Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-03-04
The Question Settled.


The Question Settled.
The admission Of the negro Revels into
the Senate of the United States as Sena-
tor from Mississippi decides a question
which will have q very important bearing
upon Southern politics. Colored aspirants
for Congressional honors have been bought
and scared off by ambitious carpet-baggers
upon the grounds that their election would
be injurious to the party, and that they
were not eligible, not having been citizens
sufficiently long. The prece dent establish
ed by the Senate in the case of Revels will
+ y followed il tho House This action
therefore, breaks the restraint heretofore
controlling the colored Radicals Of the
South, and we predict at least twenty col
ored members in the next House Of Re
representatives..
And why should there not be a? IF it be
wrong who are responsible for it? It would
not do for white Radicals to object be-
cause there is O want ofintelligence among
these people. They have sent very ignor-
ant men to Congress, who are in no way
the equals of the more intelligent colored
men Of the South. It would not DO TO OBJ
ject for want Of character. The conduct
Of Whittemore, aud Deweeso Gnd their
corrupt confedlrates is too fresh in tho
minds Of the people. It will not do to
urge that the colored people who furnish
nine-tenths of the strength and fully
seventy-fve per cont of the brains and
honesty Of the party in the South are too
grasping. We think they have stood back
with wonderful patience and voted ignor-
ant and corrupt itinerants and adyentur-
ers into Office and fortune. It cannot be
q matter OF surprise that they should claim
some consideration for themselves.
We have never sanctioned negro suffrage |
nor negro eligibility. We have never
voted for or approved the legislation by |
which these privileges have been conferred |
upon the Degro. But if the white people |
Of South Carolina are forced by the people |
Of the North to place colored man upon
their Supreme Court Bench if negroes
ire to be State officers in Mississippi, and |
oherifs ID Louisiana, and Justices of the
Peace III North Carolina and Postmasters
n Georgia, and eligible to any aud all
offices in the South, and strong enough to
place themselves in power in many of
hem, in certain counties and towns in all
IF them, then we say that it is right and
proper they should be Senators and
in Congress, and decide
questions and make laws for the people of
he North, where they have not sufficient
strength to secure local positions
We hopo Senator Revels will truly repre-
sent his people. Let him appoint colored
youths from his own State to West Point
md Annapolis. His conduct would be in
striking contrast with that of white carpet.
oaggers from the South, and would settle
1t once the entire equality of his race be-
ore the law. If this is not in fact a white
mans government let the black man re-
GIVE every privilege ard right which pro- c
'erly belongs to him. Away with theories
nd political generalities. If the colored
'eople are the peers of the whites in civil ]
nd political rights let US conform to this c
'ondition of affairs. Senator Reyels will {
lot long remain the only representative of t
is race in the Halls OF Congress. 7