Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-06-03
From the New York World.
The nil TO Enforce the Fifteenth Amend
ment.

as to imagine that the monstrous bill which
has lust passed the Senate, and was pub
Iished in our Congressional reports yester
day. was intended by its authors for the
protection of cOIored voters, or for any
other purpose than to resuscitate the ag1'
tation of the negro question. The ag!ta'
ton is dying out; and with the sinking
tide sink tho fortunes and hopes OF the
Republican party. Unless 1t can De re-
viyed, nothing will be LETT to stimulate the
nagrino zeal Of such Republicans as neither
aaek nor hold office, whose Jaded enthu5l-
asm would we'll find repoSe after fifteen
vaors of unremitted excitement. Negro
votes cannot save the party ; for as soon
rs the white Republicans are secure, they
viii settle into apathy and seldom go to
.la polls. This tendency was signally IL
1r,trated in the recent election in this
STATE. Our Democratic Legislature passed
an act removing all disabilities from col
rad voters aud the consequence was that
twenty ind aerent Republicans stayed away
from the polls for every negro admitted to
tine ballot. If the Democratic party of the
state had pursued q different policy if
the State authorities had arrayed them
selves against tho fifteenth amendment,
and lad undertaken to exclude the ne
cracg, the canvass wOuld have giowed like
furnace. and tho whole Republican vote
would have been easily brought out This
. the danger which besets that party
aycryWhere. It's leaders, who understand
.a9 veil The cause Of their past success, see
that unless they can rcinfuso some interest
into the negro question, their voters will
constantly fall off, and that party will lose
n9utroI of the government as soon as the
.eeessary elections can be held.
They are not lacking in craft and this
rrcp0storOus bill is meant as prOvocatiOn
,ECe.E : l,a-
rs calculated pIdacity was necessary to
ave it any chance Of clloctiDg it's purpose.
The country is 50 heartily tired OF the ne
rrJ agitation, and 50 disposed 10 let it
5,up that unless the bill gave Il strong
handle to opposition, it would not sulli-
Gently engage public attention to produce
crca a nipple on the surface OF politics.
tLe design was, 10 produce bill bad
n1ongu to provoke resistance. The Re
g"allcpn leaders need new materials for
MiLamiu9 tAc public mind. They are dy-
I,r for an anti-uegro rioS; they want Il
"UI5odv shirt to he borne aloft III their
,.etlouCcrug PROFESSIONS
lGIs Eiu has been put Oh its passage
"-sLOUt any color of necessity, as no State
il the Union has taken any steps to thWart
He operation of the Fifteenth amendment.
I1Ur-tlths Of the State governments are
in Republican hands aud Of the Demo
cratic States, New IOlk, by far the most
POWERFUL the one whose influence Is most
likely to he felt, and It's example followed,
has promptly aCQuiesced III the situation
by an at OF her Legislature. There was
no likelihood that the Democrats OF any
STATE would try to carry an election by
outstanding the amendment, or that
they could succeed on that Issue If they
Gid. The negroes do not need the passage
d such a bill it is only the Republican
party that needs 1t, as a means Of roviylng
the agitation which has always been the
i'll ,iu lever Of their power.
Il is bill that could never be enforced
l.. a State where public opinion was OPP
POSED to- negro voting and III a State |
surre lublIc opinion was the other way, |
would need no enforcement by the Fed !
.li government The reason why it can
not he enforced against local public Opin-
..u j.. that the heavy penalties OF fine and
lmrri~onmcnt cannot be inflicted without |
q trial 10y Jury. The bal provides on great !
,alo machinery for the arrest, imprison-
uaut prosecution and trial of offenders ; |
hat no uun can be sentenced to these |
Lcasy penalties without trial by jury. 1t
is true that there is nothing in the bill !
about n Jury trial, but there is in the Con
,titutiOn. and the bill does not undertake |
10 set aside that part of the Constitution.
Ono obstinate Juror can III every case pre- |
vent Il verdict. But the bill answers the |
purpose Of its trainers all the better from |
She fact that it could not be enforced. A
cry Of resistance to law, and q rebellion
conspiracy against the rights Of the ne
glocs is tho very thing the Republican |
piottcrs "a Congress are fishing for. What |
they seek is the means of rel1indlipg the |
eTcltcment to which the Republican party |
Hl@ owed all its past success. The bill Is |
vel adapted 10 this wicked purpose if
democrats should in any State be so IN
vary as to fall into the trap. It would be
fatal and n suicidal policy for Democrats
to ma the Republicans IN their desperate
attempt to hold their party together and
eIlylgorate its decaying zeal. A success
.cn Of cases arising out of this bill, and
spread abroad with exaggerated coloring
and fanati al rhetoric in the Republican
newspapers, would bring hundreds of
Thousands of Republican voters to the
POLLS who would otherwise take no interest
IN tile elections, and who can only be
Brought out by the strong stimulus of a
negro excitement. Ii TINS outrageous bill
should pas the House and become 4 law, it
an be rendered quite harmless by giving
ruothing to operate upon. It is indeed
icil Of matter calculated to rouse indigna-
ton and provoke resistance; but if we de-
eat its main object by furnishing no cases
&. arrest under its provisions, it will sim
}.y return to plague the inventors" Let
lis I4onstrous violations Of the Constitu
ton be unsparingly exposed and denounc-
d, but let us not play into the hands of
OUR enemies by furnishing them with new
topics for bowling editorials and infama-
'gy stump speeches. The Democratic
latE have nothing to gain-it is only the
Republican party that car calmly re-
Viva! OF the negro agitation.
Hysterious Case at Wilmington, Del.
On Saturday week the sloop Achilles ar
nved ut Wilmington. Delaware, IN the
sole charge Of Peter Peterman, who acted
rs both captain and crew. Peterman did
not report to the custOm-house, or give
any account OF the rather singular circum-
stances of being in full possession of the
yl sci, and as he gave his wife, who lives
4, Wilmington, quite sum of money,
some suspicion was awakened, and the
*uention of the police and of the custom
house officers was called to the affair. Ia
Consequence Of this, saws the Wilmington