Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-12
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER IL, 1858.
THE NEGRO IN orr poyIr,cs

THE NEGRO IN OUR POLITICS.
We hare repeatedly charged that the
Radicals have no use for the negro OK.
cept as voter to enable them to get
Office. The course Of events has estab- /
lished this fact incontcstably. The negro |
is beginning to see the matter in this
light, as the late elections have shown.
Large numbers who had previously voted |
the Radical ticket, either voted for the
Democratic candidates or stayed away
from the polls. They have become con-
WINGED who are their friends, and have
determined to vote and act with them.
Take Georgia for an illustration. The
vote Of that State shows that the Radical
party has lost its influence and power
with the negro population. The returns,
as published by the Macon Telegraph,
show that in the 'Black Belt" contain
ing two-thirds Of all the negroes in the
State, Grant and Collax failed to carry
over five or six counties. The registered
negro majorities in some Of those coun-
ties is as much as 2000 They have a
preponderance in almost every county in
Southern and Southwestern Georgia, and
yet the Radical ticket ran behind in every
one of them except Twiggs and Lee. Al
the election for Governor and upon the
adoption of the constitution, last April,
the Democracy were defeated by heavy
majOrities almost everywhere between
Macon and Eufaula and Columbus. The
returns show the scales completely
turned, and that large majority Of me-
groes have abandoned the Radicals and
Joined the Democratic party This fact
has created the greatest CONSERVATION in
the Radical camp, and an effort has TO be
made to regain the support of the negroes
or the party will be utterly ruined. The
character of this effort is foreshadowed
by the Augusta Republican, the lead
ing Radical paper in Georgia. Here is
the out-giying Of that paper:
When Congress assemblies, on the
first Monday in December, one of the
first questions which will come before
that body will be the relation that GeOr-
gia sustains to the Federal government
Congress is certain to investigate the late
action Of the Georgia Legislature in
BUSTING large portion Of its members,
and its action in reference to jurors, as
well as the Camilla massacre and other
murders in the State, and the farce o.
an election on last Tuesday. We think
itnOt improbable that the National Legis,
lature will authorize the re-sssembling
Of the members Of the Georgia Conyen-
ton, and the amendment of the Conslitu-
lion in such manner as to place it out
oftho power Of Democratic knaves and
fools to miSconstrue the meaning Of its
provisions. Something must and will be
done, our friends may rest assured
1t thus appears that the policy Of the
Radicals is to get Congress 10 rectify
matters by authorizing the defunct State
Convention" to come together again and
undo all that has been done by the peo-
pie. The bid is made for negro co-opera-
ton in demanding this action on the part
of Congress by holding out to them the
idea that the negro members ofthc L2gis-
laturo who have been ousted will be re-
stored to their rights" again. These ne
gro members were ousted under the con-
stitution which was tiIkered and adopt
ed by the Radicals with the view O.
ofkeeping negroes out Of the Legislature
and the offices Of the State Now it is
seen that the negroes have turned against
the Radicals, and a vigorous effort is Il
be made to wheedle them back into the
Radical ranks. Failing in this, as they
will, their true character will show itscl
TO the negro, and he will not then be at g
loss to decide how he should vote. The
result Of the election in Georgia
Alabama and Louisiana, has shown tC
the party that had dcluded and deceived
the negro for purely selfish purposes, that
he has come to estimate the leaders o.
that party as simply tricky, untrust-
worthy set, who have no higher ambition
than to get Office by any means they can
command, and that the negro has been a
powerful clement in the game they
played. This is the position the negro
has heretofore occupied in our politics.
He has been a mere machine in the
hands Of crafty, INSCRIPTIONS set Of
adventurers, and so long as he serves
their purposes, so long will they profess
to be his friends. The late elections
show that the scales are dropping from
his eyes, and he is beginning to see how
he should act and vote.