New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-03-28
r HvE n Ew- n At Q N T. Err a

! their political action. He thought it mrea.
sonable to demand that the political action OF
| these recently emancipated slaves should ex-
hibit an equal Intelligence, virtue, and self
! denial with that-of men who had had the adj
vantages of the training, the education, and
wealth of generations. 1t was alleged that
| the negroes were incompetent anf were led
away by designing carpet-baggers, and that
| they were not proof against bribery.
While admitting the truth of these allega-
lions to a certain extent, he thought that the
| mitigating circumstances of their situation
were not duly considered. Without attempt
| ing to defend what was not morally defensible,
he wished to call attention to the disadvant-
ages under which the colored geople labored,
the intellectual and moral declaration of sla-
very to which they had ever been subject, of
course made them in some degree incompe-
tent for the high duty of citizenship and legis-
lation to which they had been suddenly called.
1t was to be remembered that citizenship was
thrust upon them by the political necessities
of the North, during the administration of
Johnson. Lincoln's successor had sought to
reverse Lincoln's policy, and if the North
were not to lose all the results of the war.
steps adequate to defeat ,Johnson's policy
must be taken. The colored people of the
South were alive to the situation, and, if not
so intelligent in regard to all the principles of
political duty as their Northern brethren, had
this governing sentiment to guide them.
namely: that they were determined not to do
what johnson wanted to have done.
If incompetent men came into the halls of
legislation, it was to be remembered that no
effort was made by the intelligent part of the
community to prevent that result. The
Southern whites regarded negro suffrage as a
farce, and in refusing to vote themselves, had
f1attered themselves with the idea that the
negroes would not dare to 90 up to vote any
more than would one of their dogs. Herein
they were disappointed and chagrned. The
speaker defended the conduct of many of the
carpet-baggers, as they were called, who did
what was in their power to enlghten the
negroes in regard to the political principles of
the North. Some of this class of men were
no doubt corrupt, and abused the confidence
Of the colored people.
In regard to brides, the speaker said that
too many of the negroes reasoned that if the
white man, with his superior intelligence and
greater experience in public affairs, thought
it right to offer brides, it could not be wrong
for them to accept the proffer. This was a
loose morality, but it was the best that the
education of slavery had secured to them.
The white men, he alleged, got up the corrupt
schemes which were carried by negro votes.
The prescription to which the negroes were
ouUJCSo was poil GU III anu
ing manner, and the terrorism which the Ku-
Klux had produced in certain sections was
described. He was not here to make any
appeal in behalf of any special candidate, but
he would say that the colored people of the
South had not had any opportunity to know
much about any man in connection with the
Presidency, except Gen. Grant; and, when
ever his name is mentioned among them, it
awakens response of gratitude and conf
dence in every heart. Their regard for their
own men, whom they familiarity know, men
like the late Lieut.. Gov. Dunn, was identified
with the connection which those men had
with the Administration at Washington, and
he thought that this confidence in Grant could
not be shaken by any combination of dema-
gogues, playing upon the political ,iealouses
of the West and the prejudices of Southern
whites; and that as the negroes had shown
their gratitude to the nation and the people
of the North in the past, by sacrifice in the
performance of political duty at the polls, in
the face of danger unparalleled, they would
do so in the future in support of the nominee
of the party that had given them freedom and
citizenship.
The speaker closed with some remarks upon
the education and the public worship of the
negroes of the South, which he deemed on
the whole to be in progressive and prosper
GUS condition.--Boston Daily Globe, 20h inst.