Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-08-02
The Political Negro.

Boys, in exploring old and dilapidated
ruins, already half frightened by long
standing rumors of supernatural inhabi-
tants, are frequently intimidated by the bats
disturbed from their hiding places by their
intrusion, or by the echoes of their own foot
steps. Just so with certain politicians in
this country. In order to secure the success
of party the negro was enfranchised in
certain States or districts, and the hopes
and demands of thenewly made citizensh have
been encouraged and stimulated to such a
degree, that already their very reasonable
and justifable ambition is becoming mat
ter of serious trouble, and has even now
frightened some of the leaders out of their
propriety. A little doubtful of the terrible
means used to secure success, they are be-
coming alarmed at the noise of the storm
their course has excited. The demand for
Office, the echo of their own teachings,
through political missionaries and human
nondescripts, begins to perplex and con-
fuse those who gave the negro the ballot
for selfish purposes, and not from any de-
sire to benefit that race.
We publish elsewhere extracts from lead
ing papers, of all shades of politics, in diff
ferent Northern States showing into what
trouble the political Pandora's box negro
eligibility-is bringing the dominant party.
We have never doubted that when the ne
gro was converted into voting machines,
and put up to the highest bidder, that he
would also be made eligible to Office How
could any party, whose success depended
upon their votes, refuse the demand when
it came ? Nay, we have always thought
that when white men received them into
their political councils and sat with them
around the committee table, that equality
at other and more sacred places would fol-
low. In fact, such is already the case at
the South, and at least one of their public
speakers has boasted of dining in our own
city with leading Federal and city officials.
Where this is to end, if indeed short of en-
tire social equality and amalgamation, we can
not tell, for men who WILL for mere polit1-
cal preferment, or pecuniary gain, forget
all the proud associations of the past for
get their Anglo Saxon origin, and
enter the arena for the support of
the blacks, by association with them
upon terms of equality, and unite |
them against those of his own color, |
by intoxicating the most violent prejudices |
and appealing to the worst of passions by |
binding them, body and soul, by terrible
oaths and encouraging habits Of Incidence |
and plumber, in hopes of ultimate confisca-
ton, will not stop short of any means to |
obtain their ends.
We of the South are beginning to fully |
the terrible proportions of the
crime of which we have been made the
and when the destinies of ten
States and half as many millions of people |
shall pass under the control of yesterdays
degraded by centuries of
slavery and ignorance-a condition for
which the Southern people are in no wise
possibly the crest of man
lind may also become aware of its enor-
nifty and danger. AS an abstract PROPOSE
ion, and as shrewd political operation, it
nay be well enough to outlaw the most
purest and ablest citizens,
nd clothe the most ignorant and depraved
nth the rights and powers of which they
ave been deprived /; but the evil effects
nust extend beyond a mere question of
arty politics and be more permanent in its
urtful tendencies than the usual "pipe-
aging" mischief concocted in the caucus
DOM. The prosperous North must be {
ragged down by the impoverished South,
nd the storm which engulfs the political {
ghts and noble ambitions of one section q
lust eventually wreck the whole country.
In section which forces by the bayonet
IN States to submit to negro Legislators, g
ldges, governors and other officials, while i
denies to its own colored population even i
ne right of suffrage, some security may be t
BIT from the troubles and humiliations v
INCH environ us. But having enfran- '
llS6d IN the S0ufh hx, ;l1ooro1 fo~oo Al, :. a