New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-08-15
Not Advice, but Opinion.

Not Advice, but Opinion.
A tender regard for the feelings of certain
well-known colored gentlemen in this city
has induced us to delay our testimony against
a practice which is becoming too common
among colored men, and which we should
like to SEQ discontinued. 1t may be well
enough to solicit tho opinions Of public men
upon the merits of particular candidates and
measures, but applying to certain of them
for advice as to how to vote is a humiliating
practice from which colored men would do
well to abstain. 1t places our race in false
position. We have been enfranchised and
invited to vote in the face Of powerful OPP
position based largely on the idea Of our
mental inequality to the white race, and our
general unftness to take part in Govern
ment. This opposition is not extinct, but
only overpowered. It is ready to spring into
life with all its ancient visor. 1t only wants
the argument and the occasion. We are OPP
posed to supplying it with the argument by
confessing our ignorance and servility by APP
plying to white men to tell us how to vote.
or the occasion, by taking their advice and
voting the Democratic party into power. 1t
cannot be denied that the application to Mr..
Sumner for advice had many recommended
tons. 1t was doubtless intended as a
devotion to our cause, but the manner of it
was an assault upon that cause. 1t COM
mended the manhood and independence of
Mr.. Sumner, while it struck down the man.
hood and independence Of the colored man
by confessing his incapacity to direct his
own political action. If individual white
men must advise the ignorant black man
how to vote, the fact may we'll be taken as
fair argument why the voting should be
confined to the hands that have the brains
to advise the voting. 1t would greatly SIM
plify the elections and lessen their expense
if certain individual men could do the voting
for whole classes. The true way for cOlored
men and for all other men is to survey as
far rs they can the whole field of politics,
consult the sources of information open and
free to all, and form opinions free from per-
sonal bias upon the issues involved in the
canvass, and vote as their own Judgment
shall dictate. A vote given in simple ODE
dience to advice might as we'll be cast by a
wooden man. 1t is vote without manhood
or dignity.
We have been trying for years to convince
the public that the color ed man, not less than
the white man, is fitted by nature to be his
own master. The fight at this point is made
difficult by every act Of servility which men
of our color commit. When we see them
running about in scare CHI of somebody to do
for them what they ought to do for them
selves-to show thrsm path which they
should find for them selves, proclaiming their
own ignorance and helplessness, scratching
their heads, in token Of their restitution of
ideas, asking somebody to tell them how to
vote when the country has Invested them
with the dignity of American citizenship-we
confess to perplexity, if not to despair. Let
no one be deceived, however, the great mass
Of the colorad voters Of the country know
full we'll how to vote and who to vote for in
the present grand political canvass. The
very sentir nent which attaches them to Mr..
Sumner win constrain them to depart from
Mr.. Summers advice. They are grateful to
Sumner, but will vote for Grant; for they
know that the millions OF the Republican
party cannot be completed till every dis
elimination against them is swept from the
Statute Book and the practice Of the nation.