New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-08-08
The Savannah Lesson.

The sincerity of the professions of the
party that nominated Horace Greeley at
Baltimore has been weighed in the balance
and found wanting. The high ground the
Democracy profess to occupy in regard to
Equal Rights and equality before the law,
upon examination is found to be a dark valley
Of death, desolaton, and oppression, the
abode of race hatred and caste. This has
been clearly proven by the outrage of last
week upon colored citizens of Savannah,
Georgia. That outrage answers the ques-
ton, Does the Democratic masses accept the
Baltimore platform? and answers it en-
phatically in the negative. The silence of
the New York Tribune, Horace Greelcy's
paper, so far as rebuking the outrage upon
cOlored people is concerned, is also evidence
of fear ON the part of the leaders of the
Democratic party to stand by the declara-
tons of their platform. The riding in street
cars by negroes is probably what Mr.. Doc
little, the Chairman of the Baltimore Con-
vention, means by negro supremacy; and it
must be for this reason that the great Lib
eral Republican organ, the New York Irii-
O"sc, W illlu " III
supporters of its candidate for the Presidency
in the city of Savannah. Speeches have been
made all over the country, and letters with
out number written, in the interest of Horace
Greeley, the Democratic candidate for Presi-
dent, since the outrage upon colored citizens
in Savannah, Georgia, and not one word has
been uttered in any of them against the per-
petrators of the atrocities upon the civil
rights Of the colored people of that city by
the supporters of Democracy. The first
plank in the Democratic platform is in favor
of equality before the law, yet the orators
and writer's for that party dare not, for fear
of offending the Democratic masses, rebuke
violation of the principles which the party
profess to believe in and act upon. What
better evidence can there be of the intention
of the Democratic party to come again into
power by the practice of a pretense to have
repented of its crimes against humanity, than
is afforded by the Savannah outrage and the
silence of the Democratic leaders in regard
| to it? Go where you will in the South to-
day and the spirit that denies black men
equality before the law is rampant. Even
those colored men who have been misled
into supporting Greeley and Brown, are SUBJ
jected to indignities upon the railroads and
steamboats, of the South by the very men
| who shout loudest for the Democratic candi-
dates. 1t may be very natural to suppose
that the Democratic party would at least
carry its professions far enough to have those
colored men who labor for its support derive
some benefit from them.
If the Democratic party, by the silence of
its friends and orators, while attempting to
get into power, encourages outrages upon
the colored people Of the country, what secu-
rity from the deadly luminosity of that party
can the black man hope to have when it has
! fast hold of place and power? This silence
is Ominous. 1t BODIES no good in the future
for black men should the Democrats elect
Horace Greeley, with Democratic Congress,
and the State Legislatures in the hands of
the Democracy, with the idea of State sove-
reignty a controlling one. Then, as now,
the first plank in the Baltimore Cincinnati
platform will be forgotten and wholly repll-
| "A'''So' 'oa'aiiis'h Aoienh'tuoWs IL. IhcH ny
inch has the Democratic party fought the
onward march of liberty and equality in this
country inch by inch will it continue to
fight until its death. Its platform is a hol.
low deceit and sham. The Democratic party
clothes itself in the uniform of its liberty
loving enemies in order the easier to march
upon and capture them without detection
until too late to avert the terrible calamity
that will befall them. Friends of freedom
and equality be not deceived, be ON you
guard; your colors have been stolen by tho
enemy to lure you to their following, fol
lowing which leads to the destruction of al
your cherished anticipations of peace ant
happiness for the nation.