New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-08-21
COLORED CONSERTATISM

COLOEED COADEIJ Il JoA'
"Gov. Seward" asked a Washington acquaint-
ancc, during the Winter of 1890 "what do
"you think of Mr.. Douglass chances for the
Presidency7'
81 think very little of them; his time has gone
"by," blandly replied the Senator.
"'Gone byY' Why, we consider him still n
young man." demonstrated the inquirer.
every likely" reioined the smiling Senator;
81 did not refer to his age; but | judge that
"the time has gone by for electing President
"who spells negro with two Gs.'
The ancient ariStocracy of the South Is III
quandary; and its bOggle is Colored Conserya-
tism. Here is the ground of its perplexity:
The White aristocracy has beaten the Radical
Constitution of Mississippi by negro votes, and
came near beating that of Georgia; polling
$1,000 Black votes against it. Encouraged by
these results, the BOurbons are now organizing
Democratic negro clubs, giving Democratic
White and Black barbecues, and fraternizing
with their Colored brethren most cordially and
Intimately. The gullible World reports hall
the negroes of New0rleans already members
of Democratic clubs-whch is rs likely as that
half the Irish Catholics in NewYork had be-
come Know Nothiugs. But it is true that the
White Democrats are Systematically ingratat-
ing themselves with the negroes, and with
considerable success They have Democratic
negro orators and some Democratic negro
wire workers. whose elcctoneering skill and
tact do credit to their political trainers. In
few years, if the entente cordiaIe be fully pre-
served, these Democratic neophytes will be
able to put dozen whisky skins inside their
several wastcoats without Inconvenience, and to
get as many hundred Democratic votes ont OF a
district containing less than a hundred Demo
cratic voters, as though they had trained under
Capt. Rynders and graduated from Tammany
Hall.
Yet we warn their new friends to mind the
crusty adage that Cline words butter no pars-
"neps.n An old play hits the point thus briefly;
Cnptain-Are you honest, Cudol
Cudjo-What you glib me- Nasal
| Sambo has a liking for cold Massn,"-he
| lives on his land, earns his wages, and has
substantial reasons for prcfeTing his good Will
to that of carpet bagger;' but it won't do
! to forget that he is a Conservative. He now en-
| joys the Right of Suffrage, and he means to re-
| tain, to conserve it, Blessed well does he know
that the barbccues and other hattering atten-
tons so generously rendered him by his paler
Democratic brethren are due TO his being a free
and independent vOtcr-that they would see
him in Heaven before soliciting the honor of
his company at an Ox-roasi, If the acCursed
Radicals had not cnfranchiscd him. lie will OF
course gladly attend every Democratic barbe-
enc to which he is invited will eat and drink his
fiji there, and declare that the White folks
have "done him proud" 10y their hospitality;
he will join their club and wear their badge, if
/ 1 10 4. 20 IL, lt-l Il
but. when his uote is wanted, it will come up
missing if casting it Democratic IS to result IN
his Acknowledgement. lie won't vote to kill the
goose that lays such nice eggs. Do but con-
slider that there Is some human nature i'm
Niger and you will realize that this must be
so, and can't possibly be otherwise. Iou may
have q White and Black Democratic club Of a
thousand members; the determination at bar
becue and bar may be lovely, perfect; but,
when the votes are counted out of the ballot
box, you VIII have just so many for Seymour
and Blair as the White members will have cast:
all the rest will be for Grant and Colfax.
Meantime, let the good work go on! Induce
the Ku-Klux Khan TO believe, if human credu-
lily hath such extent that all the niggors they
do MT shoot will vote for Seymour and Blair,
and there will be more of them left alive to
vote for Grant next November than if no such
delusion had been propagated. Make the Mo
bile Rebels fancy that they are winning the ne
groes' votes, and they will no longer drive them
out Of the street-cars-not they but insist Oh
giving them the snuggest corners and the
s0ftest seats. The Southern Democrats might
have won the negro vote by acting with sense
since Lees surrender; and they may win
part of it, even yet, if they will really try.
But they have much leeway TO make up, and
they should set about it speedily and heartily.
| Let them remember the old maxim" Seek not
to seem, but to be-"