Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1870-11-25

The Lessons OF the Recent Election.
The following remarks from the St. Mary's
Beacon are so fairly put and SO applicable to
our own county that we cannot do better than
copy the article entire:
| Elections, like pulpit or other sermons,
have their lessons. and political communities
in the one case, like sinners in the other, are
advanced and advantaged by remembering
and reading them Alright. To eliminate and
italisize few Of the more apparent and i'm
portant precepts which, we think, the late
Congressional election in our county teaches,
and to point out the respects in which they
may benefit us hereafter, is the endeavor that
now engages US.
There is no denying, notwithstanding all
our efforts, that the great mass of the black
voters Of our county supported Mr.. Gary at
the late election. 10 all appeals that the in
terest Of the black race of our county was
identical with our own-to all arguments
showing that the tariff and other monopoles,
represented and illustrated by the Republican
candidate, were 10 direct conflict will, our in
dustrial welfare-a deaf ear was turned, and,
at the behest aud under the leadership Of
strangers, in spite Of their dependence upon
us for food, raimeDt and shelter, Of our COM
mon county nativity and our liberal and in
dulgent conduct towards them, the blacks
massed themselves against US, with honorable
exceptions, and de6antIy elected to fight us.
Well, they have fought US and they have
been whipped, not only in the State, but 10
the Fifth Congressional District, and not only
10 the Fifth Congressional District, but in ST.
Mary's county. Nor is this the worst. They
have been so badly crippled, SO completely
routed and scattered, as to render any attempt
at future effective opposition to our party,
either here or elsewhere in the State, bald
aud transparent folly.
Woe to the vanquished sung the Roman,
aud woe to the vanqushed proclaims the
Yankee wherever he has power to-day. Thank
GOO, we are neither Yankees nor the sons of
Yankees and it is well for the black race in
our midst that we are not. But let this pass.
Under fair retrospect of all the circum.
stances that preceded the late election, have
we right to be surprised or are we justified
in being proscriptive aud belligerent because
the mass of the blacks voted against Us? We
think not Eighteen months ago, we were
told by wise and far-seeing man, then on
visit to our county, that we must either Guilt
vate friendly political relations with the
blacks or look to see them for a time poti-
caly estranged from US. Which of US re-
mem bered or regarded this judicious advice
until it was too late for it tn avail Us anything
in the recent canvass? Until secret leagues
bad been established throughout our county
and its members had bound themselves by an
oath to vote for Mr.. Gary, which of US went
out among the blacks and advised them as to
their true interest? The painful truth is, we
neglected and ignored the black man until
his mind bad been poisoned against US or
until be had bound himself by an oath, which
he regarded as binding, to vote for the Re-
publican nominee. Under such circumstan-
ccs, dealing with an impulsve and uneduca-
ted class like the blacks, the true wonder is,
not that the great mass Of them should have
gone against US, but that as many Of them
should have registered their votes in our favor
as did. Besides, it is known that Radical
emissaries had been busy for twelve months
previous to the election, under religious, edu-
cational or humanitarian pretexts, in working
upon the hopes and fears of the blacks, prom
ising to one a mule and forty acres of land
and threatening another with stripes, slavery
and hell-fire if he broke his oath and turned
Democrat. And all this, without the slight
est effort at counteraction on our part. Until
| October, we made no move to impress the
colored man with our real aims or to wean
him from bis idols and his folly. 1t is true,
when we did set to work, we worked with a
will, but then the oath had been taken and
the poison bad done its work. Under such
circumstances, we repeat, is it surprising that
! the great bulk Of colored men were found vo-
ting against US on election day? We think
not.
| Believing that we are nearly or quite as
much to blame as the black man for the vote
! ne cast at the late election, and knowing that
he is low sick of leagues, distrustful of SCALA
waos and carpet baggers and anxious to be
at peace with bis old friends and employers,
we earnestly counsel our people to adopt a
policy of generous forbearance towards MN.
It needs no ghost to tell US, that the great
majority of our blacks will be found ranged
under the banner of our party in ali sucse-
uuent elections. 1t is almost inevitable that
it should be so. But if this thing is to be, and
remembering our own shortcomings in con-
nection with the late election, is it just, gener
GUS or polite in us at this time to change our
old course of conduct towards the blacks and
commence system of prescription against
them? No. Let bye-gones be bye-gones.
Let the old kindness and amity between the
two races be restored, and let both unite, in
this county at least, to discourage, discounte-
nance and prescribe the party or the man
who shall seek again to array, 10 politics or
in other respects, the one race against the
other.
/ The COlOrea Race.
i The following facts have been obtained at
the Census Bureau, showing comparison ol
the censuses of 1860 and 1870, as to the COL
ored race in the States named:
In IS counties in Georgia. 1860, 330,829
1870, $685. 1865. Delaware, 21,627; 22.22O.