The union Democrat., 1870-04-02
NUMBER 43.
Nexre EliSihih,y 70 oGiss.

We have persistently, during the progress
of reconstruction in Georgia and the South,
according to congressional detection. opposed
the doctrine Of negro eligibility to o.Sce. We
have done so, rs a Democrat. for the reason
that we believed the policy was a violation &C
one OF the fundamental principles of the Con-
stitntion, and against that order of nature
which he's stamped the negro as being the in
terior of the white race, rs we'll es because Of
their being disqualified by habits, training;
education, and social condition, to dischsssS
the duties either Of legislator or administta-
tor of the laws of the land. The nat. he@-
sver, OF power went forth. and the negro was
declared eligible to office, and he now holds
1t, as we'll in the States coheerned in the late
rebellion, " the highest legislative body in
the Union, the Senate CT the United States.
By strict party vote. in that once august
body. the negro Revels has been admitted to
take his seat as one of the Senator's from the
State OF Mississippi, and this settles the ques-
tion raised by Southern Democrats, "whe,hs
er the Republican party in Congress wer8
sincere in their protestations of according tS
the negro a seat in that body, should one be
elected to FIJI it; or whether they designed on
" to confne their eligibility to Office to the
Southern State Legislatures and Southern Of
fices?" Believing that the partt in bower
was notsin6ere. the election Of negtees to CHhs
gfess from the South has often been urged by
Democrats ane Democratic paners in every
Southern State. We have steadily discount-
enanced every such proposition, and will. to
the end, contih1e to do so. This, we shall
eter contend. is white mans government
so constituted in its beginning, and 90, not.
withstanding the present innovation. win il
become again, if the white race inhabiting
the country will be true to itself, and con-
tend for that Supremacy over all other races
with which 1t was endowed by its Creator.
But the Republican party, al will see. il
IN earnest in its declarations to maiutain thS
doctrine OF NEGRO eligibility to Office. and eteti
to go further, to maintain his social equality:
Events. as they have transpired, prove this to
be so. The election Of negroes, therefore, tothe
national council from the South. f'fo spite that
perty" will signally fail Of the intent, and
we hope to hear no mCrs Of such counsel, or
folly, as coming from Southern Democrats.
As in oil else of political character regard
ing the South. we long since became convinc-
ed that the Republican party was terribly
and unscrupulously in earnest in what they
proposed TO do with the southern States.
Democratic leaders, however. did not, or
would not, realize the situation and DEM
ocratlc papers IN many quarters still perse-'
we're in efforts that prove them to be in the
same condition. Reyels is now a Senator:
negroes sit in our State Legislature and hold
other positions of governmental trust Geor-
gia will be reconstructed rs Mississippi and
Virginia have been. What then? So faf as
Georgia is concerned, let her people see the
situation as it is, and refuse longer to bo
led by men or press, who have thus far fail
ed in their lead to accomplish any practical
good for the State. Let them look now to
their material interests, and when opportuni-
ty offers to promote thera let them do co. re-
gardless of all baneful influence, to the con-
trary. The time will come, and that at no
distant day, when they can enter again the
political arena and assert for themselves and
their beloved State "eqaal privileges and
rights, " with those of any other State of the
newly constructed Union, and none to make
them afraid. Until then, let them "be wise
as serpents and harmless as doves p'--bstelli.
gencer, Ahnto, (Gd.) a