Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-11-05
Negro and the Republican Party

The New Y ork Herald says: Shall this con
tlnent be given up to barbarism for a fanatica
experiment and a party scheme? This, and none
other, is now the question before the American
people. Shall We throw away what we have
acquired OF science and civilization blot out our
history. give up all aspirations Of the future
that the Niger may become supreme and restore
the land to tbat happy state Of nature in whch
Africa now is? Is Africa such {. magnificent
evidence Of the Niger S greatness that the eX
ample of its history should induce US to change
our system for his? For uncounted centuries
the negro has had possession Of that continent
and never bullG u GUY, never brldged river,
never made the smallest discovery having any
tendency 10 widen the little space that separates
him from the gorilla-never even borrowed the
discoveries Of races with which he came in con
tact, except as they supplied mere etGcient
means for the qualification Of his instinct for
cruelty Such is tue history Of the niger lii
his native land But he comes to another CON
tinent, becomes subordinate 70 4 race nat forces
him to labor, and presto there is q change i
Freedom had kept him a brute, slavery made
him a man, and what, must the second freedom
make him? Lord of the ascendant He must
be the master aud must control the political
destinies Of the nation. though It be TO the ex-
clusiDp Of race Of white mel Without superio.e
on the face OF the earth. Such is the drama
ROW n progress. The white OF the North
holds down Inc white man of the South while
the nisger trampies upon him..
Nothing eau have forced the republican party
TO lis present extreme position IN regard to the
Niger but q sentiment Of desperation, a feeling
thai this degraded race is its forio1n hope and
that if it cannot rule through the slave vote ii
must reliDqush power altogether The attitude
Of the Northern people justiies this thought
fhe protest Of the people at the polls-a protest
heard from the widest separated extreGlities Of
tle nation-not only announces TO the republican
leaders shat they have gone farther than the
! people would permit, but that they have gone
50 far they can never hope to secure popular
confidence again. To abate some portion OF
their pretension would therefore be unless, and
! they desperately choose to push the game to It's
ultimate limit, hoping yet to control by means
| OF the power to be given to the niger. 1t is
clear that this is in all ways murderous policy
-murderous to the country ii it prevails and to
the men who have planned it if the people can
see their purpose. Aud the people must be
made to see; and thus every iot gained in powel
given to tn niger will be lost by the depth
that this policy will inevitably give to the reac
ton OF the nation against the bold. bad, I'M
scrupulous knot Of politicians who are definitely
determined to ruin if they cannot rule.
There is one giant fact, which stands among
the others connected with our ''sitaatiom" like
Saul among the Prophets-that fact is that the
voice of Virginia, as far as it has been heard,
has been lifted IN against Convention -