Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-10-15
FLFTEENTH AMENDMENT TRlUA-
PLANT.

The fifteenth Amendment had Shar
trial in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Ina
city sprang from sect famous for soor1e
" and orderly behaviour, but the e1ampi
Of the fathers and elders is lost SIGHT Oh a
election time, and the 'city OF brotherl!
lover has often been disturbed by riots ant
brawls at the polls. In the days OF th'
Know Nothings the military had to b.
called out to protect Irishmen, and upor
<ar;ous occasions it would have been quite
comfortable in the opinion of civil people
70 have few soldiers to keep the peace
On Tuesday the negro voted for the frs
time in the city. The event, of course
excited strong democratic indignation, ant
there were fierce threats made against thu
children Of Ham should they attempt t.
exercise their right. AS the police is il
the hands of the democracy, it was wisel.
eonjectured that the protection which col
ored men would receive from that quarter
would be such as wolves give lambs, ant
II was thought best to rely upon the unitet
States Marshal and few blue coated ma
rines to preserve order. Eat all the down
town polls" says = despatch, was con-
spicuously posted, this placard: "Beware
Of the Colored Reporters! They have
been engaged to disfranchise you. They
will vote early and often. Watch them
Challenge them! They are the ignorant
tools of corrupt politicians"
Thus instigated the "ferce democracy"
commenced to jostle, push about, and gen.
orally maltreat the colored men who came
0 the polls to vote. But the sons of Ham
persisted, stood their ground, and one Of
them had the hardihood to administer a
couple of well merited knock-downs to a
democratic alderman, for which the police,
Of course, took the darkey in charge. Then
things became more confused, the passage
ways to the polls were blockaded, and a
riot seemed imminent, when all at once,
without notice, company of marines APP
peared at the scene Of disturbance, and all
became serene and lovely. The sable
voters marched in and deposited their bal
lots as regularly as their pale faced breth-
rem. while peace reigned throughout the
city of William Penn, and the Fifteenth
Amendment triumphed. How the social
system was affected that day has not been
related in any of the papers. 1t may have
cracked or broke badly. but no sign to that
effect has been given, from any source en-
titled to consideration. There will prob
ably be lament from some far-off point,
perhaps from Maine. where negro votes
have never been at discount, about the
vast injury that is done to the country and
the constitution and the white man by al
lowing negroes to vote that never voted
until the Fifteenth Amendment permitted
them to do so; but the thing is done and
can't be undone, and there's an end ont.
An old lady said that when she was in
trouble, there was one passage of Scripture
which afforded her great deal of conso-
lAtion, that was, "Grin and bear it." We
recommend this passage to our democratic
brethren, and trust that in this afiliction, as
id many others which they are usually
called to pass through about election time
every year, they will find it consoling and
strengthening.