New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-25
THROUGH THE SOUTH.
Georgia Politics and PoIisicians-Pros-
poets of a Union of the Wings with
the Republicans-How the New De-
parture is Regarded in the South.

Correspondence of the New York Tribunel
ATLANTA, Ga, June 9-The voting popu-
| lation of Georgia may be stated in round
numbers to consist of 5000 White Demo
Gratis, from 5000 to 10000 white Republicans
and 10000 negroes, who would be Repub-
licans now, and would continue to be for
years to come, if left free to vote according
to their convictions, The most stupid plan
tatiOn negro has sense enough to know that
the Republican party emancipated him,
and he feels that it is his duty to give that
party his vote in return for the great boon
of liberty it gave him. But the negroes
are not allowed to express their convictions
freely by their ballots. All kinds of infiu-
ence, proper and improper, are brought to
bear upon them. In some cases an appeal
is made to their selfinterest to induce them
to vote with their employers, in others
their old masters control them by kind
ness, and in others fear of violence
is very influential. If an election we're to
be held tomorrow, there is no doubt that
one-third, if not one-half, of the negro vote
would be cast with the Democrats The
white Republicans have not sufficient num-
bers, or character, or influence, to organize
and direct the negro vote against the solid
opposition Of the intelligence and property
owning classes of the State. Probably a
majority of the white Republicans are
merely Republicans because the national
and State governments are in the hands of
that party, which gives them Office or the
hope OF getting Office in the future. They
are not the kind Of men who would COM
inand high degree of respect in any COM
nlunity. party composed, as the Repub-
lican party of Georgia is, of few white
men OF little influence, chiefly office holders,
and mass OF negroes, without intelligence.
courage or selfreliance, is clearly a party
from which very little can be expected
There is no doubt that the State is over
whelmingly Democratic.
A change is, however, likely soon TO take
place, greatly Strengthening the Republican
party, by adding to it q large number of i'm
fuential white men; aud this change will
result from the general acceptance by the
Northern Democracy of the Yallandigham
New Departure Platform. The present
Democratic party of Georgia contains thou
sands of old Wings, who have consented to
be called Democrats with no little reluc-
lance, and solely because they believed the
Democracy to be sectional party pledged
to the interests of the South, which thew
were bound to support for that reason. II
the national Democratic party takes ground
upon all questions affecting the South iden-
teal with that occupied by the Republicans.
these former Wings will be freed from their
allegiance to it. 1t no longer has any claims
to their support. The political struggles in
which they were engaged before the
war gave them a strong antipathy
TO the very name of fDemocracy.
and, since reconstruction, they have
acted with their old political enemies with
strong feeling of repugnance, and desire
to be released as soon as possible from such