The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-10-01
CHI A r L ES T ON .
THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER l, 1856
The Colored Vote.

! ThemunioipaI elections, here and through
out the State, cannot be carried without the
assistance of large colored vote,-a vote
which we claim because the interest Of the
white man is the interest Of the negro, and
because only those who are personally in
terested in the well-beipg and prosperity Of
a community can be expected to administer
its affairs with sole regard to the public
and common good. Hitherto the colored vote
has been difficult to secure, partly from the
fact that the majority Of our people have 30
far. been passive and silent. Itseemed that
the din Of civil battle would not soon reach
our State, and the people did not care to
buckle on their armor until the moment for
action came. Now are they bracing their
shields and proving their swords, and they
have cause for fresh confidence in the
knowledge that the colored vote will, at the
municipal elections. be less difficult to OBJ
tain than at any previous period inithe an
mails of recoustruction:,
As long as the Presidential election
hangs trembling in tho balance, the freed
men are naturally but stupidly disposed
cling to the Radical party. They be-
lieve that the white people will, if the
Democrats are successful, return them to
some form of slavery, for which belief
there is not evea the most slender foun-
dation. They also believe that the white.
people will, if they have the power, take
away from them, without qualification,
the right to cast vote. Believing these
things, they are generally resolved to do
all that they can to fortify their position,
aud think that they can best secure the con-
tinuanos of their present privileges and en-
joyments by voting for GRANT in November.
But when the municipal elections take
place, the Presidential election will have
been decided. If SEYMOUR and BLAIR,-
the champions of truth and the right,-be
elected, the colored people will be only too
anxious to vote for Democrat; candidates
for the different municipal Offices. They
will feel that the ultimate verdict, the ver-
dict from which there is no appeal, has been
rendered; that the voice Of the whole Ameri-
can people has decided against them and
their race; and they will be eager to win
back from the white people that indulgence
and confidence which they have SO fre-
quently abused. If we elect SEYMOUR and
BLAIR on the first Tuesday in November,
there will be no difficulty whatever in elect
ing the Democratic municipal ticket on the
Tuesday following
IF on the other hand GRANT and CoLFAx
be elected, the municipal elections may still
be controlled by the property, respectable
ity and intelligence of the State. The col
ored people will then believe that the gov
ernment de facto has become the govern
ment ejure- They will hold the opinion
that the whole nation has resolved that the
colored man shall vote, and that the recon-
struction governments shall stand as by
Congressional law established. They will
know that the Radical party is secure for
four years from March, 1869, and they will
know that there will not be the slightest
chance of their being sent back into invol-
urtary servitude. They will assume. that
their freedom. Upon this score they will
be relieved of a / doubt, ana will be willing
to turn to practical purposes the attention
which they are now giving to leagues, eau
cusses and noisy political meetings. The
colored man knows, as well as the white
man knows, the difference between gen.
tleman and snob, between an educated
man and fool, between property holder
and an adventurer, between an intelligent