryed and undis-
| gused Certain leaders of Southern opinion
boldly ayow that they intend to win the
| colored vote, reckless of what means they
take, and however big and loud their professions
and promises We well know how earnest
| this class of trcksters can bc without the use
| less worriment of scruple; how readily many
/ .al doc
| trine, if they can only hold and possess the
things that be; how sincere they are in taking
advantage of every availability about
them. Mr. Pollard, either the sO-called
historian, or the common barratOr,
we forget which, is reported to have
said: NEGRO suffrage is dirty weapon; but
"you have put it in our hands, and we mean to
beat your brains out with it, Mr.. Pollard
does not write as if accustomed TO brain-beat-
ing and it will be useless for him to cudgel
| his wit to find ways and means for intellectual
| murder; but he doubtless expresses the intent
of Il narrow class who, never having meant
well by the negro, have a malicious zeal in
securing their alliance against the North.
The lists are now fairly drawn. All the ques-
| ton that exists is, in substance, whether the
white man will be won over to the side OF the
black. or the black will join the white. Hav
ing numbers, principle, and long history of
martyrdom to fortify and counsel them against
all Establishments, there is every reason to
believe that the colOred men of the South
will hold what they have suffered for
and what has been Won for them. But the
white party have talent, training, and cunning,
which seek no better exercise than cajoling the
box-a N
into places and are politically armed and or
ganized, and from instinct are adroit We
must be remember that the black men OF the
South, numerous as they are, are to en-
counter their tempters with simple weapons
and with few leaders. Just now,
as the contest opens, they look to the North for
allies. We must give them hearty and vigor-
ous aid, and so reexplOre the whole South IN
the mission of freedom and regeneration that
no portion of the field will remain upsurveyed
by the pioneers of Reconstruction.
There is a confusion of tongues among the
Southern leaders. We hear an elegac chorus
of Mr. Johnson's half-dozen Provisional Gov
ernors, all to the effect that military recon-
strlIction, except in Mr.. JohnSon's old-fashioned
provisional way, is an outrage upon the rights
'of States. They assert that it is more
honorable, though not so comfortable,
to submit To military rule than consent TO
vote with the negro. Thus the Presidents
six fossil Unionists are shufled back again into
! the rear of the Rebellion, 50 that Gen. Wade
| Hampton OF Herschel v johnson Is now prac-
tieally more advanced than either ex-Gov.
Perry or the gentleman whom Mr. Raphael
| Semmes is pleased to call " old Mother Pat
| tom We see the six Provisional Governors
| attempting to pull back progress. while the
most prominent of ex-Rebels have logically ae-
| cepted. and entertained the incOntr0vertable
facts that Congress rules, in sheer spite OF the
antiquarian researches of n number OF const-
| tutional Dryas,lustsNn NOW in Washington, raising
a cloud about the eyes of the Judges OF
the Supreme Court There DIS confusion of
interested counsel among well-meaning South
erners. We have only sowed the franchise
among the Southern plantations. and crowd
of professional advisers have sprung up formi-
dable as the crop of armed men in the fable.
Gen. j. D. Gordon advises the enfranchised to
behave themselves, or the whites will exter-
inmate them in the course of time Gov.
Orr is of opinion that the negro ma
iority will be quite cancelled in gen
Grafton by white immigrants, and there
fore it is TO the interest of the freedmen to
cOnciliate their recent owners The South
Carolina Governor is, moreover, anxious that
the colored men shall not put faith in either
Democrats or Republicans, both or which
parties are on the eve of reorganization, but
shall send their Representatives to Congress
uncommitted Here is Characteristic and Par
thian shrer-dness, worthy to mate with the