The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-05-01
The Negro Element Under the Political Reer.
ganization Of the South.

The Negro Element Under the Political Resr-
sanization Of the South.
The'news from the South with regard to the
status of the negroes and their ideas and aspi-
rations under the new order Of things becomes
every day more interesting. "The colored
people," one Of our special correspondents
says, " wherever have been, seem to be thor
oughly organized in the matter Of politics.
Their preachers, their schoolmasters, the feW
Northern men living in the cities and towns
and very generally the officers and assistant
connected with the Freedmen's Bureau, keep
them up to the work" II is probable, how
ever, that on the plantations and in those parts
remote from the towns, where the negroes are
not SO subject to these Influences they are less
organized and more under the influence Of
their old masters. Still it seems that
wherever the Northern republican infu-
ence extends they are disposed to sup
port that party. But they exhibit .
good deal of shrewdness and may not be so
plant in the hands OF the white politicians.
"They consider themselves" our correspond
ent remarks, entitled to their share Of public
and representative positions, and are disposed
to forego the claim for the benefit of those who
want the Offices themselves" From all this we
see that the negroes are becoming educated as
to their new position. Under the rivalry of
politicians and political parties to obtain their
votes, and through the labors of the white ora
tors who are spreading themselves over the
South, they will learn quickly to value their
newborn privileges They may become con
fused by the conflicting representations and
Misrepresentation of those who want to con-.
troll their votes, and they may not be able to
comprehend fully political questions; but they
will have no difficulty in understanding that they
are on an equality with the whites as regards
their rights, and equally entitled to hold Office.
Such being the case, it is reasonable 70 expect
they will want some Of their own race to repre-.
sent them in both State and federal ofices-in
both the legislatures and Congress. This, we
say, is only reasonable and the natural result
Of the extraordinary political and social revo-
luton the country is passing through.
But the problem which excises the greatest
interest just now, particularly among polid-
clans, is, what party will be able to get the
negro vote. The republicans are moving
heaven and earth to secure it This Is the
object of the missionary labors of Senator Will
SON and other Northern orators At present
they seem to have the best chance. The old
democrats are nowhere in the struggle. In
fact, they appear to have given 1t up. We do
not hear Of single Northern democrat enter
ing the lists against Wilson and the other repub-
licans. The old Southern democrats are equally
apathetic. They appear to have no idea Of
resuscitating their party in the South Indeed,
one Of their leading men, Governor Orr, Of
South Carolina, advised the colored people, in
a speech at Columbia, not to attach themselves
either to the democratic or republican party at
present, "but to wait and array themselves upon
the platform of q national Union party, that
could be occupied in common by both races
South and the people of the North" A colored
speaker who followed, the Rev. Henry n.
Turner, said that "he wished, above all things,
to see united South; for he felt satisfied that,
Notwithstanding the education OF the past, the
Southern gentleman was the best and truest
friend Of the negro" From all these signs Of
the times we conclude that the old democratic
party Of the South is dead; that though the
republican party is making great efforts it will
find no lasting elements to sustain II in that
section, and that the probability is that . new
party, based upon the material interests Of the
South, will spring up to exercise powerful
influence, in connection with the agricultural
West, over the future policy and destiny OF the
country.
observation-disclosures OF the Health An.