Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-10-21
The CoIored CttfZen.

|
Poughkeepsie, New York, a resolution was
adopted declaring that "we will give to
"negroes voting the Democratic ticket no
protection or shelter in our houses or
"places of business, but will consider them
"enemies to our race forever" One would
suppoce that such resolution, so totally
at variance with the genius and freedom
of our glorious institutions and so directly
in the teeth of the law of the country, was
properly rebukcd and the actors punished.
If the white Conservatives of North Caro-
lima should thus resolve against the
negroes who shOald vote the Radical
ticket, the whole country wonld ring with
denunciations. Our people would have
military force at once CHARTERED upon
them, and probably Governor Holden
would summon Clark flom the bench, and
Kirk from his bail bond, and Bergen from
jail, and these worthless would collect to-
gether their ''men in buckram," and in
augurato second campaign against the
citizens Of tho State. Nay, tho heightened
and honorable Attorney for the United
States for the District Of North Carolina,
great moral acrobat, who somersaulted
from the Secession Convention, through
the intricacies Of the Test Oath, into Fed
eral office, with whole limbs at least, would
forthwith have every participant indicted
under the act to enforce the Fifteenth
Amendment.
But the Poughkeepsie Offenders are not
only of loyal politics but of the loyal color.
Therefore they are commended by the
press and speakers of the North, and will
doubtless receive the approval of those
congressman whose votes passed the
Enabling Act, ;" which las been willfully
violated. In fact, the law was not intend
ed to interfere with Radicals, but merely
to prevent Southern whites from interfer-
ing with Southern blacks in political mat
ters. Therefore, the present case may in
deed be in contempt of the letter of the
law, but in exact accordance with it's
spirit. Such legislation and intolerance
will continue to bind together the black
voters but short while. Increasing in
telligence and increasing confidence in the
whites will soon thrust asunder the chains
which fasten them to the Radical Jugger-
naut, and neither promises nor threats nor
legislation will induce them to continue to
vote away their own welfare and the true
interests of the country.
Indeed, the Radical leaders are playing
''fast and loose" with the negroes. Just
as they are losing the united support of
the Southern blacks they make voters of
those of the North. And, as if foreseeing
that this was bnt temporary dependence,
they are filling New England and the
North West with Chinese in order to i'm
proVise new class of voters, when the
negroes shall fully open their eyes to their
real welfare. All these are temporary ex-
pedients and will eventually fail. The
time will soon come when, from one end
Of the Union to the other, the people will
vote in accordance with their own and
their country's good. Preiudices of Sec
ton, Of race, of education will very soon
be stifed by the sympathies of common
interest and common destiny.
| We venture the opinion that two years
of Conservative legislation in North Caro-
lima will divide the colored vote in this
State. Under the selfish and wicked teach
ings of bad men, who sought only their
own aggrandizement, the blacks have
come to have want of confidence in the
political protestations of the whites, and
fear that their political defeat will bring
back slavery, or some evil to their material
welfare. These false fears will be dissi-
pated by the action of our Legislature,
and if that body is worthy of the impor-
tant trusts reposed in it by the people
of the State, the colored citizens of North
Carolina will unite as firmly with the white
citizens in political feelings as they are in
all other proper relations of life. Already
the political barriers are giving way be-
fore the dawning light of truth. and we
should not be surprised, even as early as
our next municipal election in this city,
if the influence Of Conservative colored
votes is felt. We feel sure that the
day is not distant when those citizens most
interested in the good government and
prosperity Of Wilmington will be selected
to control its affairs with the consent and
aid of o majority of the colored people.
| We shall see.