Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-04-22
New voters.


Maryland, colored voters will constitute
but an Insignificant element IN these
States, and to hold them firmly to the
Radical party such concessions, even to the
holding of Office, mast continually be
made that will cost the party dearly for the
aid which they will bring. If these con-
cessions are denied there will be no securi-
ty for their faithfulness.
But already we see the outcroppings OF
disaffection at the North. While the Rad1-
cal leaders are anxious to secure the nu-
merical strength of the coiored votes, they
are fearful of the prejudices which it may
arouse among the whites. In fact the
leading Radical paper of Cincinnati adj
vises the colored people of that city to be
careful to which party they give their
united support. If they desire to have
that influence as citizens to which they are
entitled-they should not join either as q
unit, but to vote as their Judgment led
them to believe was for their best interest
In speaking of the recent election in ST.
Louis, the Democrat (the leading Radical
organ of the State) says
" As q natural remembrance OF the long and
bitter past, the great majority of them (the ne
groes) voted the Republican ticket, but there
were some exceptions. These men are now
citizens, and most OF them are dependent upon
their daily earnings. They feel in peculiar
manner the hardship of taxation, especially OF
that taxation which increases the cost of living.
Their votes hereafter must be influenced by this
well other considerations, and, having
common interests with their fellow-citizens of all
parties, they will naturally be guided by the
best lights they obtain, and tcU Uote ike
ether people for those measures s6ticb they
deem best calculated to adUGnce tier Ot0n inter
eSt.''
This may be all honest, it certainly is
very good advice, but it is Just little
unusual and very unnatural for party or
gans to advise any class of voters not to
support their party. It looks very much
as if they were fearful that the preiudices
of the whites might lose them more votes
than they would make by the united sup.
port of the few blacks resident in the
Northern States.
But really it is not to be supposed tina;
the oolored people will long remain in the
ranks of one party. There is no more
reason that they should do SO than tina
all the whites should attach themselves tt
the other. We see that the blacks of Gin
C4A4AtA AhNS resolved TO VOLS aSa1nS
protection" This is one step towards
separating themselves from the Radica
party. The negroes of the South have
got no father in the political vocabular,
than to learn the meaning of the word
"vote, "office" and election" Moth
ing would be more unnatural than that thi
class of men, who are all laborers, shout,
continue to vote solidly for the part
which makes them pay two and tire
prices for all they eat and wear in order t
protect the manufacturers of the North
whose interests are antagonistic to the me
chanics and laborers of the South an
West. When influences now existing hav
passed away, and the colored voters or
controlled by causes which operate upo
other people, they will refuse to be OF
pressively taxed for the benefit of th
wealthy Northern bond-holder and mani
facturer. Their real interests cannot Ion