New-York tribune., 1867-09-13
A FALSE Harm.

We are told in certain quarters that the ineVl-
table result Of the Reconstruction poi'cy 0t Con-
ercss will be the establishment of negro supre-
macy in the South. and such supremacy, we
are gravely assured, is pregnant with disaster
to the whole Union But do those who assume
this position themselves believe in the proba-
bnity of snch o state of things being brought
about 10y means Of that policy' We are per
suadcd they do not. and that this bugbear Is
simply employed by them in the hope of divert
ing attention from the real issues involved III
the struggle between tho President and Con-
grcss. At any rate. if they do believe in 1t,
that fact stamps them as utterly unfit TO be
trusted or respected rs guides OF public
opinion. The thing is monstrously absurd and
would be hardly worthy Of serious attention
were it not so manitcstly mlschleyous In
intention and tendency. II ia true that the
blacks Of the South, rs 4 class, are heart
and soul with the Radicals, fact which does
them infinite credit. For why, let us ask,
have they allied themselves with the Radical
partyt Because we answer. they have sentc
enough 10 know who are their true friends and
heart enough to be sincerely grateful to those
through whose instrumentality the great
boon of emancipation was conferred upon them.
They understand very much better than many
of their detractors what the late war meant,
and they have wisely resolved to stand by the
men who are determined that tho long and
bloody conflict shall not have been waged in
vain. They are with the Radical party solely
on the ground that it is the party of freedom.
1t is the grand question of liberty-of the full
enjoyment, under irreversible guarantees, OF
civil aud political right5-upOn which their
attention is now fixed, to the exclusion from
their thoughts of tho collateral ISSUES Of the
political fight between Democrats and RepuRli-
cans. Let the two great parties in the Union
change sides-if that were possible-tO- morrow; /;
let the Democrats become the champions of
American citizenship on the broad ground now
occupied by the Republicans, and let the Repub-
licans ignore the principle of equal rights for
all, and the colored people, both of the North
and the South, we are sure, would Immediately
change sides too. Politics is not question of
race, and the colored man is not by nature
any more of a Radical or Conservative, as the
case may be, than the white man. Circumstances
may make him Radical; but circumstances
may be equally potent in making him Con-
seryStve. DO him justice let him have all
his rlHlAt3 tS IL ClllIclI, uHu hc VIII HO
vote by race, so TO speak, than the white man.
The blacks IL the South arc unit now, be-
cause they instinctively apprehend that the
work to be done there in their interests i'm
peratiyely demands that they should act to-
gether rs one man. When Reconstruction
shall have been happily accomplished, on n
solid basis Of justice, we may expect to find
the particular bond which now unitts them for
a special object loosened, and to fEd them
ranging themselves, precisely as their white
fellow citizens, on different sides in tho peace
full conflicts which the development of new
issues on questions of national Importance will
bring about.
If wo look TO those countries in which tho
blacks have for many years enjoyed political
rights, we shall find nothing whatever giving
countenance to the peculiar views of the
aarmlsts. On the contrary, it is notorious that
IN Jamaica and other British West India
colonies, the freedmen have repeatedly given
their sufrages to white candidates for legis-
lative and municipal honors in preference TO
black candidates, on the ground both of iden-
tlty of political views, aud of the superior
fitness Of the former for the responsible duties
of public life. They know but little of the
black man who imagine that he can be easily
made dupo OF by demsgogues His aptitude
IN reading character il something extraordinary
as all must know who have bad dealings