The Portland daily press., 1867-03-30


tence. VIII he now repair the wrong he then
did and atone for the imposition practiced
upon his readers at that time, by giving, I'M
mutilated and unabridged, the touchstone by
which We are willing to test the Democracy
OF to-day, and by which the friends of that
democracy should be willing to stand or fall?
Ahe "Worid" and the Negro.
When we speak of the World In connec-
ton with the African race on this cont nent,
we don't mean the material or the spiritual
world, and much less the religious world but
we have in view the New York World, which
claims to be the great Democratic organ of
this country. A great change has indeed
come over the spirit of its dreams Who
hugs the negro now? Who plays fond dalli-
ance now? Who coaxes and wheedles now?
''Hout-tout, dame Elspeth," said Tibb, fear
ye nathing irae Christie; toads keep their ain
holes clean. You kirk-folk make sic fash
erie about men shifting wee. bit for their
living. Our border-lairds would ride with
few men at their back, if a the light-handed
lads were out O. gate"
Better they role wi name than distress
the countryside the gait they do said dame
Elspeth. ...... .....- ..r
but wha is to haud back the Southron,
then," said Tibb, if ye take away the
lances and broadswords? / trow we aud
wires couldna do that wi rock and wheel, and
as little the monks wi bell and book" 90
Tibb Tacket was right. And how can the
Southern negroes be held back when the
lances and broad-swords-an more than
these-when the plantation whips are taken
from the hands of their masters? That's the
great question which puzzles Southern rebels
and upsets the philosophy OF such Northern
politicians as manage the World. But the
"dough-faces" OF the Moth are full of ex-
pedients and their "ugly mugs" flatten aw ay
and gently yield when they come in contact
with sharp corners. Hear, oh ye Democrats
and be astonished ye rebels and traitors, how
this great organ brands as false one of the
doctrines In your political creed! 1t says:
As regards the popular notion of the odor OF
the negro, it may DE positively stated that he,
in this respect, is like the white-a clean negro
being free from it, and foul one cursed by it.
.i In view of such a confession, we ask in ali
seriousness what is the once great Democrat
ic party to do for pertumery? For more than
a quarter OF century the wire-pullers Of that
party have not ceased to prate about that
"Odor" and to hold it up to the noses Of then
political friends as the most villanous COM
pound that ever offended nostrii." Now the
World gives it all up and coniesses the negro
smells as sweet as white democrat when
both keep themselves clean That's good
We like it, and are not without hope that the
WOrld will yet make other confessions equal
ly astonishing.
1t may be hard for the Democrats to give
up CHS odor with which they have pointed SO
many morals and adorned SO many tales, yet
an attempt must be mace to obtain the negro
votes, North and South, for without them
they must forever remain in a hope .ess MINOR
ity where no "loaVes or fishes are to be had
What great changes little time often works
How bravely altered are the notions of the
democratic organ! When the riots took place
in New York city in 1863 when so many me-
groes were manned and murdered, how did
the World talk then? Oh, then they did not
smell as sweet In Democratic nostrs as they
do now! OF course not Their prospects OF
voting over the country were not so bright
then as they are now, and hence the wonder
iul change. i-. ....l...s 4'
But this astonishing change in the Worlds
opinions Is not confined to The "odor" which
has given point to so much Democratic wit in
past years, ,butit goes deeper than the skin and
peaetrates quite 10 the heart of the once des.
pised negro. Hear it, ye Democrats and
open wide your ears in wonder and astonlsh-
ment! 1t says:
As arace the negroes Of New York. consid.
cred from police point of view, are a bette,
class OF citizens tnan the lower grades O
whites. AS just remarked, negro or nesres.
is sometimes borught before the court,
for theft; occasionally black man il
arraigned for outrage; and very rarel,
for drunkenness or murder. but as ;
class, the negroes give the police compare
lively little trouble. This is the almost unlyer
sal testimony alike OF patronaen, sergeants
captains ana superlntenaents; and we publisl
it as at least an approximation to the truth.
"The negroes better class of citizens thar
the lower grades of whites~ We can readily
believe that. They are so, not ouly in New
York city, but in all cities and towns all ovel
the country North and South. But it seem.
TO us that the slower grades of whites" mus
ieel that they are wounded in the house o
their own friends by such confessions of th
journal which aspires to be the '.head-centre
OF Democracy. We would ask the World j,
all candor, If the Democratic party does no
receive from the lower grades of whites" il
New York city large portion of the vote
which usually make up their ttirty thousan,
majority on election days? We believe sucl
is the fact. These are cruel stabs from thi
head-centre of Democracy. To sink its white
political friends below the "colored popula.
tion" is severe blow upon them. But we
can assure the managers of what is left of the
Democratic party, that the negroes are so far
above the slower grades ofwhites" in shrewd-
ress, patriotism and loyalty that their votes
cannot be had for them, however sweet they
may call them, or however closely they may
hug them. The negroes know much be,t ter
than the "poor whites" and quite as well as
the demagoguss who are now seeking thei;.
votes, who their friends are, and deDend upon
it they will govern themselves accordingly.
Although many of them can neither read
nor write, yet their eyes and ears have been
open to the history Of their country and es-
pecially to the record of the Democratic par
ty during the last few years. Demagogues have
not the power to strike them blind nor stop
their ears. The Democratic managers put too
low an estimate upon tEe character of the ne
groes of this county, if they for one moment
suppose they can soft soap them into voting
for party that has always kept them In bond
age and would do so now If it had the power.
The negroes know well enough how the land
lies. Among them are hundreds and thou
sands ofintelligent, shrewd men whose influ-
ence is great over their brethren, and cannot
be counteracted nor overcome by AL the arts
OF demagogues North OF South. Traitors at
one end of our country, or sympathizers at the
other, may just as well hang their barps upon
the willows and weep for lost political pow
er, as to attempt to play any mnsic chat can
tickle the ears ofthe negroes. Their political
harps are strangely out OF tune. Our recent
war has played the devil with their strings
and its miserable iaroon falls dead on the ca,